How many steps did you take this year? “What kind of steps?” – some would wonder. Some would say: “Too many, how could I possibly count them?”. The fact is – steps can be different: big or small, quick and effortless, or time-consuming and requiring one to go above and beyond to even attempt them. Some steps can get you wherever you aim to be in no time, if taken from close proximity. Others would not get you even in sight of the goal if you are starting from afar. What unites them all is that the one taking a step is moving in the right direction and, hence, every step matters. When it comes to gender equality, although the final destination might not yet be visible to us, the direction is clear, and active and positive steps, multiplied and reinforced through solidarity and mutual support, are the only way to get there.
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In early 2020, ahead of the time when the new health crisis unfolded on an unprecedented and global scale, revealing and exposing the ugliness of existing intersectional inequalities, UNITAR’s team asked itself a question: what steps are we taking towards gender equality? Perhaps even more importantly, how many meaningful steps, especially taken by those who are often silenced, remain unnoticed? What can we do right now to mitigate this? Drawing on the idea behind the International Women’s Day, an annual dedication to celebrating the achievements of our centuries-long struggle for equal opportunities, we came to a conclusion that one day per year was definitely not enough to showcase the multitude of admirable actions and initiatives undertaken by women of various ages, at various levels, and in various sectors around the world. To truly encapsulate the complexity, diversity and sheer number of these steps, we decided that they should be celebrated at least once per week. And so, #TakeAStep drew its first breath – a small campaign with a big goal.
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Over the past nine months, committed to our role as a knowledge sharing hub, #TakeAStep has flourished and grown. UNITAR’s dedicated team has been collecting, compiling and sharing stories, reports, studies, tools, celebrations, resources, events and much more exposing and challenging existing barriers and stereotypes in one of the sectors most affected by them – peace and security. We did not limit ourselves with the kind of materials we intended to share: in the spirit of the campaign, we have been as inclusive as possible. The scope and number of initiatives and the dedication of our community of nations and various organisations, institutions and individuals comprising it have been astonishing to us. From UNDP’s Gender Social Norms Index, DCAF’s Gender and Security Toolkit, UN Women’s Visualizing Generation Equality colouring pack, UN resources on fighting racism to UN Peacekeeping's photo essay Women Wage Peace, the first-ever guide for United Nations field missions on preventing & responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), UN OCT’s factsheet on gender and CVE and DCAF’s “The Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations" Methodology – these are just few examples of the enormous work being done to increase awareness, spread knowledge, and change mindsets. Regardless of their angle or focus, they all seek to bring the available opportunities and tools from research centres and UN offices to the doorstep of every woman.
Particularly remarkable are our three personal stories based on interviews with inspiring women who, despite significant challenges, took that step to pursue their dreams – our true campaign gems. Kossiwa J. Tossoukpe, Jocelyne Dabire, and Tilly Stroosnijder [link] – thank you for your time and candor, for your strength, and most importantly – for extending your hand to other women willing to take a step but lacking confidence, tools or any other resources to do so. We thank everyone who participated in and contributed to our virtual summit on Women’s Leadership in Pandemic/ Humanitarian Crisis Preparedness and Response and the online workshop to advance gender equality in peace and security. A special thanks to the courageous women of the Burkinabe Formed Police Unit, who shared their hopes, fears, and concerns prior to being deployed to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
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Spreading the word about the impressive amount of work being done by women to promote peace and to encourage, inspire and enable other heroines to follow their path – through 34 posts in total – has been a fantastic learning journey for us as well. While the pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the vast imbalances that deeply penetrate our communities, including those related to gender, this crisis has also demonstrated that even from their position of disadvantage – starting from afar – women can do miracles and take steps that save lives and improve the well-being of others on a global scale. We hope that following this campaign as it has evolved and grown has been as enriching and eye-opening for you as it has been for us to create it.
As 2020 – the year of unprecedented challenges presented by COVID, but also a milestone anniversary of both the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the UN itself – is coming to an end, it is not time to stop, but maybe time to take a breath and look back at the long and winding road behind. How many steps did you take this year? No idea. It is truly impossible to count. What we have learnt is that the number, size and type of steps do not really matter as long as steps are taken actively, continuously and together. As much as we – in the international community and the United Nations in particular – are committed to making just and equal world a reality, we cannot do it alone. Are you with us? Here is our hand. We invite you to take it.
Our campaign is not ending here – we still have months of fascinating discoveries and initiatives ahead of us before wrapping up in March 2021 with an open online event, bringing together some inspirational women working on the promotion of peaceful, just and inclusive societies around the world. The format of the event and speakers are yet to be decided. Do you have any suggestions? Want to see someone as part of our panel? Interested in a particular topic being covered? We would love to involve you - to ensure that this event is as truly inclusive, engaging and useful as it possibly can be. Get in touch with us to make your proposals for the upcoming event as well as #TakeAStep posts for the upcoming months: TakeAStep@unitar.org.