UNITAR Co-Sponsors Special Commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025

An event organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, the EU Delegation, and UN Women

UAE Mission in Geneva / Marc Bader

13 March 2025, Geneva Switzerland - UNITAR co-sponsored a special commemoration of International Women’s Day on Friday 7th of March, an event organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, the EU Delegation, and UN Women at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

This year’s event was particularly significant as it marked the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), a transformative framework that has been instrumental in advancing women’s rights globally.

The theme for the 2025 commemoration, "For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," underscored the urgent need for concrete action to ensure equal rights, power, and opportunities for all women and girls. Central to this vision is the empowerment of youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls, who are increasingly seen as catalysts for meaningful and lasting societal change.

UAE Mission in Geneva / Marc Bader

Dr. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Deputy Director of the Division for People and Social Inclusion and Associate Head of the CIFAL Global Network represented UNITAR at this high-level event. During her address, she highlighted that

The Beijing Declaration set the agenda, and our responsibility is to deliver results and continue moving forward. UNITAR and the CIFAL Global Network are committed to a world where all women and girls can fully realise their potential.

The event brought together a distinguished group of representatives from the United Nations, including H.E. Ms Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Mr Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ms Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Geneva Office Director. Additionally, H.E. Ms Lotte Knudsen, Permanent Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, was in attendance, along with numerous other esteemed leaders.

Event Objectives

The objectives of the event were clear:

To reaffirm global commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
To amplify the voices of diverse stakeholders, including youth, governments, and civil society organizations, in the promotion of gender equality.
To raise awareness across generations—particularly among young women and girls—of both the achievements and the ongoing challenges that have persisted since the adoption of the BPfA.

This special commemoration served as both a celebration of the progress made over the past three decades and a call to action for continued efforts in overcoming the remaining barriers to gender equality. With the invaluable contributions of key global stakeholders, the event reinforced the shared commitment to a future where women and girls across the world can thrive, achieve their full potential, and contribute meaningfully to building a more inclusive and equitable society.