UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu's message on the occasion of IWD2021

Dear colleagues,

On this year’s International Women’s Day, celebrated in a COVID-19 world, we focus on women’s important role in the pandemic response.

This year’s theme – “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World” reminds us of the impact that girls and women around the world have made as health workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers and in many other roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. In these hard times women leaders demonstrated their skills, knowledge and connections to effectively lead the COVID-19 response and recovery.

Women bring different experiences, perspectives and skills and are irreplaceable contributors to decisions, policies and laws that work best for all.

Highlighting that the COVID-19 pandemic has erased decades of progress towards gender equality, UN Secretary General, António Guterres in his IWD 2021 message made the following important remarks:

“When women lead in government, we see bigger investments in social protection and greater inroads against poverty.

When women are in parliament, countries adopt more stringent climate change policies.

When women are at the peace table, agreements are more enduring".

Hence, let’s invest in women and girls in all areas, from education and science to leadership and sustainable development - today and every day.

Only in this way can we achieve our common goals to end poverty, save the planet and build a peaceful world.

Wishing all of you a HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY and wishing all women equality in everything they do!