UN WOMEN AMPLIFIES WOMEN’S VOICES AT EVENTS DURING UN CONFENERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, RIO DE JANEIRO

At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 there was unanimous agreement that sustainable development cannot
be realized without gender equality. Yet today, 20 years later, women still face discrimination and
continue to demand equal rights, opportunity and participation. At the Rio+20 Conference in Rio de
Janeiro, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet will call for robust policies and strong
commitments to remove discriminatory barriers, ensure women’s central role in sustainable
development, and bring real change in people’s lives. Highlighting that gender equality is fundamental
to a sustainable future, UN Women events during the Conference will amplify women’s voices and
showcase innovative strategies that are making a difference in communities across the world.
All UN Women events will be webcast live at www.unwomen.org
UN Women events at the Rio Centro Conference and Exhibition Centre include:
18 June
Press Conference with Michelle Bachelet, Under‐Secretary‐General and Executive Director of UN
Women and Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and Special Envoy of the UN
Secretary‐General on Climate Change.
Venue: Main Press briefing room, Media Centre, Pavilion 3
Time: 10.00‐10.30 a.m.
19th June
The Future Women Want: Leaders’ Forum on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for
Sustainable Development
Hundreds of representatives from government, UN heads of agencies, civil society and the private sector
will make their voices heard at this full‐day forum organized by UN Women in collaboration with the
Government of Brazil and other partners. UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet will deliver
opening and closing remarks. The event will highlight strategies and programmes that foster gender
equality and sustainable development. Topics include: Advancing gender equality and women’s
empowerment in green economies; normative frameworks and the integration of the three (economic,
environmental, social) pillars of sustainable development; and shaping the new international
development framework.
Venue: T‐2, Riocentro
Time: 9.30 a.m. ‐ 6.00 p.m.
The event is open to the media, but seats are limited. Please rsvp to media contacts listed.
21st June
Call to Action by Women Heads of State and Government on the Future Women Want
At the Women Leaders Summit, hosted by UN Women in collaboration with the Government of Brazil,
women Heads of State and Government will issue a strong Call to Action pledging their support and
urging governments, civil society and the private sector to prioritize gender equality and women’s
empowerment and accelerate action. UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, who is
convening the Summit with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, will deliver opening remarks and make
the case that a world in balance requires women’s full and equal participation in decision‐making.
Venue: P3‐1, Riocentro
Time: 11.00 a.m. ‐ 1.00 p.m.
The event is open to the media, but seats are limited. Please rsvp to media contacts listed.
Media Contacts:
Oisika Chakrabarti, Ph: +1 646.781.4522; E‐mail: oisika.chakrabarti@unwomen.org
Nanette Braun, Ph: +1. 917.975.7915; E‐mail: nanette.braun@unwomen.org
More information on UN Women:www.unwomen.org
UN Women and Rio+20: http://www.unwomen.org/the‐united‐nations‐conference‐on‐sustainabledevelopment‐
rio20/
Follow the events on Twitter: English (@UN_Women), Spanish and Portuguese (@ONUMujeres)