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Know them better: Women in the running for UN Secretary General

This year's elections for United Nations Secretary General are going to be historic, as their is very high likelihood that a woman could take up the position.

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Sakshi
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sexual harassment António Guterres

This time the United Nations have decided to go by the virtue of their name and practice a more egalitarian and inclusive process of recruitment of their next Secretary General. So far, four out of the total number of the eight nominated candidates are women, increasing the chances that a woman may be well be at the helm of affairs at the UN.

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The selection process has also undergone major transformation. As per the new procedure, each of the 193 member nations is equally welcome to nominate someone for the position. The campaign and election process has also been made very transparent. It has taken 71 years for the world to get here and the journey doesn't even seem half complete.

Here are the four wonder women in the running for the most powerful administrative position in the world. Let's get to know them better:

Helen Clark

UNDP Administrator

Helen Clark to run for UN Secretary General Helen Clark in the running for top job at the UN( Pic Courtesy: britannica.com)

First female head of UNDP and most powerful woman at the UN, Clark is one of the strongest contenders to the position. In an interview with BBC, she said:

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The security council reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945, I would like it to look like the 21st century world we live in today.

I am not campaigning as a woman candidate, I am campaigning as the best person for the job.

Her election would also mean another push towards making India a permanent member of the UN, as she is in full support of the idea of reshaping the rigid structure of the UN Security Council membership.

Irina Bokova

Director General, UNESCO

Russian Irina in the run for UN SG Irina Bokova heads UNESCO(Pic Courtesy: Yahoo)

Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in the fight for gender equality and cutting off global funding for terrorism. Not only was she the first woman to head UNESCO, but also the first leader from the ex-soviet Bloc. She was also the foreign minister while negotiations of inclusion of Bulgaria in the EU were on, where she played a key role. At the International Conference recently held at Paris in honour of Indian mathematician Aryabhatta, she met India's HRD Minister Smriti Irani, discussing policies to promote girls in science,empower the disadvantaged and democratize knowledge.

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Natalia Gherman

Minister of Foreign affairs and European Integration

Natalia Gherman Natalia Gherman, Moldovan claim to the UNSG seat(Pic Courtesy: euractiv.com)

Daughter of the first president of Moldova, she herself was the chief negotiator during talks of political and economic association between the country and the European Union. She was also the acting Prime Minister of Moldova from July 2015 to January 2016, when PM Chiril Gaburici suddenly resigned on grounds of allegations of forging his education documents. In 2014, Guardian UK ranked her as one of the 'Seven women to watch in global politics who are leading change all over the world'.

Vesna Pusić

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia

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Vesna Pusic Vesna Pusic is Croatia's bet to the UNSG position(Pic Courtesy: foreignpolicy.com)

 

Apart from serving three consecutive terms as Croatian MP and being a key person in Croatia's annexation with the EU, Vesna was one of the seven women who initiated the first feminist organization in SFR Yugoslavia (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprised of the seven nations- Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bosnia and Slovenia). She is a popular LGBT rights advocate in Croatia.

#BanKiMoonsuccessor #UNSGElections Women nominated for UN Secretary General
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