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docUNight: Green City Life / La Belle Ville
2023-04-14 16:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Copenhagen) | UN City, Marmorvej 51, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
What makes a city healthy? How do we build greener and cleaner cities of tomorrow, reconnecting with nature and combining the benefits of the countryside with the advantages of the urban world?
In connection with World Health Day and the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization, join us on 14 April for a docUNight screening of ‘Green City Life‘ (‘La Belle Ville’). This inspiring documentary on how cities can be propelled into the 21st century links solutions such as revegetation, urban farming, and bio-waste recovery with greener and healthier cities for everyone.
Through the documentary, Manon and François will take you on an inspiring journey around the world, meeting ordinary people with extraordinary initiatives and solutions for healthier urban environments that reconnect People, Cities, and Nature.
#WorldHealthDay #HealthyCities
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Register to save your spot
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Food and drinks will be available for purchase in the UN City Café from 15:30–16:30.
Please bring a valid photo-ID to get through security at UN City and set aside time for the security check prior to the event.
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Programme:
16:30: Welcome by Flemming Johannesen (Head of UN City Communications)
16:33: Welcome by Petra Hongell (World Health Organization)
16:35: Short Film on WHO75 (1:32 min)
16:38: Screening of ‘Green City Life – La Belle Ville’ (1h 25min)
18:05: Presentation of the panellists by moderator Petra Hongell (World Health Organization)
18:10: Discussion and Q&A on the Cities of the Future
Panellists:

Camilla van Deurs, Architect MAA, Copenhagen Municipality City Architect
Kira Fortune, Ph. D., M.I.H., M.A., B.Sc., Regional Advisor, Healthy Cities, Health Promotion and Well-being, World Health Organization
Livia Urban Swart Haaland, Co-founder of ØsterGro (rooftop farm), FællesGro (CSA initiative), and Øens Have (urban farm & restaurant).

19:00: Closing of event
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Background:
By 2050, 2 out of every 3 people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centres, according to the United Nations. Most of the increase is expected to be highly concentrated in just a handful of countries. Cities generate wealth but also concentrate poverty, inequality, and ill health. From densely populated slums to homelessness and pockets of destitution, urban poverty and inequality take many forms.
Good urban planning is one of the essential tools for shaping the future of sustainable cities – a future where climate change and environmental concerns increasingly dominate future scenarios. Beyond hospitals, medicines and vaccines, equitable provision of health-promoting infrastructure such as green spaces, improved housing, clean and safe drinking water, and extensive sewer systems to safely dispose of human waste are necessary minimum components for securing public health in urban areas.
WHO’s Healthy Cities Network is a global movement working to put health high on the social, economic, and political agenda of city governments. For three decades, the network has been a pioneering driver of change, creating healthier urban settings that support the health and well-being of people of all ages.
About the Panellists:
Camilla van Deurs
This year, Copenhagen has been designated the World Capital of Architecture. Camilla van Deurs is the Chief City Architect for the City of Copenhagen since February 2019, working to shape a more livable capital in one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
Kira Fortune
Kira Fortune, Ph. D., M.I.H., M.A., B.Sc. has worked for more than 15 years in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America in positions related to public health, gender and social determinants of health. She works as the WHO Regional Advisory for Healthy Cities, Health Promotion, and Well-being.
Livia Urban Swart Haaland
Choosing rooftop gardens instead of her studies in architecture, Livia is the co-founder of the first Danish urban rooftop farm ØsterGro, as well as the CSA initiative FællesGro and the urban farm and restaurant Øens Have.
About the World Health Organization:
Founded in 1948, the World Health Organization is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life.

docUNight: In Her Hands
2023-03-17 16:30 - 19:00 | UN City, Marmorvej 51, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
At 26, Zarifa Ghafari, became one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position. Filmed over two turbulent years, the film documents her personal battle for survival as her country unravels.
In commemoration of International Women’s Day, join us on 17 March in UN City for a screening of the movie ‘In Her Hands‘ and expert perspectives on the situation and quest of women and girls in Afghanistan.
The event is co-hosted by UN Women Nordic Office and DAKDIF – Danish-Afghan Women & Diaspora Forum, with support to the event provided by the Danish Refugee Council.
#LetHerLearn #WomenLifeFreedom #WorkFoodFreedom #EducationWorkFreedom

Food and drinks will be available for purchase in the UN City Café from 15:30–16:30.
Please bring a valid photo-ID to get through security at UN City and set aside time for the security check prior to the event.

Register to save your spot via Eventbrite

Programme:
16:30: Welcome by moderator Flemming Johannesen, Head of UN City Communications
16:33: Panel introduction to the commemoration of International Women’s Day zooming in on the voices of women and girls in Afghanistan
Panelists:

Alison Davidian, UN Women Representative, Afghanistan (virtual participation)
Tahmina Salik, Chairperson, DAKDIF – Danish-Afghan Women & Diaspora Forum
Zarifa Ghafari, Economist and Human Rights Activist

17:00–18:30: Screening of ‘In Her Hands’
18:30–19:00: Interview with Zarifa Ghafari
19:00: Closing of event

Background:
On 24 December 2022, the Taliban issued a letter banning women from working in international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the latest attack in a series of systematic infringements on the fundamental rights of women and girls since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
Developed during the two-week period following the ban, this gender alert analyses the impact of the directive through the insights of Afghan women’s civil society organizations. The gender alert focuses primarily on the immediate repercussions of the ban on humanitarian assistance, as well as the implications for the economy and women’s empowerment. It concludes that the ban:

is discriminatory and dictates whom humanitarian actors can(not) employ, and whom they can reach with assistance;
has multilayered implications that go beyond the inability of reaching women and girls with life-saving assistance, including dealing a further blow to the Afghan economy amid the ongoing crisis; and
speeds up the erasure of Afghan women and girls from all aspects of Afghan public life.

About Zarifa Ghafari:
Zarifa Ghafari received the 2022 International Women’s Right Award at United Nations Geneva Summit. She was included by BBC in the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019. On March 4, 2020, Zarifa Ghafari was honored by the U.S. Department of State as an “International Women of Courage” and she was included in The Badass 50 list. In 2020, she received the award: “Women Who Can Change the World by InStyle” as well as many other awards and lists within the country from various organizations.
About UN Women:
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.
About DAKDIF:
The Danish Afghan Women Forum (DAKDIF) was established in January 2021 to promote Afghan women’s access to education, economic growth, their participation in social and political landscape on both a national and international scale, and civic engagements. DAKDIF strives to provide Afghan women with the necessary tools and resources to participate and engage in civic, social and political activities.

Bringing CSW Home: Solutions to Strengthen Civic Space and Women’s Digital Rights
2023-03-16 13:30 - 15:00 | virtual
Amidst growing resistance, regression, and pushback on gender equality, join us for a discussion on the ‘Solutions to Strengthen Civic Space and Women’s Digital Rights’. Let us take stock of recent developments and challenges and share experiences, lessons learned, and ideas from the Nordic context to explore the role Nordic countries can play in addressing the pushback.

REGISTER HERE

Moderator: Alexandra Pascalidou, award-winning journalist, author, producer, and TV hostess, UN Women Sweden’s President.
Speakers: Representation from governments, civil society, private sector, youth, media, and international organisations.

This virtual event is co-organised by the UN Women Nordic Liaison Office, and Finnish, Icelandic, and Swedish National Committees.

Programme:

13:30-13:35
Introduction: CSW67
– Alexandra Pascalidou, award-winning journalist, author, producer, and TV hostess, UN Women Sweden’s President

13:35-13:40
Opening Remarks: UN Women’s perspective on the global pushback on gender equality and how we can strengthen the civic space and women’s digital rights
– Åsa Regnér, UN Women Deputy Executive Director

13:40-14:15
Session 1: Share and discuss challenges, experiences and solutions towards the pushback on gender equality from a Nordic perspective
– Elinor Samuelsson, Founder, BrightAct, Sweden
– Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir, National Commissioner of Police, Iceland
– Tawar Salari, Generation Equality Youth Group Member, Finland
– Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Senior Researcher at Danish Institute for International Studies, Denmark

14:15-14:55
Session 2: How can the Nordic countries play a key role in responding to the pushback and better support women human rights defenders, peacebuilders and members of civil society, with a focus on online spaces
– Jino Doabi, Board Member, Voice of Iran, Denmark
– Vita Volodovska, Head of NGO Digital Security Lab, Ukraine
– Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality, Finland
– Zahra Mesbah, Project Manager and Cultural Mediator, Iceland

14:55-15:00
Conclusion & Next Steps: Taking forward concrete solutions responding to the pushback on gender equality
– Moderated by Alexandra Pascalidou, award-winning journalist, author, producer, and TV hostess, UN Women Sweden’s President

Global Context

Opposition to gender equality and to women’s rights activism has become more vocal, global, and better organised in recent years. Not only are there coordinated and well-resourced, well-networked groups putting forward traditional, patriarchal, binary, and hetero-normative constructs of men’s and women’s roles in society and polity, but these notions are finding public legitimacy through political processes and rhetoric, including from political leaders at the highest levels of governments. This challenge to long established international UN human rights frameworks norms and standards is playing out in policy making spaces nationally, regionally, and globally.
As a result, we are seeing the hard-won gains on women’s rights currently under attack in fields as diverse as sexual and reproductive rights, political participation, the labour market, care work, and violence against women.
Trends of de-democratisation have gone hand in hand with the articulated opposition to established standards of gender equality and the backsliding of previous gender equality policy gains. Women’s rights are significantly at threat particularly when such rights have been more recently established and where the space for civil society actors to defend them is limited and/or shrinking.
This situation is further aggravated by rampant misinformation and disinformation fuelled by technology and the surveillance, censorship, and violence enabled by the digital sphere.
Women are disproportionately targeted and suffer serious consequences as a result of online and technology-facilitated violence against women (TFVAW). The aggression faced by women and girls online also restricts their access to online services and tools, affects their work and learning opportunities, and deters their engagement as active digital citizens in important online spaces and dialogues. Women human rights defenders, politicians and journalists are at greater risk of technology-facilitated violence, as are women facing multiple discriminations. One of the consequences of online and technology-facilitated violence against women and girls is that victims/survivors silence themselves online, which limits participation in public discourse, resulting in a democratic deficit.

Nordic Context

The growing resistance, regression, and push-back on gender equality is taking place globally as well as in the Nordic context. In September 2022, the Nordic Ministers for Gender Equality launched the Nordic Roadmap on Advancing Gender Equality, Women’s and Girls Rights, and Equal Rights of LGBTI-persons 2022-2024 outlining their commitment and response to the push-back and anti-gender movement.
The Nordic Roadmap is anchored by the Nordic Council of Ministers and serves as a framework to strengthen and elevate the common Nordic voice for gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and equal rights for LGBTI- persons internationally, responding to three specific objectives:
a) To promote a common Nordic voice and communication,
b) To foster advocacy, alliances and cooperation,
c) To exchange experiences.

REGISTER HERE

Spotlighting Copenhagen Lived Experiences
2023-02-21 10:00 - 11:30 | UN City, Marmorvej 51, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
Join us this Black History Month for a panel discussion on the lived experiences of African/Afro-descendant UN colleagues in Copenhagen.
REGISTER HERE

This panel discussion aims to bring together a diverse group of experts and community leaders to explore the lived experiences of African/Afro-descendant colleagues in Copenhagen beyond their offices. It will also be an opportunity to provide a space for meaningful and respectful dialogue about anti-racism in Copenhagen, addressing the challenges and opportunities in preventing racist and discriminatory acts, and to inspire attendees to take action towards promoting equity and justice in their own lives and communities.
Panellists (TBC)

Vivian Cintron – Communications Lead, SCM Unit, UNFPA
Fahad Saeed – Diversity Manager, MungoPark
Fernando Navarro Sanchez – Ombudsman office, UN City Copemhagen
Peris Wambugu – Diversity and Inclusion Officer, UNOPS
Cynthia Birikundavyi – Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer, UNHCR (Moderator)

Programme
10:00 Opening and introduction to the purpose and goals of the panel
10:05 Brief introductions by each panellist highlighting their background and expertise
10:25 Panel discussion allowing the panellists to share their perspectives and experiences
11:00 Q&A session inviting all attendees to share their lived experiences and pose questions to the panellists
11:25 Closing reflective remarks by the moderator and the panellists highlighting key takeaways and potential next steps for attendees to consider
Guiding Questions

How has your lived experience as an African/Afro-descendant person been like in Copenhagen and what challenges have you faced in terms of racial discrimination and prejudice?
What are the linkages you see between the UN City employee experience and social dynamics within Danish society?
Since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, more space has been created to discuss race and racial discrimination around the world. What have you personally learned?
We often talk about ‘zero tolerance’ to racial discrimination. What does it mean in practice?
What are some examples of good practices you have seen locally?
What do you think leaders and allies need to hear?
How do you define Duty of Care when it comes to providing support to colleagues who may be marginalised outside the office space.

REGISTER HERE

docUNight: A Girl from Mogadishu
2023-02-06 18:00 - 21:00 | UN City, Marmorvej 51, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
Join us on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), 6 February for a screening of the movie “A Girl from Mogadishu” and an introduction to global and regional initiatives to eliminate the practice of FGM.
Registration Closed
Food and drinks will be available to buy in the UN City Café from 17.00-18.00.
18.00: Welcome by moderator Flemming Johannesen, Head of UN City Communications
18.03: Panel introduction to the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
Panellists*:
– Pernille Fenger, Director, UNFPA Nordic Office
– Ambassador of Sweden to Denmark, H.E. Charlotte Wrangberg
– Member of Parliament (Tbc)
18.30: Screening of “A Girl from Mogadishu”
20.30: Interview with Ifrah Ahmed
21.00: End of Programme
*Panellists will be available for questions and answers after the screening.

Background
Female genital mutilation (FGM) has existed as a practice for more than 2,000 years and comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.
Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.
Although the practice has been around for more than a thousand years, there are reasons to think that female genital mutilation could end in a single generation. That is why the United Nations strives for its full eradication by 2030, following the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Since 2008, UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, leads the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation. The Joint Programme currently focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and also supports regional and global initiatives.
About the movie
Circumcised at eight. Raped by wandering militiamen at twelve. Fully infibulated again at thirteen, and then married off to a fifty-year-old man who regularly beat her; Ifrah Ahmed runs away to a place she had once known as home in war torn Mogadishu to find it had become the kind of battleground now known as ‘Black Hawk Down’. Ifrah makes the extraordinary journey out of war-torn Somalia and arrives not in Minnesota, USA, as she had been lead to believe, but Dublin, Ireland.
Finally finding some sense of safety, her fears begin to subside and her traumatic days, she thinks, are behind her, until a routine medical smear test elicits such looks of horror on the faces of her Irish doctors that she suffers a profound sense of shame. They say that anger is the flip side of shame. Channelling the feelings on both sides of that coin, she reacts incredibly quickly, learns English at break-neck speed and unearths an enviable technical talent for harnessing social media.
Within months she is campaigning for better conditions for asylum – seekers arriving in Ireland. She quickly becomes a leading activist against gender-based violence and fights through her campaign work for the abandonment of FGM world-wide. As an Irish citizen, she presents her testimony on behalf of Ireland’s MEPs on the occasion of the ratification of the UN Convention against FGM/C at the European Parliament and it is passed unanimously.
Thus commences her now lauded professional career as an international activist.
Registration Closed

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