On Friday, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro became the second woman appointed to be the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General. Her appointment is being touted as an exciting step forward by the UN community and as a promise fulfilled by women’s rights organizations.Secretary-General Ban said, “Through her distinguished service in diverse areas, [Dr. Migiro] has displayed outstanding management skills with wide experience and expertise in socio-economic affairs and development issues.”
Ted Turner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UN Foundation, noted that “the United Nations will be well served not only by having such a distinguished public servant as Dr. Migiro, but also by having the perspective of an African woman at the highest level of the organization.”
Women’s organizations that work with the United Nations also spoke favorably of Ban’s decision to appoint Dr. Migiro. June Zeitlin, Executive Director of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), says that “from a gender equality perspective, the new secretary general has challenged the status quo…[Ban] may be on his way to setting a record that begins to approach gender parity at the highest levels of the United Nations…such an achievement should be applauded.”
Dr. Migiro said of her appointment, “Being an African, I have first hand experience to be able to understand the situation facing Africa and developing countries in general. I will be able to use this experience to contribute in effecting developmental changes at the global level.”
To find out more about the newly appointed Deputy SG, click here.