UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is visiting Mexico from 29 to 30 May, where she will take part in a series of high-level events and meet will key government officials, civil society, women’s groups, as well as the private sector and other development partners to build alliances for advancing gender equality.
Her participation in the launch of the Spotlight Initiative, a EU-UN global efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls, will be a highlight of the visit. In Mexico, the Spotlight Initiative is geared to tackle femicide, as well as all forms of violence against women and girls. Among the 25 countries with the highest rates of femicide in the world, 14 are in Latin America and the Caribbean region, with 12 women being killed every day; while in Mexico, an average of nine women are murdered every day. Ending violence against women and girls is a prerequisite to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which world leaders have committed to fulfill by 2030.
In her meetings with civil society and women’s groups, the Executive Director will recognize and celebrate the critical role that they have played in shaping the gender equality and women’s rights movements, as well as discuss the pressing challenges in the region. During her meetings with key national government officials and at the International Cooperation Roundtable (Mesa de Cooperación Internacional), she will emphasize the commitments and responsibility of governments around the world to guarantee women’s and girls´ rights for any meaningful progress on the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
Original source: UN Women
Published on 29 May 2019
