Desertification and Drought Day, 17 June 2023

Dear UNCCD Focal Points and Stakeholders,

Women hold a vital stake in the health of the land, yet often don't have control over it. Across the world, women face significant barriers in securing land rights, limiting their ability to thrive and prosper. And when land becomes degraded and water is scarce, women are often the worst affected.

The global focus of the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day is on women’s land rights— essential for achieving the interconnected global goals on gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030 as well as advancing other Sustainable Development Goals.

Under the slogan “Her Land, Her Rights”, this year’s Desertification and Drought Day will send a strong message that investing in women’s equal access to land and related assets is a direct investment in their own future and the future of humanity.

This year’s global observance of Desertification and Drought Day will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with events taking place in all parts of the world. I count on your strong support to reach out to people and communities about the key role of gender equality in the sustainable future of land. You will find the announcement and background note in all UN languages on the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day webpage.

I also invite you to support the campaign “Women, Girls and Land” that seeks to promote successful examples of women’s contributions to sustainable land management and mobilize action for stronger female leadership in combatting desertification, land degradation and drought. Visit https://www.unccd.int/land-and-life/gender/herland to learn more.

Please send your plans for the observance event to communication [at] unccd.int (communication[at]unccd[dot]int), so that we can feature your activities on the UNCCD website. Further information will be shared in due course. Should you have any questions, please contact Ms. Xenya Scanlon, Chief of Communications, External Relations and Partnerships.

On this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, let us unite our efforts to recognize and empower women and girls to be at the forefront of global land restoration and drought resilience efforts.