At the UN, women play increasingly powerful roles

Across the UN, rates of female participation are improving, with women occupying high-profile posts. Valerie Amos, the former British minister, is the organisation's humanitarian chief. Germany's Angela Kane, the UN's high representative for disarmament affairs, helped pave the way for the dismantlement of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal. Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch diplomat working for the UN, headed up the mission that made sure those weapons were destroyed. Dr Margaret Chan, who has been in the spotlight recently because of the Ebola outbreak, runs the World Health Organisation. In August Maj Gen Kristin Lund became the first female commander of a UN peacekeeping force, taking charge in Cyprus.