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The United Nations... and YOU
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945. It currently has 193 Member States. The UN is guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
The International Sociological Association (ISA), founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a non-profit association for scientific purposes. It is associated as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the UN Department of Global Communications and has NGO consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
ISA's UN Representatives strive to connect the ISA to the work of the United Nations as well as connect the work of the United Nations to the research, teaching, and advocacy work of sociologists worldwide. We encourage all ISA members in addition to their Research Committees, National Associations, Working Groups and Thematic Groups to be active at the United Nations.
We welcome your contributions to this section of the ISA website. Please contact Rosemary Barberet rbarberet@jjay.cuny.edu or Jan Marie Fritz jan.fritz@uc.edu regarding questions or comments about UN participation and/or items you would like posted as part of the ISA-United Nations section.
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Activity Report
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: November 25, 2024
By Gianna Sparacino and Dana Morgan, ISA Youth Representatives to the United Nation
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed annually on November 25, was established by the United Nations to raise awareness about the global issue of gender-based violence. The date honors the Mirabal Sisters, three Dominican women murdered in 1960 for their political activism against the regime of Rafael Trujillo. This day highlights the widespread nature of violence against women and calls for action to prevent it, support survivors of it, and advocate for legal reform within Member States. It also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which runs through December 10. As Youth Representatives to the United Nations for the ISA, we attended the General Assembly’s high-level meeting at UN Headquarters in New York City. Speakers included: Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General; Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director; Tarana Burke, #MeToo Founder; Mayra Jiménez, the Minister of Women of the Dominican Republic; and Minerva Josefina Tavárez Mirabal, President of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, International Criminal Court, and the daughter of Minerva Mirabal, one of the assassinated Mirabal sisters.
Speakers reminded the audience of relevant international legal commitments. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women affirmed that women's rights are human rights, committing nations to eliminate discrimination and promote gender equality. The 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action further prioritized ending violence against women, leading many countries to pass laws supporting women's empowerment and combating gender-based violence. In The Pact for the Future Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, emphasizing their dedication to achieving gender equality. They pledged to advance women's participation in all areas of life, fully empower women and girls, and eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against them.
These advancements serve as a reminder for those around the globe committed to standing against gender-based violence. With research come results, as new evidence strides into the direction that violence against women and children is preventable with multilateral support. To coincide with this day of observance, UNODC and UN Women released a new data report on femicide, available at https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/briefs/Femicide_Brief_2024.pdf, documenting that in 2023, an average of 140 women and girls worldwide lost their lives every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative. The 16 Days of Activism campaign reminds us that ending violence against women and girls is not just a goal, but a responsibility. This report may be useful for ISA members’ class discussions or research. Further information on UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women work is here. UN Women is holding civil society meetings on zoom on the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. The next one is Monday, December 16th at 10:30 EDT. Information is here. The flyer with the registration link is here.