WiLDAF is joining other women’s organizations around the world in order to welcome the unanimous adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution creating the new entity devoted to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Officially established on 2nd July, this new composite called "UN Women" is expected to be operational by January 2011. It will be headed by a Deputy Secretary General, appointed by the Secretary-General in consultation with Member States. For the meantime, the transition process will be led by the Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro.

This new entity will combine the previous four units of the United Nations dedicated to gender issues including the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) and the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women.

The new structure will depend on voluntary contributions from Member States. UN Women is set to have an annual budget of at least $500 million, double the current combined resources of the four agencies it will comprise.

It is a great victory for women’s organizations, which have been claiming for years the establishment of this new entity very important for achieving gender equality. “It will now be much more difficult for the world to ignore the challenges facing women and girls – or to fail to take the necessary action,” said Mr Ban Ki-moon. He added that the UN system is now committed to support national efforts in order to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment ".

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