Video Connection with Thoraya Ahmed Obaid (Saudia Arabia)

Thoraya Ahmed Obaid is a former Under Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Population Fund. She spoke clearly and articulated several issues of importance to UN Women.

• Create a UN with a focus on we the people, not the systems the UN has set up to work for states.
• Wwomen can bring about the dialogue between the UN and the state. The UN can be a safe space for different points of view. UN Women can be that safe space.
• A variety of opions. We need to democratize our insititutions. The recent uprising, gives us a sense of young people wanting to be part of it, must listen to them. Sun is rising thru the young pople, have to give them leadership positions. Women from all creeds were part of it, some with scarves, some without, all united, democaracy , equality, and human rights, Don’t judge pople by what they wer on their heads, but what they have in their heads. VAW can be eliminated if we have right context. Christians, and Moslems working together. Dialogue across religions important. 
• Final lesson young people  cleaned up afern themselves. Means UN Women must ensure inclusive, and bringing conflicting points of view together. Not only about women but men and women, conscious of the UN, and rights of women. And gender relations. Influence institutions and understand cultural context. Becoming reference point inside and outside UN. Voice of General Assembly, that all programs engendered. We all know what needs to be done, know answers, but listen to people. Hopeful UN Women when time for real transformation in the world. Movement of change.