On March 8, 2023, UNIFIL celebrated International Women’s Day with a two-part event. The day started with the "Run for Women's Empowerment," a 4-kilometer race featuring women and men, both military and civilian. This was followed by a cake cutting ceremony and a cultural celebration showcasing a variety of performances from the different battalions.
The event was attended by 500 military and civilian UNIFIL staff members and guests, including the Lebanese Armed Forces Gender Department Chief, Colonel Marwa Saoud, and representatives of the British Embassy and the British Training and Advising Team. UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lazaro also addressed the participants.“International Women’s Day is a day where around the world, we take stock of our progress towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. While a lot of progress have been made, women still lag behind in many areas,” said the Head of Mission and Force Commander.
The theme for this year's International Women's Day was "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality," which recognizes the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.
Major General Lazaro concluded his address by stating that “this International Women’s Day we push together and increase our efforts to make the digital world safer, more inclusive and more equitable. Facing a multiplicity of global as well as national crises, we have a chance to create a better future—not just for women and girls, but for all humanity and all life on Earth.”
Through events like this, UNIFIL is highlighting the importance of empowering women and recognizing the important role that technology can play in closing the digital gender gap, while promoting gender equality both within its organization and in the wider community.