UNON Director General addresses the guests
The commemoration of the International Women’s Day was held at the UN complex in Nairobi and was attended by a diverse audience of more than 600, including the diplomatic corps, non-governmental organizations, the UN and educational institutions.
In a message on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, UN Office at Nairobi (UNON) Director General Achim Steiner reminded guests that this year’s commemoration marked the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
On behalf on the UN Country Team, UN Resident Coordinator Aeneas Chuma highlighted how the UN system in the country was working through the Joint Programme on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment to support the Government to achieve its national priorities, with particular emphasis on the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
The Joint Programme is a collective UN approach to address issues of gender-based-violence, mainstreaming gender in all processes, policies, strategies and actions.
Referring to the International Women’s Day theme, ‘Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all’ the incoming Chairperson of the Gender and Governance Programme, Ambassador Heli Sirve of Finland noted how the theme was most relevant and current to Kenya given the reform process the country was going through to “influence not only the status and rights of women but realization of political and social justice in general”.
Information materials on what the UN agencies and their partners are doing to empower girls and women were displayed in the lobby of the UNON in Kenya.