UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced his appointment of former Chilean President (2006-2010), Michelle Bachelet, as the Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).  Baha'i International Community representative and member of the UN Gender Equality Architecture Campaign (GEAR), Bani Dugal, stated that “it is our hope that her experience of leadership in the international arena, her dedication to the advancement of women and girls, and her commitment to working with civil society and the women’s movement will guide the work of this ground-breaking entity and rally member states to strengthen their efforts to achieve the equality of women and men." The new gender  entity will consolidate the four existing UN bodies on women, increase operational capacity at the country level and gain increased funding for work on women’s empowerment and advancement. Read UN News article, GEAR Press Release.