UN Women: Commission on the Status of Women 2025: Addressing Global Challenges to Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Mar 20, 2025 at 9:30 AM

Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal #5—achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls—has been slower and more uneven than hoped. Recent reductions in international aid, which is crucial for supporting these goals, pose further challenges to this progress. Join our panel of experts as they discuss the current global obstacles affecting women and girls in key areas, including health, education and skill development, and violence prevention. They will explore the complexities of these challenges and discuss potential strategies for moving forward. This webinar offers a valuable opportunity to understand the current landscape of gender equality efforts, learn from leading experts, and consider effective responses to ensure continued progress towards a more equitable world. We invite you to join the conversation and contribute to the ongoing effort to empower women and girls globally.

 

Video Archive of Webinar

The webinar panelists:

 

Dr. Tauhidur Rahman, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona

Tauhidur Rahman is a development economist and an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) and the Department of Economics (Courtesy), Eller College of Management, at the University of Arizona. He is the Founding Director of the Initiative for Agency and Development (IfAD). He was a visiting professor of law and economics at University of Oslo, Norway in 2011.

Since 2012, he has been a regular visiting researcher at the Development Economics Research Group of the World Bank, Washington, DC. He was trained as an applied econometrician, with research interests and expertise in the fields of development economics, behavioral economics, law and economics, and program evaluation.

He has studied issues such as measurements and analysis of human well-being, child labor, child and elderly health, environmental justice and environmental regulations, inter linkages between poverty-inequality-well-being, economic vitality and sustainability of smallholding farmers and SMEs, agricultural market system development, and impacts of community-driven livelihoods programs.

His current research projects include women’s agency, behavioral impacts of anti-poverty programs, the role of political theater for development, and role of climate information services for climate resilient development.

He has served on panels of USDA, EPA and NSF, and has ongoing collaborations with the UN organizations. He is the coauthor of Environmental Justice and Federalism (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013).

Dr. Bernice Owusu-Brown, Research Scientist in the Institute for Policy and Governance at Virginia Tech

Dr. Bernice Owusu-Brown is a Research Scientist with Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance. She earned her PhD in Development Economics through a collaborative program between the University of Ghana and the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) in Helsinki.

Dr. Owusu-Brown's research focuses on the intersection of gender, health, and economic development, with a particular emphasis on the economic and health impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the mitigating effect of social and economic policies. Her work adopts a multidisciplinary approach, integrating insights from economics, gender studies, sociology, and public health to explore the complex relationships between these fields.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Dr. Owusu-Brown has gained practical experience through her work and internships with UNU-WIDER in Finland and Imani Africa in Ghana. In these roles, she provided technical assistance on how gender-based discrimination affects health outcomes and economic development. She is committed to translating her research findings into actionable policy recommendations to reduce gender-based violence and promote gender equality in Ghana.

Dr. Ameena Zia, Professor at Brevard College and the Founder Blue Ridge Impact Consulting

Dr. Ameena Zia is a distinguished political strategist leading Blue Ridge Impact Consulting, LLC, where she advances policy advocacy, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. As a Professor of Political Science at Brevard College, she empowers students to engage with global governance, gender, and political systems through innovative teaching.

With UN ECOSOC consultative status, Dr. Zia has spearheaded youth economic empowerment and women’s peace and security initiatives, including designing the UN Experiential Fellowship under the Women, Peace, and Security Framework.

She has lectured at Lehman College, Virginia Tech, and CUNY, with presentations at platforms like the UN High-Level Political Forum and various international institutions. Her publications address gender representation, diaspora advocacy, and civic participation.

Holding a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, Dr. Zia actively serves on influential advocacy bodies, including the U.S. Women’s Council and the NGO Committee on the Status of Women.

This is an official side event of the UN Women: Commission on the Status of Women 2025 and is sponsored by Global Initiatives and Engagement in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech and Blue Ridge Impact Consulting. Contact Farida Jalalzai with questions (fjalalzai@vt.edu)