Video Message of Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt on The International Women’s Day 2022

Dear friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my privilege to celebrate with you, for the second year in Egypt, International Women’s Day.

I would like to pay tribute to all women and girls living in Egypt for their valuable contributions, throughout the country’s history to society, nation and communities.

As we celebrate women and girls today, it is unfortunate to see, in this day and age, that the clock on women’s rights is moving backwards, as the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, warned.

Gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls persists in different forms. From unequal treatment, to violence, to bearing the brunt of social and economic challenges, including those arising from the climate crisis.

We all know that the impact of climate change on gender is not the same. Women are increasingly more vulnerable than men to the adverse impact of climate change. They represent the majority of the world's poor and are more dependent on threatened natural resources.

Therefore, this year’s celebration will be held under the theme

“Gender equality for a sustainable tomorrow”

This theme is more relevant today than ever. Urgent action is needed to curb the harmful impact of a changing climate on women and girls who are uniquely positioned to help bring new perspectives and solutions to this global crisis.

It will also help unlock greater resources and generate sustainable initiatives in adaptation, mitigation, and response.  

This theme is even more relevant for Egypt, - the host country of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.

COP27 is undoubtedly an unmissable opportunity for Egypt to champion for bold actions to protect our planet and push for gender-responsive climate actions.

The UN Family in Egypt is proud of our longstanding partnership with the Government of Egypt, and specifically with the National Council for Women, in promoting for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls on all fronts.

Egypt can be proud of the great strides in ensuring that women are fully contributing to the country’s political, economic, social and environmental transformation.  

We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration until we make gender equality a profound reality for all Egyptian women and girls, and for all humanity!   

To all the women and girls in Egypt, Happy International Women’s Day!

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