(c) UNODC
UNOV/UNODC Gender Team: What was the “a-ha” moment when you realized there was a practical reason for promoting gender equality? How is that translated in your work?
Rebecca Miller: During my PhD studies, I took a course called Gender and Development. One of the books on my reading list was written by Marilyn Waring who became New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament at the age of 23. It was called Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What Women are Worth. It presented an analysis of how mainstream economics and the calculations that form the basis of GDP, excluded the contributions of women’s unpaid work. From then on, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment became a core focus of my work because I wanted to live in a world where women truly counted.
UNOV/UNODC Gender Team: How would you encourage other colleagues to lead the way and be actively involved in promoting gender equality?
Rebecca Miller: It is amazing how many people become uncomfortable or defensive when you talk about promoting gender equality. Most support ideas of equality, but a lot of people just don’t know how to have the conversation. For me, it is about engaging with colleagues on a regular basis. Within any organisation, there will be gender champions and allies. Get them on board and collectively start identifying areas to focus on. But I have also learnt enough about organisational development to know that it is equally important to have genuine top-level leadership to support and to institutionalize change.
UNOV/UNODC Gender Team: How do you commemorate International Women´s Day, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Rebecca Miller: UNODC is privileged to join the ILO and UN Women to commemorate International Women’s Day as part of Safe and Fair: Realizing Women Migrant Workers’ Rights and Opportunities in the ASEAN region, which is part of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls. The programme, which aims to address women migrant workers’ vulnerabilities to violence and trafficking, will organise awareness and outreach activities to advocate for changing attitudes and behaviors towards women migrant workers, particularly in the context of COVID-19.
(c) UN Women
Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day celebrates women's achievements and raises awareness about women's equality. UN Women announced this year`s theme as, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” The theme celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “Women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” and the flagship Generation Equality campaign.
