Nursing leaders from around the world demand that UN member states move quickly on a women's agency

Citation

(2007), "Nursing leaders from around the world demand that UN member states move quickly on a women's agency", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 20 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhs.2007.21120dab.001

Nursing leaders from around the world demand that UN member states move quickly on a women's agency

Edited by Jo Lamb-White

Nursing leaders from around the world demand that UN member states move quickly on a women's agency

Keywords: Leadership, Public health, Healthcare equality

Nurse leaders from more than 80 countries who gathered for the International Council of Nurses’ global nursing conference, were distressed and perplexed to learn of inaction and stalling on the strong recommendation for the UN to establish a special agency for women. “ICN’s Council of Representatives, and the 13 million nurses working worldwide, ask the UN Secretary General and UN member states to move quickly on the clear recommendation that the UN High Level Coherence Panel delivered to the Secretary General in November 2006 for a dedicated women’s agency” declared Hiroko Minami, President of the International Council of Nurses.

“There is no time to lose, no reason to pander to the deeply rooted forces that work against women’s empowerment and gender equality”, continued Dr Minami. “Without a women’s agency every global goal, including each of the Millennium Development Goals, will be unreachable.”

“Across the globe and within the UN system itself, women are oppressed, marginalized, under-represented and neglected. They make up a huge majority of the world’s poor, illiterate, exploited and abused, and a tiny minority of decision-makers. This is not just unacceptable for women and girls, it is the biggest barrier to peace, health and prosperity globally.”

The UN and the world need a full-fledged women’s agency: robustly funded, operational and with on-the-ground presence in every country. And we need it now. At the same, the healthy development of all citizens and communities is inextricably tied to the education and empowerment of women and the strengthening of their health. Where women participate on an equal footing, societies flourish. The absolute importance of gender equity in all realms of life and areas of social and economic development cannot be understated.

ICN appeals to all – women, men, international agencies, national and regional organisation and governments – for robust support in ensuring the establishment of a well funded, independent gender entity with programme capacity at the country level.

For further information: www.icn.ch