ABOUT UNA-USA WOMEN’S AFFINITY GROUP

Members of the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group advocate for UN programs that advance women and girls’ rights and promote women empowerment on a global scale. Participation in the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group is open to any current UNA-USA member. If you’re already a member, email membership@unausa.org for instructions on how to join the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group.

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Lady Tee Thompson, UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group Legacy Co-Chair

Lady Tee Thompson has directly influenced more than one million lives through mentorship, advocacy, and intergenerational leadership that forges critical linkages between grassroots realities and global policy frameworks. Her innovation is both bold and practical. Through AgroBiz.org, she pioneered the concept of “DigiRoots”, creating equitable pathways into agribusiness for women and youth historically excluded by unlocking the digital economy through mobile-friendly platforms for agri-freelancing, remote work, and e-commerce in underserved arenas. To date, she has trained 10,000 women entrepreneurs and scaled enterprises valued at $60 million USD, providing clear evidence that empowerment and prosperity can coexist and reinforce one another.

Her ability to translate complex global challenges into actionable strategies makes her a trusted voice in shaping legacies of equity and justice. Her trajectory has been honored at the highest levels of governance and civic leadership. She has received commendations from the White House, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor, and recognition by global leaders such as President Barack Obama. She is a recipient of the Black History Achievement Award, UACO Women of the Decade, Mentor of the Year for WBENC, commendations from multiple District Attorneys, and acknowledgments from Congressional leaders and bodies.

MaryAnn Ngozi Obidike, UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group Co-Chair

MaryAnn Ngozi Obidike, a first-generation African scholar and public health practitioner, is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at Claremont Graduate University and internationally recognized for more than a decade of leadership in global health, gender mainstreaming, and organizational systems transformation.

Her career spans work with ActionAid, AIDS Alliance, Catholic Relief Services, the Lady Mechanic Initiative, and delivery projects funded by USAID, DFID, the Global Fund for Women, Pathfinder International, UNFPA, and other global institutions in advancing community health, child protection, gender-based programming, and women’s economic empowerment in various capacities. She served as Secretary of the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group and currently serves as a Board Member of the UNA-USA Pomona Valley Chapter, California, as well as an Advocacy Champion with United to Beat Malaria. She has also represented UNA-USA and Bell Global Justice Institute as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, advocating for CEDAW, gender equity, and youth leadership.

CSW70 Engagements

UNA-USA's CSW70 Written Statement

The Secretary-General has received the following statement, which is being circulated in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31.

Read UNA-USA's CSW70 Written Statement

The UNA-USA Women's Affinity Group Contributes to CSW70 Global Youth and Adolescents Recommendations

The UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group submitted findings from their Generation Equality Consultation on December 6, 2025, to UN Women, and these contributions were subsequently published and incorporated into the CSW70 Global Youth and Adolescents Recommendations. The consultation directly informed Recommendations 10, 11, and 33, which call for:

Gender-transformative oversight of digital technologies;
Legal accountability for private sector actors, including technology companies;
Inclusive, youth and community-led monitoring and data collection to advance access to justice.

Read the CSW70 Global Youth and Adolescents Recommendations

Ways to Engage

Join a Committee

Looking to get more involved with the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group? Join one of our six committees:

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Committee
Toolkit Committee
- International Women’s Day (IWD) Toolkit
- 16 Days of Activism Toolkit
- CEDAW Toolkit
Generation Equality
16 Days of Activism Committee
Social Media Committee
Podcast/YouTube Committee

Follow Us on Social Media

Follow the UNA‑USA Women’s Affinity Group on Instagram to stay informed about upcoming events and advocacy initiatives.

Follow @una.women on Instagram

UNA-USA Women on the HERizon

Tune in to the newest episode of UNA‑USA Women on the HERizon, UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group’s podcast dedicated to elevating women’s leadership, advancing gender equality, and bringing global women’s issues to the forefront of our network.

Listen on YouTube