The UN General Assembly voted unanimously to create UN Women, (General Assembly resolution 64/289) a new entity merging the four UN offices focusing on gender equality: the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues, and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. Following the passage of the resolution, the Bahá'í International Community, as one of the core NGOs leading the campaign for the new gender entity, received congratulatory notes from NGOs and women around the world expressing their appreciation and support for its role in the four-year campaign. [BIC History; UN Women]
• See as well A short history of the Commission on the Status of Women (PDF).

The Bahá'í International Community released a statement titled In full partnership: Women’s advancement as a prerequisite for peaceful societies, emphasizing that true equality requires a transformation that goes beyond policy reforms to address the spiritual and cultural roots of inequality.

Liliane Nkunzimana, a BIC representative from the New York Office, noted: The 12 critical areas of concern articulated in Beijing were an important evolution in equality of women and men. However, many of these advances have been eroded by policy rollbacks and other forces, from the grassroots through to the international stage. This is a disturbing regression. And it should prompt us to identify more enduring approaches to transformation.” [BWNS1783; BWNS1719; Insights from the Field: Podcast explores advances in gender equality in India]

The pdf of the statement can be download here.