As the United Nations scrambles to respond to a funding crisis, the secretary-general has proposed the merger of UN Women, the U.N.’s gender equality and women’s empowerment agency, and UNFPA, the U.N.’s sexual and reproductive health agency. For the world’s women and girls, a merger is full of risks.
We are already facing unprecedented backlash against gender equality worldwide: More than a quarter of countries are facing significant danger of regression in core areas of women’s rights, from physical safety to equality under the law. Weakening the U.N.’s capacity to address these issues now would be a major setback.
It’s crucial to remember why these two entities were created. UN Women shapes norms, laws, and policies and coordinates action on gender equality globally, while implementing country-level programs on issues such as women’s economic empowerment, political participation and leadership, and gender-based violence.