Yesterday, 2 July, the UN released a new body: UN Women. The entity, offcially named "UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women" merges four former UN bodies that dealt with women's issues:
- Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW, established in 1946)
- International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW, established in 1976)
- Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI, established in 1997)
- United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, established in 1976)
On the New York Times website, Neil Mac Farquhar discusses the name of the new women's division. UNGEEW doesn't sound that tasty, he argues, and UN Women sounds like a "social club" instead of an organization that advocates women's rights. According to Mac Farquhar, it took four (!) years to establish the new body.
Indeed, the name. Should it change? Should there be a UN body especially for women anyway? In that case, do you have a better, more original and more accurate name?
Suggestions are most welcome. I would say: UwomaN!
Simple but catchy! I like that, too. UwomaN or how about United Women?
It does sound a bit like the Women’s Institute - knitting, baking and the like. UwomaN makes it sound like a university group. Not very serious… They just need a standard name like any other UN organisation - but maybe with a better acronym!!
Names are one thing - delivering on the goals set another. I’d opt for the latter…
Yes, you’re right of course Bart - a rose by any other name etc. etc…. think people should be more concerned about what they are setting out to do!
I like United Women, and sadly I think we still need it!
Yes Bart. You are right. What is important is delivering on the goals that have been set.
I like United Women too. But, yeah - where are the goals?
@ all: thanks for your suggestions. Let’s hope the UN reads this and Th!inks about another name…
PINK UN (haha that is a JOKE! Never hahahaha)
To be honest I like UN WOMEN
Me too, I like UN Women. It’s easy to remember and it’s not too complex to hide the whole meaning under some crazy bureaucratic “achievement”. The sad part is, of course, that such an agency is still needed.
Ah yes, I like UN Women, too.