& ZI and the UN Photo credits to To link to websites within presentation, click on the links, then close out (X) to return to presentation.

What in the world is the UN? What in the world does ZI mean to the UN? Where in the world do we begin? &

A brief history of the UN Founded October 24, 1945 by 51 Countries Forerunner was the League of Nations Currently has 192 Member States Focuses on 4 main purposes: 1. Keep peace throughout the world 2. Develop friendly relations among nations 3. Help nations that promote economic and social progress to work together to improve the lives of poor people to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy to encourage respect for each others rights and freedoms 4. Harmonize actions of nations in achieving goals &

disaster relief international health advancement of women counter terrorism, disarmament promote democracy, human rights, gender equality advancement of economic and social development environment and refugee protection advancement of governance expanding food production sustainable development clearing landmines UNs broad range of goals &

What does ZI mean to the UN? Zonta International UN Committee Provides consultative status as an accredited international non- governmental organization (NGO). To find out more about NGOs, go to Supports the UN at sites in Geneva, New York, Paris and Vienna Attends UN conferences, agencies, committees, commission sessions Provides written statements & presentations on issues under consideration And is responsible for: bringing women's concerns to the UN suggesting solutions drawing public attention to issues encouraging its members to participate at the local level Excerpts copied from &

What does the UN mean to ZI? ZI objects find root in many UN initiatives and documents CEDAW – Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Supported by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which is dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. ECOSOC is the principal global policy-making body. To find out more go to: MDGs – Millennium Development Goals Collaborative initiative with over 25 organizations and UN agencies focused on achieving 8 anti- poverty goals by To see what is going on with these goals go to: UN WOMEN – is the United Nations entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Merges four entities including UNIFEM which provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies that foster women's empowerment. Serving as Under-Secretary-General is Ms. Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile. To find out more about this exciting UN agency go to: &

Much More than an Eye Chart! &

Navigating the UN organization is overwhelming! – organizations, offices, operations, subsidiaries, panels, programs, funds, commissions, committees, councils, agencies, affairs and acronyms! We dont have to fully understand the workings of the UN. ZI UN Chair Mary Ann Tarantula and her Committee are experts at navigating the UN maze. The Committee receives and disseminates pertinent information to the ZI Board and the membership at large. District and local UN Chairs in conjunction with LAA Committees are charged with further disseminating the information, and building awareness in local communities. And ALL of us are charged with ADVOCATING for change! UNderstanding the UN Maze &

This year we celebrate 100 years of change for women! March 8 is International Womens Day which began in But even in recognizing this milestone, the UN and other partners of like-minded organizations such as ZI acknowledge that the journey is not over. More needs to be done to secure the rights and freedoms of ALL women and girls. These organizations that include YOU and ME, demand that our governments act on UN resolutions passed to end abuse and to improve the status of women and girls everywhere. Advocate for Change! &

In 1993, the United Nations passed a resolution that declared: States should condemn violence against women and pursue by all appropriate means, and without delay, a policy of eliminating it. Yet today, 1 in 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. WHY dont governments do more? WHY the silence? Each year an estimated 800,000 people are trafficked across borders, and 80% are women and girls. From a link to on the UNIFEM website &

Female genital mutilation /cutting affect an estimated 130 million women and girls, and each year 2 million more undergo the practice. WHY no action? Up to 70% of female murders victims are killed by their male partners. WHY dont people talk? The world spends more than 300,000 times more on weapons than the United Nations spends on eliminating violence against women. From a link to on the UNIFEM website WHY? &

connected WHAT IF… All women were… supported Its time to make the change… empowered ? Together we can make a difference! &

WHY DON'T GOVERNMENTS DO MORE? WHY DON'T YOU AND I? Click on link to watch the YouTube video if you are connected to the Internet during this presentation. Turn up Volume! After video completes, close out (click X in upper right corner) to return to the presentation. The video is listed on the UNIFEM website, created by with credits to for musical support. &

Thank you for all YOU do for Women ! &