Building smart solutions to advance equal opportunities for women and girls
“Think equal, build smart, innovate for change” is this year's theme for International Women’s Day.
A group of prominent women joined the three Rome-based United Nations agencies today, to mark International Women's Day at an event recognising women's contributions to building smart solutions for those who are excluded from decision making and influencing development in all sectors.
A vibrant discussion saw Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; Giulia Blasi, Italian author and journalist; Minna Salami, Finnish-Nigerian author, blogger and social critic; and Sarah Jane Morris, British singer and songwriter share their vision for a gender-equal society where women will thrive.
The event - jointly organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) - focused on this year's UN theme for International Women's Day: "Think equal, build smart, innovate for change".
"We know that creating a world with Zero Hunger requires empowering more women and girls, with programmes that educate and build economic opportunity," said WFP Executive Director, David Beasley. "We must work harder at this because right now progress is being held back in so many places where women aren't given the opportunities that they should have. That's why every day, WFP is helping millions of women tap their full potential and improve their own lives, the lives of their families, communities and nations."