UN Women

Over the past century, womens’ rights have made monumental progress in nations around the world, with women and girls now able to access many opportunities in society, education, and the labour market which were previously barred to them. Yet, challenges persist by way of economic, social, and institutional advancements and freedoms, especially in certain states where religion and tradition have upheld a patriarchal and unequal system. In some cases, this is seen in the inability of women to leave the marital home without their husband’s permission, and in others, it exploits girls under the age of 18 through marriages to much older men.

The focus of UN Women is thus to carefully consider the negative impacts on womens’ health and rights and discuss potential policy modifications and institutional mechanisms which could change millions of lives.

A potential topic in this committee would be the suppression of womens’ rights under law and tradition in the Middle East, as women experience restrictions to free will; domestic and international travel (e.g., access to housing markets and passports); political participation; appearance; and more due to the enforcement of personal status and family laws, alongside discriminatory and sexist practices. The focus here would be to balance the intricacies of longstanding norms and a dominant, patriarchal interpretation of Islamic texts with supporting legislative change and protective mechanisms for women. 

A second topic may constitute the prevalence of child marriage in South Asia, wherein the region is home to almost half—45%—of all child brides worldwide (more than 640 million women who are alive today), according to 2023 UNICEF reports. Indeed, these millions of girls, of which India accounts for 1/3 alone (216.6 million), usually come from poor households in rural areas and give birth to children during their adolescence, leaving them developmentally stunted and completely dependent on their much older husbands. Hence, this committee would seek to discuss potential policy solutions for protecting girls from being married and child brides from domestic violence and exploitation, and work towards the empowerment and education of girls in vulnerable regions with information, skills and support networks.