Global campaign seeks to achieve gender parity across international tribunals & other monitoring bodies.

Media Advisory

Women are underrepresented across almost all international and regional tribunals, and monitoring bodies in charge of making important decisions for societies, including issues of human rights, borders, security and peace. Up until September 2015, only 17% of all positions within major international tribunals were occupied by women and in regional human rights courts, 25%. At the UN Special Procedures, 19 out of 52 positions have never been held by a woman.

Gqual: A Campaign for Gender Parity in International Representation aims to #ChangethePicture and encourage the presentation and appointment of qualified women in international courts and other bodies.

The campaign will launch during the UN General Assembly and will feature the publication of a Declaration that has garnered the signed support of more than 600 prominent academics, lawyers, representatives of civil society, Nobel laureates, government representatives and diplomatic figures, including Vice-President of Costa Rica Ana Helena Chacón; Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström; President of the International Criminal Court, Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi; and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Jody Williams.

What: Let’s #ChangethePicture: Join us for the GQUAL Campaign Launch!

When: Thursday, September 17, 2015

What Time: 4:30 p.m. followed by cocktails at 6:00 p.m.

Where: United Nations Headquarters, 405 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10017 (Room 5 and West Terrace)

Who: Their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Argentina, Costa Rica, Norway, Panama, and Sweden.
Viviana Krsticevic, Executive Director for the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)

Co-sponsored by: the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) & the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Costa Rica,  Norway, Panama, and Sweden to the United Nations.

Why: To increase the participation of women in international human rights tribunals and other international bodies in charge of making important decisions for societies, including issues of security and peace, borders, and the scope of human rights.