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Advocate for a woman as the next Secretary-General and make the selection of a woman inevitable
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Support the selection process by contributing to the identification of the best possible female candidates
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Support all qualified women candidates
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Promote transparency in the selection process
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Involve governments and civil society in the search and selection
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Highlight the importance of gender equality in the UN’s senior leadership and in its work on sustainable development, peace and human rights
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, signifying a lifetime of work for the Organization. This landmark offers a pivotal point to launch the birth of a new lifetime to address the evolving global challenges. Leadership plays an important role in this paradigm shift. The eight heads of the Organization so far have represented multiple regions of the world, but no woman has yet held this top position. Women make up half the world’s population and it is time that a woman is represented as Secretary-General. The preamble to the UN Charter calls on the “Peoples of the United Nations” to uphold the “equal rights of men and women”; Article One repeats this mantra by linking “international cooperation” with “respect for human rights and for the fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” It is time we honor these words that the founders so carefully drafted in their vision for a peaceful world.
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Demonstrated experience at the multilateral political level
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Experience in senior management at the multilateral level
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Commitment to the goals of the UN, including peace, security, human rights, and humanitarian approaches to development and peacebuilding operations
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Track record supporting women’s empowerment, gender equality and justice
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Charismatic with strong speaking and language skills that communicate clearly and effectively with Member States, the media, and the public
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Intelligent, self-confident, with a history of personal integrity
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Committed to moral leadership and providing a moral compass for the Organization
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Transparent, open to working with a diverse global populous and dedicated to seeking balance by including all voices
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Conveys a strong sense of executive presence
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) urges member states to include women at all levels in national, regional, and international bodies. Yet, women continue to be underrepresented within the high levels of the UN Secretariat and only a handful of the SRSGs today are women. The scarcity of women in top leadership means that they are often absent from senior decision-making teams and not full-partners in a management culture that is dominated by males. Yet, during the last several decades and particularly recently, women hold many top positions around the world in politics, business, and society. There is no shortage of qualified women for the position of UN Secretary-general.
Furthermore, women possess the inherent understanding of the many obstacles that other women around the world face in their daily lives: problems of discrimination, deprivation, marginalization, and gender-based violence. Women not only constitute half of the world's population, they are the recipients of much of the UN's assistance; therefore more women are needed across the UN’s leadership, and the UN’s existing gender equality agenda needs to be strengthened, in order adequately to address and remedy these problems. The symbolic value of a woman as SG is significant and will re-energize the UN’s gender equality agenda as well as open doors for other highly qualified women to be considered for other top positions within the UN family as well as worldwide. The UN supports gender equity (fairness), equality (equal access) and inclusion. Inclusion is more than a symbolic gesture. Inclusion equates action and women must be included at the highest levels. It is time.
Download the WomanSG Brochure here: