Events

UN Women is pleased to invite you to the United Nations observance of International Women’s Day 2021. The theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world on the way to the Generation Equality Forum”.

Register for the event ►

Hosted by Sophia Pierre-Antoine, PSEA Officer at IOM HQ and former Board Co-Chair of FRIDA Young Feminist Fund.

Speakers include:

• H.E. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
• H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly
• H.E. Mher Margaryan, Chair of the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women
• Somaya Faruqi, Member of the Afghan Girls Robotic Team

Women’s Leadership in a COVID-19 World:

• Eddie Ndopu, SDG and disability rights advocate, in conversation with:
• H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland
• H.E. Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, Minister of Women, Gender and Diversity of Argentina
• Aya Chebbi, outgoing African Union Youth Envoy and Chair of Africa Young Women Manifesto Group
• Xiye Bastida, climate justice activist and co-founder of Re-Earth Initiative

Generation Equality Forum Segment, featuring key messages from:

• H.E. Élisabeth Moreno, Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities of France
• H.E. Marcelo Ebrard, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
• Chamathya Fernando and Anika Jane Dorothy, members of the GEF Youth Task Force
• Zoneziwoh Mbondgulo-Wondieh, member of the GEF Civil Society Advisory Group

Panel discussion on the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions and the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact, featuring:

• Faith Kasiva, Secretary Gender, State Department for Gender, Kenya
• Jarmo Sareva, Ambassador for Innovation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
• Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director of ARROW
• Joanita Babirye, Programme Director, Girls for Climate Uganda
• Rosita Najmi, Senior Director, Head of Global Social Innovation of Paypal
• Kavita Ramdas, Director, Women’s Rights Programme of Open Society Foundations
• Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Special video message by Eva Longoria, actress, activist, producer, and philanthropist.

Musical performances by Pihcintu Chorus, Angelica Hale and Broadway Singers.

The colour for International Women’s Day 2021 is yellow.

The observance will be broadcast live on webtv.un.org and youtu.be/hyOOQ_6L-2I.

• Invitation (PDF, 258KB)