“When women can decide on the timing and spacing of their births, are treated with respect, and offered quality of care across the life course—they are not only able to survive, they, their families, and their communities are able to thrive and flourish. By directly and indirectly contributing to women’s empowerment, midwives are contributing to strengthen economic and productive and equitable societies,” said Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Director of the Technical Division at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), New York, at a recent event hosted by UNFPA as part of the 66^th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Midwives and midwifery experts convened to discuss the important role that midwives play in the improvement of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and climate justice.

“I want this war to be over. I want all of us to rebuild our societies. We are a force that can do that, and we will do that; we are doing it. But I think we also need to see the bigger picture, that women in the world, and now in our region, are not protected from violence – any form of violence,” said Marina Pisklakova-Parker, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Every Woman Treaty, during a recent Wilson Center event on Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian women’s voices in the anti-war movement. 

“This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists. In other words, there is not a single European country now which is afraid of the current wave of refugees.”

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6^th Assessment Report (AR6) from Working Group II (WG2): Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability presents the stark implications of climate change. At today’s warming level of 1.1°C, a wide range of impacts to people and nature are attributed to human-caused climate change, including hindering progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), damaging infrastructure and economic activities, harming human health and causing excess deaths, and increasing humanitarian needs. Some impacts, like those on sensitive ecosystems, are already irreversible. The more vulnerable are hit harder, due to pre-existing structural conditions that increase their exposure and sensitivity to hazards.

In April 2022, as Washington awoke from its COVID slumber, The Kennedy Center turned to long-time community activist Ron Moten to organize a tribute to the city’s endemic sound, Go-Go. Moten has fought numerous battles against gentrification, displacement, and for social justice. He learned over the years that the loss of distinctive cultures stands at the heart of the dislocations occurring in cities across the nation. This embrace led to the establishment three years ago of a particularly potent urban social action group, #DontMuteDC. That movement’s story offers several important lessons about the power of the arts to mobilize support for social change.

Finance for climate action is growing—however, much of this money is being invested in wealthier nations, while the regions where funds are needed most are often overlooked and underfunded by both public and private institutions. The good news for funders is that there are climate solutions that not only significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also create cascading social and public health benefits for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. For those looking to get the biggest return on their investment—for both people and planet—we offer two particularly promising solutions: ramp up funding for clean cooking and electricity where they matter most. 

When Kira Rudik, Ukrainian Member of Parliament and Leader of the Holos/Voice Party spoke with the Wilson Center’s Maternal Health Initiative and Middle East Program on the one month anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she emphasized the transformative nature of the conflict for every citizen.

“Putin thought he would be fighting our army,” says Rudik. “Instead, he’s fighting every single man and woman in Ukraine, and there’s a huge difference.”

Last September, Secretary-General António Guterres outlined the United Nation’s Our Common Agenda in a speech to the General Assembly. His remarks focused on the future of global cooperation for the next 25 years. It was imperative, he messaged, to recognize that our accelerated interconnectedness, and the formidable challenges we all face, can only be addressed through a reinvigorated multilateralism, with the United Nations at the core of collective member efforts. We must think big, act swiftly, and work effectively, he said, to reshape how we move forward today to achieve the goals of the UN declaration commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.