Category: Women

The growth of artificial intelligence has shown the technology’s potential to create new ways of working, but also to exacerbate existing inequalities and stereotypes. At UN Women’s recent HeForShe Summit, leaders from the public and private sectors discussed the potential risks of AI, and the need to develop the technology safely. At the summit, leaders… Continue reading HeForShe summit discusses gender bias in AI and how to encourage male feminist allies

A new UN Women survey has found high support for expanded paternity leave policies throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and for increasing fathers’ participation in childcare. Researchers surveyed 1,154 people in governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia, none of which currently offer parental leave… Continue reading Survey shows high support for paternity leave across North Africa and Middle East

As of 15 September 2023, 28 women around the world serve as heads of state or government. On Wednesday, 20 September 2023, a group of those leaders gathered during the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the challenges faced by women and girls around the world. The Platform of Women Leaders, established in… Continue reading ‘Gender equality is not an option, but an imperative’ – Women leaders gather at UN summit

Over the last year, UN Women has collaborated with UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan] and IOM [International Organization for Migration] to regularly consult Afghan women inside the country, and to try and put women at the centre of international decision-making, as required by our women, peace, and security agenda. This last quarter, women… Continue reading Speech: The women’s rights crisis: Listen to, invest in, include, and support Afghan women

Speech: Ready to be respectfully disruptive UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous delivers the opening address at the 2023 HeForShe Summit, held in Gotham Hall, New York City, on 21 September 2023. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown. The HeForShe Champions—dedicated individuals from across government, business, non-profit, and academia—have shown what stepping forward looks like with their… Continue reading Speech: Ready to be respectfully disruptive

Over the last two years, Uganda has seen a flowering of climate activism led by young women and girls. Girls for Climate Action, a local youth-led movement headed by Joanita Babirye, aims to train more than 1,000 young women in climate policy and advocacy as part of 2030 commitments to Generation Equality’s Feminist Action for… Continue reading Young women in Uganda lead nationwide action against climate change

Generation Equality, the world’s leading initiative to boost investment and implementation of gender equality, marked its midpoint milestone at a summit with the co-leadership of the governments of Tanzania and Iceland and UN Women on 17 September 2023. The event, which included more than 50 speakers from more than 25 countries in the areas of… Continue reading UN Women champions historic actions at Generation Equality Midpoint 2023

This article was originally posted by the UN SDG Action Campaign. As we approach the halfway point of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it’s time to shift our focus from persistent challenges to promising opportunities that lie ahead in the realm of gender equality. This moment in time is truly exceptional. The recent G20 New… Continue reading Accelerating Gender Equality: The Power of Smart Data Investments

Statistics South Africa, in collaboration with the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and under the guidance the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Gender Statistics, will host the 9th United Nations Global Forum on Gender Statistics in Johannesburg, South Africa from 29 to 31 August 2023.  Gender statistics reflect… Continue reading 9th United Nations Global Forum on Gender Statistics

UN Women and UNDP came together to launch a transformative initiative: the unveiling of experimental twin indices on gender equality and women’s empowerment. This event marked a pivotal moment in the global pursuit of gender parity, as these innovative indices aim to redefine the measurement and understanding of progress towards gender equality. Through rigorous research… Continue reading The paths to equal: Twin indices on women’s empowerment and gender equality

As 44 countries present their progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York this week, the gathering is an opportunity to reinforce the importance of producing and using gender data and building the alliances needed for long-lasting change. The HLPF is specifically reviewing progress towards Goal… Continue reading Four steps leaders can take to harness the power of gender data for the SDGs

How women and men spend their time – including how much of it they devote to paid versus unpaid work – can yield important insights for economic development. But many countries have never been able to measure this through a proper statistical survey. Until recently, this was the case for Senegal. But the findings of… Continue reading Time-use data in Senegal spur advocacy, policy and programme revisions

In Kyrgyzstan, data journalism is being harnessed as a powerful tool to improve data accessibility and use – one of its main objectives of the Women Count programme.  With support from UN Women, in 2019 a group of young journalists from the School of Data non-governmental organization (NGO) partnered with the popular Kloop Media outlet… Continue reading In Kyrgyzstan, data journalists innovate to inform new audiences about gender inequalities

The UN World Data Forum brings together data and statistical experts and users from governments, civil society, media and other key stakeholders to build a pathway to better data for sustainable development. The Forum took place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China from 24-27 April. This year, UN Women had a strong presence, putting gender… Continue reading UN Women at the 2023 UN World Data Forum

In Pakistan, 154 women die for every 100,000 live births—a high maternal mortality rate shaped by socio-economic status, barriers to healthcare access in rural areas, and limited decision-making power, especially among young women.  Evidence indicates that midwives can play a critical role in helping reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. They can also strengthen the provision of… Continue reading Pakistan midwife training programme addresses maternal mortality

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fragile state of global care systems and highlighted the vital yet unpaid roles predominantly assumed by women. During the pandemic, women took on 29 per cent more childcare than men and faced higher job losses due to care duties. COVID-19 also highlighted the need to view care as a public… Continue reading Global Alliance for Care leads changes in the care economy

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has renewed its partnership with UN Women, underlining each organization’s commitment to using sport to promote gender equality and to empower women and girls. The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous during a meeting in New… Continue reading Press release: The International Olympic Committee and UN Women sign new agreement to advance gender equality through sport

[As delivered.] Welcome on behalf of UN Women, the global convenor of Generation Equality. Welcome to our Generation Equality Midpoint Moment. We meet on the eve of the SDG Summit, seized by the challenges and the urgent imperatives to accelerate progress. Our latest research tells us that at the current rate of progress, more than… Continue reading Speech: This is the moment, the opportunity, to finally call time on gender inequality

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with many confined to their homes and businesses forced to shutter, digital systems became essential across all parts of life. This moment exposed a stark gender divide: many women-owned businesses operated offline and faced significant challenges when they suddenly needed to transition. But it also presented an opportunity to increase their… Continue reading E-commerce platform bridges the digital gender divide in Rwanda

One year ago, Jina Mahsa Amini died in custody in Tehran, Iran, sparking widespread protests against injustice and deadly reprisal. To date, calls for accountability have remained unanswered. But the women and girls of Iran are not unheard. We must heed their calls for all their rights, without fear of violence, torture, prosecution, or persecution… Continue reading UN Women statement marking one year since death of Mahsa Amini

Scene outside the General Assembly building (with the #UNGA hashtag sign) following the observance of International Women’s Day 2023 at UN Headquarters in New York on 8 March 2023. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown. The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) opened on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, with the high-level debate beginning on Tuesday,… Continue reading In focus: 78th session of the UN General Assembly

The 78th session represents a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since it marks the halfway point to the global goals’ deadline. At the SDG Summit, leaders will review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs, providing high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions.… Continue reading Media advisory: UN Women at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78)

Women and young people with disabilities in Fiji are forging a new path—one that gives them information, access, and inclusion in advancing their sexual and reproductive health and rights.    Women lead sexual health and disability rights seminars in new Fiji programme Women Enabled International worked with the Fijian government and other stakeholders to launch… Continue reading Women lead sexual health and disability rights seminars in new Fiji programme

“Would I vie for a political seat again? Absolutely NOT!” says Helen Tullie Apiyo, popularly known in the Kenyan city of Kisumu as Tullie Tuls. While running to be a member of the County Assembly in Kisumu’s Kilimani ward in 2022, she said, “I realized that politics is a man’s world”. Online harassment risks pushing… Continue reading Online harassment risks pushing Kenyan women out of politics

I also thank the Vice-Presidents for their valuable leadership contributions within their regional groups and their rich contributions through the year. In particular, I recognize Ambassador Massari from Italy who chaired the afternoon session yesterday, and Ambassador Greco, also from Italy, who has chaired us through this morning, as well as the invaluable contributions of… Continue reading Speech: Rising to the challenge, driving forward solutions

As always, I would like to warmly thank our President, H.E. Ambassador Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine, and the entire 2023 Bureau for their exemplary and unwavering support: H.E. Ms. Leonor Zalabata Torres, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Colombia; H.E. Mr. Maurizio Massari, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy; H.E. Mr. Suriya Chindawongse,… Continue reading Speech: Building a strengthened UN Women – Solutions to close the gender gaps

On the 17th of September, UN Women together with the governments of Iceland and Tanzania, will mark the midpoint moment for Generation Equality to bolster its agenda for gender equality acceleration at a critical time for women’s rights.   Generation Equality is the world’s leading initiative to boost investment and implementation of gender equality. It brings… Continue reading In Focus: Generation Equality Midpoint

Goal 1: No poverty: The report forecasts that by 2030, 8 per cent of the global female population (approximately 342 million women and girls) will continue to live on less than USD 2.15 a day. Only 42 per cent of countries have sex-disaggregated poverty data readily available, impeding targeted interventions. Goal 2: Zero hunger: While… Continue reading Global gender equality in 2023: Urgent efforts needed to reach 2030 goals

1. Lack of women in leadership With just 27 per cent of parliamentary seats, 36 per cent of local government seats, and 28 per cent of management positions held by women, there is a lack of diverse perspectives in decision-making processes, hindering comprehensive policy formulation. 2. Poverty and lack of economic opportunities More than 340… Continue reading The 11 biggest hurdles for women’s equality by 2030

New York — Despite global efforts, the world is falling short of achieving gender equality. This year’s edition of the UN Women and UN DESA “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023”, launched today, paints a worrisome picture halfway through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The gender snapshot 2023” warns that,… Continue reading Press release: The world is failing girls and women, according to new UN report

Halfway through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is failing to achieve gender equality, making it an increasingly distant goal, according to “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023”, the latest edition in the annual series produced by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN… Continue reading Media advisory: How (un)equal is our world? Latest UN report to reveal the state of gender equality globally

Women in the village of Fadiga, in the Kédougou region of Senegal, have worked for many years in agriculture. Photo: UN Women/Alioune Ndiaye. As we approach the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the G20’s political leadership will be critical to move economies towards sustainability and to… Continue reading Op-ed: Three priorities for climate action

“The draft law could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as authorities appear to be governing through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission,” the independent experts said. They stressed that the proposed parliamentary Bill to Support the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab… Continue reading Iran: Draft hijab law tantamount to ‘gender apartheid’ say rights experts

30 August 2023Women The UN agency championing gender equality has underlined its strong stance against abuse or harassment of women taking part in sport.  UN Women issued a statement on Tuesday hailing the decision by the global football organization FIFA to suspend Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales for kissing star player Jennifer Hermoso on… Continue reading UN Women welcomes FIFA’s suspension of Spanish football federation chief

UN Women, as a supporter of women’s sport and partner of FIFA, welcomes FIFA’s decisive action with regard to the actions of the Spanish football federation president and the launching of a full investigation after a clearly inappropriate act towards a sportswoman at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. UN Women joins all those… Continue reading Statement: Zero tolerance for abuse or harassment in women’s sports

The Women Deliver Conference, a flagship event advocating for gender equality and women’s rights, took centre stage in Rwanda on 17–20 July 2023, gathering more than 6,000 activists, policymakers, and changemakers from around the world. The conference, officially opened by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, provided a platform for UN Women to bring together key… Continue reading UN Women at Women Deliver 2023: Promoting data, action, and accountability for gender equality

Following the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria and the historic drought in the Horn of Africa, international organizations have faced the same criticism: humanitarian response is often too slow in reaching the people who need it most. When it does get to communities, it often fails to adapt to rapidly evolving… Continue reading Interview with Theresia Ngoe: Women’s organizations want to be seen as partners, not only be told what to do

Did you watch the game? That is a question many people were asking in taxis and on the streets around the world. What they were really asking was, “Did you watch the Women’s World Cup?” The fact that it was just “the game” speaks volumes about just how far this World Cup has come in… Continue reading FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 – Game changer for gender equality

Having survived two years of brutal civil war, women and girls in Ethiopia are now facing a rapidly evolving humanitarian crisis as the country struggles to rebuild. The widespread violence, which reached a ceasefire in November 2022, left 600,000 people dead and millions displaced. Women and girls fled hundreds of miles, fearing run-ins with armed… Continue reading In Ethiopia, a rapidly changing humanitarian crisis demonstrates the need for a flexible response

Today is the 20th year that we remember the suicide bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 humanitarian aid workers. In the two decades that have passed, the humanitarian landscape continues to be marked by many challenges, from increasing numbers of people in need of humanitarian assistance to growing incidents of climate disasters and… Continue reading Statement: Life-saving support by humanitarian aid workers, #NoMatterWhat

Cameroon has been hit by repeated crises, including climate disasters, attacks on civilians by insurgent groups, and the economic impact of COVID-19 and rising inflation due to the war in Ukraine. In 2022, 3.9 million people required humanitarian assistance. Additionally, 979,000 people were in need of gender-based violence (GBV) services—94 per cent of whom were… Continue reading Tackling discriminatory gender norms in Cameroon

Mengistie Tegenie’s four sisters were married before the age of 18. Bright and academically gifted, their schooling—like that of many young women in Ethiopia—stopped after their arranged marriages. During his first year at university, Tegenie says he felt guilty that he was able to continue his studies while his sisters were not. For many young… Continue reading In Ethiopia, UN Women and partners fight gender-based violence by helping to change social norms and attitudes

Decades of occupation and conflict have jeopardized women’s economic security, protection, and access to services in Palestine. Women and girls far too often face physical violence and sexual harassment, which occurs in the streets, workplaces, homes, and refugee camps. Nearly 1.9 million women currently need gender-based violence (GBV)–related services and interventions, 65 per cent of… Continue reading Giving a voice to gender-based violence survivors in Palestine

In Rakhine State, Myanmar, the productive fields are left unharvested. Normally teeming with agricultural workers—the majority of whom are women and girls from the local villages—the fertile landscape has become another deadly battlefield. Landmines, planted after the military coup in 2021, are causing soaring numbers of civilian casualties. Women and girls who dare to venture… Continue reading Women’s organizations remain at the front line of the crisis response in Myanmar

UN Women partnered with Mona Chalabi to illustrate the scope and the severity of the restrictions on women and girls’ access to public space and public life in Afghanistan. In international treaties this is referred to as “freedom of movement”. Together, these illustrations show the sheer speed at which progress on gender equality can vanish,… Continue reading Women in Afghanistan: From almost everywhere to almost nowhere

[ PDF version ] New York/Geneva/Rome — For four gruesome months, the people of Sudan have been engulfed in a war that is destroying their lives and their homeland, and violating their basic human rights. People have witnessed their loved ones gunned down. Women and girls have been sexually assaulted. Families have seen their possessions… Continue reading After four months of war, humanitarian leaders urge action to end the tragedy in Sudan

It is now two years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, during which time it has imposed the most comprehensive, systematic, and unparalleled assault on the rights of women and girls. Through more than 50 edicts, orders, and restrictions, the Taliban have left no aspect of women’s lives untouched, no freedom spared. They have… Continue reading Statement on Afghanistan by UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous

Photo: UN Women/Habib Sayed Bidell. On 15 August 2021, everything changed for women and girls in Afghanistan. First came the curbs on girls’ education and women’s right to work, then the enforcement of strict dress codes and impositions on women’s freedom of movement and access to public life. Two years after their takeover of Afghanistan,… Continue reading In focus: After August – Voices of Afghan women two years after the Taliban takeover

One week before the Taliban takeover, I received my admission to university with a full scholarship to study my bachelor’s degree in information technology and computer science. I was delighted and hopeful about my future. I was very excited to go to the university campus, study with classmates, and make the best memories of my… Continue reading In the words of Ghotai*: ‘Afghanistan has become the graveyard of buried hopes.’

In the words of Arefa*: ‘I had a job before. I had bread and peace. I am now under house arrest.’ Photo: UN Women/Habib Sayed Bidell. Before 15 August [2021], I worked as teacher and a midwife in various public and private hospitals. After the fall of Kabul, I became unemployed because it was not… Continue reading In the words of Arefa*: ‘I had a job before. I had bread and peace. I am now under house arrest.’

I grew up in an educated but conservative family. My family had a good economic status, so women’s work was not seen as valuable. According to my family, only women with an economic need should work. Before the Taliban takeover, although I didn’t have that much freedom, civic freedoms were respected, and I secretly participated… Continue reading In the words of Hira*: ‘Imagine a generation in depression.’

Before August 2021, I was a teacher. After August 2021, I tasted the bitter taste of being a woman in a traditional patriarchal society, and I participated with other women in a self-organized May protest against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. When the Taliban took control last August and returned to power for the second… Continue reading In the words of Adela*: “I went to the streets every day to fight even harder than the day before.”

Fleria Mukula, 65, has lived in Bungoma County in Western Kenya all her life. She felt she could bring more to her community and, while raising a family and running a farm, she became one of its leading voices on peace and conflict. In 2022 she was included in the Government of Kenya’s honours list,… Continue reading In the words of Fleria Mukhula: “I was born a peacebuilder.”

The United Nations General Assembly, through a groundbreaking resolution (A/RES/77/317), has proclaimed an International Day of Care and Support, to be commemorated on 29 October. The resolution calls upon Member States, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the public to observe the international day annually. It acknowledges the disproportionate burden of… Continue reading Member States agree on International Day of Care and Support: A milestone for gender equality and sustainable societies

UN Women Executive Board to convene second regular session 2023 The President of the Executive Board, H.E. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, will open the session on 12 September at 10am EDT, followed by UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, who will deliver her opening remarks. Over the… Continue reading UN Women Executive Board to convene second regular session 2023

Argentina has a well-established track record in human rights and social organization and a clear role for youth in catalysing social and political agendas. This legacy led me to become involved in environmentalism and to understand the climate crisis not as a technical problem that only requires replacing one energy source with another, but as… Continue reading From where I stand: “In the climate fight, the youth component cannot be relegated to a symbolic level.”

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous conducted a three-day mission in Rwanda, where she represented the UN Secretary General at the Women Deliver 2023 conference in Kigali, and met with government officials, civil society, women’s rights activists and partners to strengthen collaboration and mobilize greater action for gender equality and women’s empowerment in Rwanda and… Continue reading UN Women Executive Director visits Rwanda, applauds remarkable progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment

In our new joint report, UN Women and UNDP have proposed the Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) and the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) as twin indices for measuring the human development of women and girls. Taken together, these two indices offer a comprehensive picture of women’s empowerment and gender equality.   Expert’s take: Most of… Continue reading Expert’s take: Most of the world’s women and girls struggle with large gaps in equality and empowerment

New York — UN Women and FIFA are coming together during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023 (20 July to 20 August 2023) to celebrate the skills and achievements of the teams and players, to advance gender equality in football, and to prevent abuse and discrimination on and off the… Continue reading Press release: Women’s World Cup 2023 – UN Women and FIFA join forces for gender equality

18 July 2023Women Low women’s empowerment and large gender gaps are commonplace in many parts of the world, the UN’s lead agencies on gender equality and international development said in a new report published on Tuesday.  Out of 114 countries studied, none has achieved full gender parity, the report by UN Women and the UN… Continue reading Majority of women live in countries with large gender gaps, UN report reveals

Kigali, 18 July 2023 – No country has achieved full gender parity and fewer than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and a small gender gap, according to a new global report launched by UN Women and UNDP today at the Women Deliver Conference. The report provides—for… Continue reading Press release: Less than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and high gender parity

We are here because we are committed to ensure that the women’s movement rises from strength to strength, in solidarity. Women Deliver is the largest community of feminists, of the women’s movement and its allies. It is, indeed, an unstoppable force. We are here because we believe in the power and imperative of gender equality.… Continue reading Speech: This is your future, and you must have an opportunity to shape it

The UN Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) will launch the joint Report, “The Paths to Equality: Twin Indices on Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality,” in Kigali, Rwanda on 18 July 2023. The Report highlights the global challenges faced by women and provides a roadmap for… Continue reading Media advisory: UN Women-UNDP to launch joint Report, “The Paths to Equality: Twin Indices on Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality”

A mother cuddles her newborn baby. (file) 12 July 2023Women Women and girls of African descent face a “systemic and historical pattern” of racial abuse in the health sector in countries across the world, leaving them at increased risk of death during childbirth, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency said on Wednesday. “The scourge… Continue reading Scourge of racism haunts Black women and girls seeking healthcare

One in two women in Spain report that they have experienced violence. In 2004, the Government passed a comprehensive protection measures law to address gender-based violence (GBV) across the country. Ms. Itziar Abad Andújar is the Deputy Director General for Awareness, Prevention and Studies of GBV at the Government Delegation against GBV. Here, she explains… Continue reading Take Five: How Spain is using administrative data to help end violence against women and girls

The study provides the first in-depth analysis of gender inequalities in drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in households, revealing that women and girls bear the brunt of the global water and sanitation crisis. Billions lack access Globally, 2.2 billion people still do not have safely managed drinking water at home, and some 3.4 billion… Continue reading Women and girls bear brunt of global water and sanitation crisis

Since the start of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, large numbers of women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups have been internally displaced, with significant cross-border movement to neighboring countries. 24.7 million people—about half the population of Sudan—are reported to need humanitarian aid and protection.   In response to the war, more than 49… Continue reading Women are leading the humanitarian response in Sudan

They called for an immediate end to gender-based violence, including sexual violence as a tactic of war to terrorize people; for prompt, thorough, impartial and independent investigations into all alleged gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law; and for perpetrators to be held accountable. They stressed that all… Continue reading Press release: Sudan – Top UN officials sound alarm at spoke in violence against women and girls

As the impacts of climate change intensify around the world, adaptation efforts are crucial to ensuring that communities, ecosystems and economies are able to survive. National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes are a way for governments to direct resources to such efforts, focusing particularly on vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, water resources and infrastructure, and enhancing… Continue reading Mainstreaming gender in climate change adaptation in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana

Speaking to the Council’s annual meeting in Geneva on protecting the rights of women and girls, the UN High Commissioner said it was an urgent task, and there needed to be zero-tolerance of gender-based violence.  He highlighted the alarming reality that female human rights defenders, women journalists, and those in public office and political decision-making… Continue reading Time to end gender-based violence, boost role of women in politics, public life

Worsening climate change, environmental degradation, and extreme weather, coupled with poor planning and adaptation measures, are intensifying disasters at an alarming rate. The impacts of such disasters are highly gendered, with women and girls carrying the brunt of impacts such as the destruction of natural resources and infrastructure.   Women typically have lower levels of resilience… Continue reading Accelerating action for gender responsive disaster risk reduction

“The tendency of family courts to dismiss the history of domestic violence and abuse in custody cases, especially where mothers and/or children have brought forward credible allegations of domestic abuse, including coercive control, physical or sexual abuse is unacceptable,” said Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, in a report to the Human Rights Council… Continue reading Urgent reform needed to shield women and children from violence during custody battles

Sakna Mahmoud, 32, spent her early childhood in the village of Hassania, close to the city of Mosul, Iraq. When she was just 13, her family arranged her marriage to a man nine years her senior, putting an end to her education. Breaking stereotypes and empowering widows in Iraq The Dispute Prevention and Response Strategies… Continue reading Breaking stereotypes and empowering widows in Iraq

Media contact: Aijamal Duishebaeva, [ Click to reveal ] As the global champion for women and girls, UN women will strongly collaborate with  Women Deliver 2023 Global Conference, bringing together civil society and women’s rights activists; along with the next generations of changemakers, including youth and visionaries who were instrumental in building and driving the momentum… Continue reading Media Advisory: UN Women at Women Deliver 2023 Global Conference

Cannes, France – The Unstereotype Alliance, an industry-led coalition convened by UN Women to eradicate harmful stereotypes in advertising, today reveals society is awash with harmful stereotyping, with marginalized communities targeted in particular in their day-to-day lives. Globally, three in four (73%) people state they regularly see or hear stereotyping yet only one in three (30%) will… Continue reading UN Women-convened Unstereotype Alliance announces the rise of silent stereotypers, as it is revealed societies are awash with harmful stereotyping

Around the world, conflict, violence, crises and fragility have forced more than 108 million people to flee their homes; among whom are 35.3 million refugees. Common to them all are the hopes of finding safety, security and prosperity and the fears of further harm and loss. For women and girls, these fears are all too… Continue reading Statement: Centring women’s and girls’ rights and priorities in humanitarian response

Women in the Central African Republic have had the parity law and a 35 per cent quota in all decision-making bodies since 2016. This remains in effect until 2027. The Government’s first national action plan on women, peace and security was adopted in 2014, and they are working on the third iteration of this plan.… Continue reading Briefing: Fulfilling our commitments to the women of the Central African Republic

At every stage of their displacement journey, refugees experience high levels of trauma and stress. Forced from their homes, at high risk of violence, and faced with separation from family, loss of livelihood and deep uncertainty about the future, the severe mental distress caused by displacement often long outlasts the journey itself.   According to a… Continue reading Hope away from home: Addressing mental health issues among refugees

From 15 April 2023, when fighting broke out in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, violence has spread across multiple regions—leaving hundreds of civilians dead and over a million people displaced. Amidst the chaos and destruction, women, girls and people of all genders are facing another, often less visible threat: heightened sexual and gender-based violence.  … Continue reading In Sudan, women’s organizations fight back against sexual violence in conflict

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, violence has become a daily reality for millions of Ukrainians, with more than 20,0000 recorded civilian casualties and over 13 million people displaced. Confronting destruction, loss and death, women, girls and people of all genders face another, often less visible threat: heightened rates of rape and sexual… Continue reading In Ukraine, activists step up to support conflict-related sexual violence survivors

Every time we meet in this Board, we share our concern at the global state of gender equality. We do so today against a backdrop of deepening inequality, economic instability, the deterioration of global peace and security including in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Sudan among many others, we also look at rising food insecurity, climate change… Continue reading Speech: Gender equality – prerequisite and catalyst for progress

“Equal land rights both protect land and advance gender equality,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, in a video message, urging all governments to eliminate legal barriers to women owning land, and to involve them in policy making. “We depend on land for our survival, yet we treat it like dirt,” the UN chief added, emphasizing… Continue reading Women suffer disproportionately from ravages of drought, desertification

In Kyrgyzstan, data journalism is being harnessed as a powerful tool to improve data accessibility and use—one of the main objectives of the Women Count programme.  With support from UN Women, a group of young journalists from the School of Data non-governmental organization partnered with the popular Kloop Media outlet in 2019 to produce five compelling stories based… Continue reading In Kyrgyzstan, data journalists innovate to inform new audiences about gender inequalities

Press release: Geneva summit garners action to tackle gender discriminatory nationality laws Convened by the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, and UN Women, the Global Summit heard from Eswatini, Iraq and Kiribati states, which reaffirmed their commitment to achieve gender equality in their nationality laws.  While in many… Continue reading Press release: Geneva summit garners action to tackle gender discriminatory nationality laws

14 June 2023Women Urgent action is needed to end gender-based bias in public and political life against women which remain deeply entrenched around the world, said the UN human rights chief on Wednesday. “Patriarchy must be a thing of the past. Our future depends on women and girls being at the table everywhere when decisions… Continue reading Türk calls for action to enable ‘equal and meaningful’ participation of women in public life

Speech: The importance of joint development solutions and quality financing in the face of multiple crises At the same time, gender equality offers our best hope to bring all the SDGs back on track. It is both a prerequisite and catalyst for progress across the goals.   That is why this question of how we can… Continue reading Speech: The importance of joint development solutions and quality financing in the face of multiple crises

Commonwealth Parliamentarians will benefit from a new partnership that will provide training and development programmes on gender equality. A new agreement between the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), with its membership of almost 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network, and UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender… Continue reading Press release: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association partners with UN Women to promote gender equality through parliamentary engagement

On the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honour the courage of peacekeepers serving under the UN flag and appreciate the importance of their endeavours. We recognize the essential role that female peacekeepers play across UN missions, and their critical contribution to achieving lasting peace.  Statement: Inclusive peace begins with women Women peacekeepers enhance the… Continue reading Statement: Inclusive peace begins with women

Observed every year on 29 May, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers honours all uniformed and civilian individuals who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations around the world for their valuable contributions to peace.  This year’s celebration also marks the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping. The 2023 theme, “Peace begins with… Continue reading Celebrating women peacekeepers from across Europe and Central Asia

Speech: Accelerating action for gender-responsive disaster risk reduction Time is not on our side, dear friends; we are already halfway to 2030. We face worsening climate impacts and unchecked environmental degradation. Disasters are intensifying at an alarming rate. More extreme weather, combined with poor planning and adaptation measures, is exposing millions of people who do… Continue reading Speech: Accelerating action for gender-responsive disaster risk reduction

We recognize today as the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia, and mark the theme for this year: “Together always: United in diversity”. This is a day to celebrate the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) across humanity. It is also a day for a reckoning with… Continue reading UN Women statement: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia, 17 May 2023

UN Women Executive Board to convene annual session 2023 The President of the Executive Board, H.E. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, will open the session on 19 June at 10am EDT, together with UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, who will deliver her opening remarks. Over the three… Continue reading UN Women Executive Board to convene annual session 2023

Around the world, families are on the front lines of the struggle for gender equality —and can be “make or break” for women and girls when it comes to achieving their rights. They can be places of love and support, but too often are spaces where women’s and girls’ rights are violated and their voices… Continue reading Gender equality starts at home: Five ways to drive change within the family

But, for hundreds of thousands of women globally, this gratitude only goes so far, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on the occasion of Mother’s Day, observed on Sundays throughout May. According to recently released data, a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth every two minutes, with the vast majority of these deaths due to… Continue reading Best reasons to stand up for mothers this Mother’s Day

With the Sustainable Development Agenda deadline only seven years away, there is still much work to be done to achieve SDG5, which calls for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. UN Women research indicates that at the current rate of progress, it will take centuries to reach this goal. However, gender… Continue reading Gender bonds: A promising solution to accelerate SDG5

How do we crack the barriers to economic recovery? A significant part of that answer lies in the equal role of women in the economy and what enables—or disables—their participation. In March this year, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women set out in its Agreed Conclusions multiple actions to be taken across… Continue reading Op-ed: Digital rights are women’s rights

The report, Improving maternal and newborn health and survival and reducing stillbirth, assesses the latest data, which have similar risk factors and causes, and tracks the provision of critical health services. Overall, the report shows that progress in improving survival has stagnated since 2015; with around 290,000 maternal deaths each year, 1.9 million stillbirths – babies who die after… Continue reading One pregnant woman or newborn dies every 7 seconds: new UN report

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous carried out a two-day mission in Kenya, where she saw UN Women’s work first-hand, and met with civil society groups and partners, to strengthen partnerships, ignite public discourse towards Generation Equality and galvanize action for gender equality and women’s empowerment in the country.    UN Women Executive Director visits… Continue reading UN Women Executive Director visits Kenya, galvanizes action for Generation Equality

Women’s economic empowerment is an investment with high returns. It improves the conditions of individual women and their families. It lays the groundwork for global gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. It brings fresh perspectives, ideas and energy to businesses and industries. And yet, around the world, women remain underrepresented in formal employment… Continue reading Supporting women’s entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan

2 May 2023Human Rights The practice of child marriage has continued to decline globally, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report published on Wednesday, warning that a ‘polycrisis’ including war, climate shocks, and the continuing COVID pandemic, is putting the fragile gains made towards ending the scourge, under threat. Currently, one in… Continue reading Fragile gains on reducing child marriage, under threat from ‘polycrisis’: UNICEF

The aim is to reinvigorate international engagement around key issues, such as human rights, in particular women’s and girls’ rights, inclusive governance, countering terrorism and drug trafficking. “The meeting is intended to achieve a common understanding within the international community on how to engage with the Taliban on these issues,” the UN said in a… Continue reading UN chief convenes meeting in Doha to discuss key issues in Afghanistan

She shared with UN News her on-the-ground accounts of “extremely difficult conversations” with victims and their children, and how the UN is addressing issues from child support to DNA testing. Jane Connors of Australia is the first Victims’ Rights Advocate for the United Nations. UN News: How would you assess progress made to date? Jane… Continue reading INTERVIEW: ‘Extremely difficult conversations’: Seeking justice for sexual abuse victims

For girls across the world, digital technology holds both power and potential.  Digital literacy, online safety, and cybersecurity skills, especially for adolescents, are an essential part of modern life. 19-year-old Dilanaz Guler is a Turkish, Generation Equality Adolescent Girl Leader.  She said, “I have a very deep, fundamental belief that technology can change the world… Continue reading Statement: Digital skills for life

26 April 2023Women Around 90 per cent of adolescent girls and young women do not use the internet in low-income countries, while their male peers are twice as likely to be online, according to a new UNICEF analysis, coinciding with the UN’s International Girls in ICT Day. “Closing the digital divide between girls and boys is about more than just having access to the internet… Continue reading New report shows 90 per cent of adolescent girls in low-income economies are offline

UN Women joins our partners in expressing our grave concern over the continued conflict in Sudan.  As in all crises, this will surely have dire and disproportionate impacts on the lives of Sudanese women and girls. We stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and remain committed to supporting them.  Statement on Sudan by… Continue reading Statement on Sudan by UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous

Gender plays a crucial role in mediating the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, with unequal resource distribution, discriminatory social norms and other gender imbalances leaving women particularly vulnerable. But a scarcity of data on the issue has made it difficult to address—or even fully understand.  Amidst worsening environmental fallout, UN Women and partners… Continue reading In Tonga, illuminating the connections between gender and the environment

In its State of the World’s Children 2023 report, UNICEF says that vaccination coverage levels decreased in 112 countries during the pandemic, “the largest sustained backslide in childhood immunization in 30 years”. According to the agency, a rise in misleading information on vaccines is one of the factors at play. UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell… Continue reading Millions of children deprived of life-saving vaccinations amid COVID pandemic, misinformation surge

The climate crisis is not gender neutral.   As its impacts worsen, women and girls are experiencing unique and disproportionate harm—with the fallout amplifying existing gender inequalities. Typically more dependent on natural resources and disproportionately responsible for securing food, water and fuel, women are highly vulnerable to environmental shocks. They face heightened exposure to gender-based violence… Continue reading Empowering women, protecting the earth

Our globe counts on each of us to sustainably manage nature—and in every part of the world, women and girls play key roles in nature conservation and climate change action. They are users, managers, and stewards of the land and its resources, leaders raising their voices for the protection and defense of nature, and environmental… Continue reading Overcoming gender-based violence as a barrier to human rights and environmental sustainability

11 February 2020Women With more than half of all maternal deaths occurring in countries affected by humanitarian crises and fragility, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for greater international support to provide life-saving reproductive health and protection services in these locations.  The sexual and reproductive health agency has launched a $683 million appeal this year to assist nearly 48 million women, girls and young people in 57 countries affected… Continue reading $683 million appeal to deliver reproductive health services, where they’re most needed

11 February 2020Women Promoting education for adolescent girls is an “indispensable foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”,  Secretary-General António Guterres declared at the launch event of the Drive for 5 education initiative at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, hosted by the Irish Mission to the United Nations. Drive for 5  is a global call to action… Continue reading Teenage girls’ education, ‘an indispensable foundation’ for achieving development goals: Guterres

Pledging to end the gender imbalance in science, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his  message for the Day that “dismantling gender stereotypes” was an essential step. He highlighted the fact that “girls and boys perform equally well in science and mathematics, but only a fraction of female students in higher education choose to… Continue reading With science ‘held back by a gender gap’, Guterres calls for more empowerment for women and girls

New modelling by the UN agency to coincide with the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, marked on Thursday, reveals that the cost of treating the total health impacts of FGM would amount to $1.4 billion globally per year.  The figure sees individual countries devoting nearly 10 per cent of their yearly… Continue reading Female Genital Mutilation costs $1.4 billion annually: UN health agency

6 February 2020Women A year since the signing of a peace deal between the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed groups, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Thursday that millions of children across the country remain threatened by violence and a lack of access to food, health care and other basic needs.  With more than 500 grave child rights violations reported between January… Continue reading Central African Republic: One year after peace deal, a ‘long, steep’ road ahead to ensure child rights protections

4 February 2020Women “My flesh has been taken away, but I can never give away my heart”; those are the powerful words of resolve from Abida Dawud, one of three women survivors of female genital mutilation, or FGM, from Ethiopia, who have been speaking to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) about their experiences. Zahra Mohammed… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: ‘A piece of me’ was taken

4 February 2020Women The expert leading UN efforts to stamp out sexual violence committed during wartime has welcomed the release of 78 women and 50 children by an armed group in South Sudan.  They were among more than 500 women and children abducted between April and August 2018 by the pro-Riek Machar Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO RM) and subjected to repeated… Continue reading South Sudan: UN official welcomes release of women and children abducted by armed group

30 January 2020Women Six young women from Namibia are on the path to a career in the field of information and communications technology (ICT), with the support of the UN office in the country.  They were among a group of 39 counterparts from across the region who participated in the African Girls Can Code camp held in Pretoria, South Africa, last April. … Continue reading Coding in Namibia: UN supports young women’s computing career dreams

More than 70,000 people from the northeast remain displaced in Al-Hasakah, Ar-Raqqa and Aleppo governorates due to ongoing conflict in the area. Over 17,500 of the IDPs are women of reproductive age. In addition to continued drops in temperature, women face hazardous living conditions and increased risks. And without adequate health care and other services,… Continue reading Health services for Syrian women caught up in war, foster safety and hope: UNFPA

17 January 2020Women Tackling violence against women is crucial to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In January, the United Nations launched a Decade of Action to support meeting the 17 goals by 2030.  In this blog, UN News has invited Roberto Valent, the UN Resident Coordinator in Argentina to highlight what efforts are being… Continue reading Tackling femicide in Argentina: a UN Resident Coordinator blog

Since 28 December, intercommunal disputes in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have left more than 40,000 civilians displaced, of whom an estimated 10,800, are women of reproductive age. More than 50 were killed and 60 others injured, the UN has reported, and thousands of civilians in recent weeks crossed the border into Chad, seeking… Continue reading Sudan: Lives of traumatized, displaced women in West Darfur under threat

Beth Ribblett is the owner of Swirl Wine Bar and Market in the New Orleans’ neighbourhood of Faubourg St. John. At college she studied costume design, and subsequently exercise physiology, but then decided she wanted to open a wine bar. Her business is now almost 14 years old and is focused on serving the local community.  “Swirl Wine Bar and Market is really a post-Hurricane Katrina story. I was interested in wine for a long time and… Continue reading FIRST PERSON: Community helping to heal New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina

25 December 2019Women The International Labour Organization (ILO) is marking its centenary in 2019 and as part of the commemoration has launched a photography project called “Dignity at Work: The American Experience” to document the working life of people across the United States. UN News joined the ILO on a visit to the southern US state of Louisiana.  Kai Bussant… Continue reading FIRST PERSON: Feeling the milliner’s vibe

23 December 2019Women The International Labour Organization is marking its centenary in 2019 and as part of the commemoration has launched a photography project called “Dignity at Work: The American Experience” to document the working life of people across the United States. UN News joined the ILO on a visit to the southern US state of Louisiana.    Roseann Rostoker moved to New… Continue reading FIRST PERSON: Chef’s ‘labour of love’ key ingredient for life in the kitchen

“We’re seeing encouraging signs, but the burden of suffering and death caused by malaria is unacceptable, because it is largely preventable”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency behind the World malaria report 2019. Progress stalled The report notes a significant increase in the number of pregnant women… Continue reading Malaria: Focus on pregnant women and children, stresses UN health agency report

“As we go about our business, one woman in three that we encounter has been or will be subjected to violence,” said Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, UN Chef de Cabinet, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General. “In some regions, and for some groups of women, the rate is even far higher—and this is only the… Continue reading Violence against women a barrier to peaceful future for all

21 November 2019Human Rights A group of thirty men in Gaza have succeeded in preventing the early marriage of girls under the age of 18, from 50 different families, thanks to a training programme supported by the UN gender agency, UN Women. One of them, Mossa Abu Taema, convinced the father of a 16-year-old in… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: Gaza men advocate for an end to early marriage 

12 November 2019Women The global goal of a sustainable future for all cannot be achieved until women, girls and young people gain control over their own bodies and lives, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told world leaders meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday. The Kenyan capital is hosting a three-day summit to mark 25 years since… Continue reading Nairobi summit: Women’s empowerment a ‘game changer’ for sustainable development

Amina Mohammed was speaking on Monday in Nairobi, where countries are meeting this week to mark 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The landmark gathering held in Cairo concluded with a Programme of Action “that placed individual dignity and human rights, including the right to plan one’s family, at the… Continue reading 25 years on from landmark conference, millions of women and girls still in danger: UN deputy chief

5 November 2019Peace and Security At the core of peacekeeping lies the notion of shared responsibility, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday, presenting this year’s award for Female Police Officer of the Year, to a woman who “has made a career of speaking up and speaking out on behalf of all vulnerable populations”. Police Major… Continue reading UN policewoman recognized for ‘speaking up and speaking out’ on behalf of the vulnerable

“The foundations have been laid for a transition from peace to sustainable development”, she said, but building on these “will require unity and cooperation across the region and common ground internationally”.  This is particularly the case surround the issue of tens of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons, many vulnerable to trafficking, along with… Continue reading Unity, regional cooperation and international support needed for Horn of Africa to develop sustainably 

Major Seynabou Diouf, of the Senegal National Police, leads a task force that helps to prevent and end sexual exploitation and abuse with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in Goma, North Kivu. She also manages the UN Police Women’s Network, which connects female officers for mentoring, training, professional… Continue reading New UN Female Police Officer of the Year prioritizes ‘preventing sexual exploitation and abuse’

The 2009 mandate had “sent a clear message that sexual violence during times of upheaval and conflict is not the inevitable collateral of war but a horrific violation of human rights and international law”, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed spelled out. She said the international community had been galvanized by the 2009 decision to intensify advocacy and… Continue reading Reparations for sexual violence in conflict – ‘what survivors want most, yet receive least’

‘Historic’ new Syria talks should focus on relief for war-weary civilians, says UN negotiator Work on drafting a new foundational text for war-torn Syria officially began at the UN in Geneva on Wednesday with representatives from the Syrian Government and opposition sitting face to face and preparing to discuss the country’s future for the first time in… Continue reading Wednesday’s Daily Brief: Iraq protests, ‘historic’ Syria talks, Chile pulls out of COP25, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, new nuclear watchdog chief

He spoke of “the sad fact” that the commitment “reflected around this table is not translating into real change around the world”, lamenting, “it is not coming fast enough or far enough”. “Change is coming at a pace that is too slow for the women and girls whose lives depend on it, and for the… Continue reading ‘Real change’ involving women in peace and security, still too slow, Guterres tells Security Council

28 October 2019Women More women are entering the workforce across Latin America, with an increase in 11 per cent in the last 30 years, putting the region ahead of the curve when it comes to growth in female labour force participation, according to new data published by the United Nations on Monday.  The research gathered jointly by the UN’s Economic Commission… Continue reading More women in Latin America are working, but gender gap persists, new UN figures show

‘Multi-generational tragedy’ in Israel and Palestine demands political will for two-State solution Pervasive deteriorating facts on the ground in Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “are pushing us every further” from achieving a viable two-State solution, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council on Monday. With the spotlight on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories,… Continue reading Monday’s Daily Brief: Israeli-Palestinian conflict, gender gap in Latin America, Syria talks in Geneva, human rights in Egypt, the future of digital telecommunications

25 October 2019Women Around two-thirds of sexually active women surveyed in a new UN study indicated that although they wished to avoid or postpone having children, they had stopped relying on contraception out of concern for how it was affecting their health. As a result, around a quarter of all pregnancies are unplanned.  That’s according to World… Continue reading One-in-four pregnancies unplanned, two-thirds of women foregoing contraceptives 

Companies ‘failing’ to address offline harm incited by online hate: UN expert  States and companies are “failing” when it comes to combating online hate, the UN independent rights expert, or Special Rapporteur, on freedom of speech and expression said on Monday, ahead of the launch of a landmark report to reinforce legal standards for internet spaces.   Cautioning that hate speech… Continue reading Monday’s Daily Brief: Online hate, gender equality in Africa, Chile protests, African migrants in Europe, Security Council in South Sudan

Safe and affordable menstrual hygiene products are essential to ensuring the sexual and reproductive health of women, girls and all people who menstruate. But for those without sufficient economic resources, obtaining access to such products is an ongoing struggle. Known as period poverty, this lack of access—exacerbated by longstanding taboos around menstruation—remains a key barrier… Continue reading In Lebanon, women fight period poverty and taboos to promote menstrual health

UN Women strongly condemns the Taliban’s latest discriminatory decision to ban Afghan women from working with the United Nations in Afghanistan. We stand in full solidarity with our colleagues, and all women who everyday put their lives at risk to serve their country and we salute their dedication, professionalism, and bravery. We re-assert their inalienable,… Continue reading Statement on Afghanistan by Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women

New York, 30 March 2023 — At an event that brought together more than 350 representatives from Member States, UN organizations, academia and civil society, the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF) launched a third call for funding proposals to support the meaningful participation of uniformed women in UN peace operations.   Press release: The Elsie Initiative Fund launches… Continue reading Press release: The Elsie Initiative Fund launches new call for proposals to continue investing in women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping

Nirmala Pariyar working on a farm inHetauda, Makwanpur District. Photo: Srijana Nepal When the Government of Nepal imposed the first nationwide lockdown beginning in March 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Nirmala Pariyar, from Hetauda, Makwanpur District, could no longer leave her home for work. Forty-year old Pariyar worked as a daily wage farmer… Continue reading Comprehensive relief package provides support to women and excluded groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal

New York, 21 March — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding today in New York.  Press release: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women join forces for gender equality… Continue reading Press release: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women join forces for gender equality

18 March 2023Women The 2023 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the largest UN gathering on gender equality, successfully wrapped up on Saturday, with Member States calling for a full and equal participation of women and girls in the development of digital technologies. The priority theme for this year’s CSW, an annual, two-week long… Continue reading Flagship UN gender event closes with ‘blueprint’ for greater role of women in tech

New York City  — The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)— the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality,  the empowerment of all women and girls and their human rights—successfully closed its two-week long session today (6 to 17 March) with the acknowledgment of the critical role of technology and innovation… Continue reading Press release: UN Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the role of technology and innovation, and education in the digital age in accelerating gender equality

CSW67 closing statement: Game-changing Agreed Conclusions for a more equal and connected world for women and girls Today, you have joined forces to reframe technology and innovation as a powerful accelerator for development, for human rights and for women’s rights.  You have contributed to shaping an open, safe, and equal digital future for all women… Continue reading CSW67 closing statement: Game-changing Agreed Conclusions for a more equal and connected world for women and girls

During the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), the Mexican singer Magos Herrera, in collaboration with the Italian composer Paola Prestini and other prominent musicians from around the world, performed at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The concert, titled “Con Alma” [With Soul], was held on 14 March… Continue reading “Con Alma”: Artivism for an inclusive digital world to achieve gender equality

UN Women Arab States has launched GenTRACK – a new data portal to visualize the situation of women and girls in the region using the most relevant gender data. It highlights 194 gender indicators across a variety of thematic areas, sourced from nine global datasets and indices.  “GenTRACK is UN Women Arab States’ ultimate data… Continue reading The Arab States now has a dedicated gender data portal

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) marked a momentous milestone for youth representatives, who took part in an interactive dialogue around the CSW priority theme on Monday, 13 March. The event, organized by UN Women, saw the inclusion of youth leaders in the official negotiations for the first time,… Continue reading Young leaders take center stage at CSW67 interactive dialogue

Crises are gendered. Because women and girls start off at a disadvantage in every society, they often have fewer resources to be able to withstand the impacts of crises and shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a “big revealer” in this regard. School and care service closures meant that women did an estimated 512 billion additional hours of unpaid childcare globally, adding to… Continue reading Op-ed: Always on the frontline in every crisis

Ugandan police join UN Women Uganda as part of the ‘Orange the World’ campaign to end violence against women and girls. Through its global program Women Count, UN Women’s data collection and analysis has led to policies to address violence against women in Uganda and several other countries. Photo: UN Women/Martin Ninsiima In his February 2023… Continue reading Op-ed: Gender data can reinvigorate the SDGs

On 13 March, UN Women, in partnership with the Generation Equality Action Coalitions on Feminist Movements and Leadership and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), gathered partners from across sectors to exchange experiences and identify strategies to counter the pushback on gender equality and strengthen civic space and women’s digital rights.   The flagship side event engaged participants at… Continue reading To tackle the pushback on gender equality, foster and fund inclusive feminist movements

“The gender digital divide is fast becoming the new face of gender inequality,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during a town hall with women’s civil society held on Monday, 13 March, during the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.   Technology is playing key role in gender equality reversals, says UN… Continue reading Technology is playing key role in gender equality reversals, says UN chief

The 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women is a global opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of women and girls around the world, and to deepen our resolve to accelerate progress on gender equality.   In dealing with a major issue at the centre of the advancement of women and girls,… Continue reading Op-ed: Technology and Gender Equality – bringing women and girls to the centre of innovation

The town hall with representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was held as part of the annual session of the UN Committee on the Status of Women (CSW), which meets in New York every March.   Its latest two-week session – known as CSW67, which runs through Friday – is focused on the theme of innovation,… Continue reading Digital technology new source of discrimination against women: Guterres

Ndeye Rose Sarr When a girl starts to menstruate, that’s when the problems usually start. From the age of 10, she begins to be looked at as a potential bride for an older man. And if she has not yet undergone FGM, there will be those in her community who will want to make sure… Continue reading INTERVIEW: ‘Every other young girl you see in The Gambia has undergone female genital mutilation’

The following excerpt is posted from an article originally published on SDG Action. When crises strike, women and girls consistently suffer disproportionately. We need urgent, systemic change to ensure that gender equality is at the center of crisis response. COVID-19, climate, conflict, cost of living. Over recent years, the world has been rocked by repeated… Continue reading Always on the frontline in every crisis

The following article was originally published on SDG Action. Gender equality is critical to realizing all the SDGs, yet progress remains unacceptably slow. Humanity’s future demands that we urgently fix the multitudinous factors blocking women and girls from achieving their potential Everywhere, crises continue to exact their highest toll on women and girls. Violent conflict,… Continue reading Accelerating action on gender equality

Gender equality in the judiciary has been historically unbalanced, including at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.   The first woman to be elected as a member of the ICJ in 1995 was Dame Rosalyn Higgins, who in 2006 also became the first female President of the Court.  … Continue reading Women in justice: Three trailblazing World Court judges send a powerful message

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) is a “once in a generation” opportunity to build a feminist digital future. This was the urgent message shared by speakers and attendants that participated in the Generation Equality high-level event hosted by UN Women, in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation and the Leaders of the Generation… Continue reading Open, Safe and Equal – Shaping a Feminist Digital Future

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) is a “once in a generation” opportunity to build a feminist digital future. This was the urgent message shared by speakers and attendants that participated in the Generation Equality high-level event hosted by UN Women, in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation and the Leaders of the Generation… Continue reading Every corner of the internet must be open, safe and equal for women and girls

Valentina Muñoz is a 20-year-old feminist activist and programmer from Chile. In 2021, she was selected by the UN Secretary-General to serve as an SDG Advocate—becoming the first Latin American women ever appointed to the role. She is the co-founder of the Association of Young Women for Ideas (AMUJI Chile), an organization that aims to empower… Continue reading Revolutionizing STEM to bridge access gaps and uphold digital rights

The following excerpt is posted from an article originally published on SDG Action. Progress on the SDGs is stagnating. Action on gender data may provide a path to rescuing them. In his February 2023 remarks to the General Assembly during the Consultation on the Summit of the Future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Member States… Continue reading Gender data can reinvigorate the SDGs

The following excerpt is posted from an article originally published on SDG Action. We will only fully understand the inequality experienced by women, girls, and other vulnerable groups if we collect the data. Despite recent progress, much of the gender-disaggregated data needed is still missing. Disaggregated gender data matters in leaving no one behind Disaggregated… Continue reading Data on gender: seeing the true picture

The following excerpt is posted from an article originally published on SDG Action. As with most threats to well-being, poverty has an accentuated impact on women. Tackling this requires integrated action on several fronts to address the systemic inequalities women face across the world today. Ever consider why some groups in society are overrepresented among… Continue reading Poverty is not gender-neutral

Webinar 8 Mar  |  12 pm  Register Household surveys are vital components of national statistical systems. They are the basis for official statistics on social and economic phenomena and are key to tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, despite their importance, household surveys face various challenges, including problems with data quality, timeliness,… Continue reading Positioning household surveys for the next decade: Data integration and inclusion

You are invited to a High-Level Pan-African Event to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023. Celebrated annually on March 8, this year, IWD’s theme DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality recognizes the urgency with which the gender gap in technology needs to be addressed for sustainable economic and social development.  The Pan-Africa event will… Continue reading Bridging the Gender Divide for DigitALL Equality

The 54th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission will be held in person in New York from 28 February to 3 March 2023. UN Women will be well-positioned to ensure strong representation of gender statistics across the programme of work of the Commission, through a number of strategic interventions.   Positioning household surveys for… Continue reading UN Women at the 54th UN Statistical Commission

From domestic chores to caring for loved ones, around the world people collectively spend 16 billion hours on unpaid care work every day. This invisible and unrecognized work falls largely to women, who spend three times as much time on unpaid work as men worldwide. This leaves them less time to pursue paid work or… Continue reading Women spend five times more time on unpaid care work than men, Georgia’s first time-use survey finds

Many attendees wore suits, scarves or other items of clothing in shades that spanned from periwinkle to indigo, in tribute to women working in tech, a sector that remains overwhelmingly male.  “I see this room seldom so packed and so full of energy. It is a clear indication of the noble goals that we are… Continue reading International Women’s Day puts the spotlight on digital gender equality

Speech: Technology and innovation to accelerate gender equality and the rights of all women and girls This International Women’s Day falls during the Commission on the Status of Women, highlighting the power and potential of technology and innovation for accelerating gender equality and the rights of all women and girls—and I repeat—all women and girls.… Continue reading Speech: Technology and innovation to accelerate gender equality and the rights of all women and girls

[Also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish.] United Nations, New York — Under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, UN Women, the United Nations, and its partners and allies around the world will celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2023, calling on governments, activists and the private sector to “power… Continue reading Press release: International Women’s Day spotlights massive costs to GDP and innovation caused by the exclusion of women from the digital world

Despite the increasing digitalization of everyone’s daily lives, the digital gender gap has grown; globally around 63 per cent of women have access to the internet today, compared to 69 per cent of men. Across all areas of digital technology, women and girls remain under-represented, from coding and creating, to accessing services, and drafting regulations… Continue reading Cracking the code to a fairer digital future for women

Women and girls have just as much right to access the digital world and prosper in it as men and boys. Their creativity, knowledge and perspectives can shape a future where technology contributes to transforming social norms, amplifying women’s voices, pushing forward against online harassment, preventing the perpetuation of algorithmic biases, and distributing the benefits… Continue reading Statement: Defiant and steadfast for full equality in the digital world

It is a moment where we collaborate to sharpen and accelerate our focus and see what more all stakeholders can do to create a world that is more equal, more peaceful and more sustainable.  The mandate of CSW is more acutely important than ever, as global risks and conflicts intensify threats to gender equality.  Women… Continue reading Speech: Raising the curtain on the Generation Equality Midpoint Event

Everywhere, crises continue to exact their highest toll on women and girls. Violent conflict, displacement, the growing climate emergency, the repercussions of the global pandemic, and vocal anti-feminist movements have reversed generational gains in women’s rights. UN Women’s Gender snapshot 2022 shows that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 is off track, reflecting and affecting the progress of… Continue reading Accelerating action on gender equality

Sevgim Parıltı is a professional chef and the owner of a restaurant in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye. Following the 6 February earthquakes that struck 11 cities in the country’s southeastern region, Parilti made the decision to travel to İskenderun, one of the most affected cities, to cook for and serve the survivors. In the words… Continue reading In the words of Sevgim Parıltı: “Your choice can make a difference. Just like me, helping as a chef at the forefront of the crisis response.”

In fact, that 20th anniversary was not a celebration, but a wake-up call.   We warned that the effects of ignoring our own commitments to women, peace and security would be long-lasting and inter-generational for women, and immediate and drastic for world peace.  We were right to worry, as at the Security Council meeting marking the… Continue reading Speech: We need a radical change of direction

Geneva/New York — More women than ever hold political decision-making posts worldwide, but gender parity is still far off, according to the 2023 edition of the IPU-UN Women Map of Women in Politics. The map presents the latest rankings and regional distribution of women in executive positions and national parliaments as of 1 January 2023.… Continue reading Women in power in 2023: New data shows progress but wide regional gaps

Over the next two weeks, participants from across the world – including representatives from governments, the UN, civil society and youth groups, as well as activists – will examine how gender equality, empowerment and sustainable development can be achieved in the digital era.  The meeting, known as CSW67, will also highlight online violence and other… Continue reading UN’s commission on women opens amid vanishing progress on rights

We meet to do what this Commission does best: develop norms and standards for an urgent issue of significant importance that offers both opportunity and challenge.   The CSW mandate is exemplified in the priority theme of this year’s Commission.    The digital revolution presents unprecedented opportunities for women and girls.  At the very same time, it… Continue reading CSW67 Opening statement: Digital rights are women’s rights

At current rates, it will take almost another three centuries to bring about equality for women and girls.   Hobbled by persistent inequalities, about 383 million women and girls live in extreme poverty, and every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family. These are some of the reasons… Continue reading CSW: Advancing women’s rights since 1946

In its latest annual report, the global body dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue, also said that women’s participation has never been as diverse as it is in many countries today. The findings are based on data from the 47 countries that held elections last year. These polls saw women take an… Continue reading For first time, women represented in all parliaments of the world

This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023, join UN Women and the United Nations in celebrating under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. In focus: International Women’s Day From the earliest days of computing to the present age of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, women have made untold contributions to the digital… Continue reading In focus: International Women’s Day

Last July, hundreds of people from across the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region—including activists, influencers, academics, journalists and the Swedish Ambassador to Jordan—gathered to celebrate the launch of WeRise, an edutainment app aimed at raising awareness on gender equality and women’s empowerment. With support from UN Women, the platform was developed by youth… Continue reading WeRise app bridges generations to promote gender equality through gaming

Though the details vary, versions of Chantal’s story are shared by girls across Africa and around the world. A lack of exposure to tech coupled with strong gendered norms continue to keep girls out of the field from an early age. The absence of visible women role models further drives—and is cyclically driven by—their under-representation.  … Continue reading African Girls Can Code Initiative builds digital skills and momentum towards a better future

Laith Abu-Taleb is a 28-year-old gender equality activist and tech entrepreneur from Jordan. A youth mobilization specialist for UN Women’s Arab States regional office, he believes that integrating the unique knowledge and experience of young people into the tech sphere is a powerful way to drive not only technological innovation but also social progress. Laith is… Continue reading Promoting innovation to shatter gender stereotypes

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a second crisis—a global surge in violence against women—emerged in its shadow. But Serbian civil society organization SOS Network of Vojvodina, which runs a helpline for women experiencing domestic violence, noticed a troubling discrepancy when reports of violence began to drop.   Hidden mobile app gives women in Serbia… Continue reading Hidden mobile app gives women in Serbia a safer alternative for reporting violence

Esther Mwema is a 28-year-old digital inequalities expert and artist from Zambia. A long-time activist on gendered safety issues, her current work grew out of the desire to increase girls’ representation in the digital governance sphere. Tech has shaped the lives of young people in profound and unique ways, says Esther, so when it comes… Continue reading Transforming internet governance to eliminate online inequalities

Dilanaz Güler is a 19-year-old gender equality activist from Türkiye. An advocate against femicide and online gender-based violence, she also works to promote digital literacy and critical media consumption and is the founder of the youth and adolescent-led collective Youth for Digital Literacy. Dilanaz believes that young people’s unique relationship to the internet—including, for many,… Continue reading Spreading digital literacy and radical love to combat online gender-based violence

Ayesha Amin is a tech and gender activist and social entrepreneur from Pakistan. She is the founder of the youth- and women-led organization Baithak—Challenging Taboos, a Generation Equality Commitment Maker working to expand access to information on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Having experienced first-hand the discriminatory structure of the tech world, Ayesha highlights… Continue reading Expanding FemTech to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights

Media advisory: International Women’s Day 2023 and the Commission on the Status of Women to address the gender gaps in innovation and technology The CSW67 priority theme, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, represents a unique chance to address… Continue reading Media advisory: International Women’s Day 2023 and the Commission on the Status of Women to address the gender gaps in innovation and technology

The 67th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, will take place this year from 6 – 17 March under the theme, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. … Continue reading In focus: UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)

Following the earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria on 6 February KAMER, a partner civil society organization of UN Women Türkiye, is among the many civil society organizations that are working tirelessly to support survivors. KAMER has been identifying and helping meet the needs of women, girls and their families from the beginning. While trying… Continue reading Civil society steps in to heal women’s post-earthquake trauma in Türkiye

From online learning and digital activism to the rapid expansion of high-paying tech jobs, the digital age has generated unprecedented opportunities for the empowerment of women and girls. But advancing technology is also introducing new forms of inequality and heightened threats to their rights and well-being.   Women and girls remain underrepresented across the creation, use… Continue reading Power on: How we can supercharge an equitable digital future

In March of every year, activists, advocates, experts and governments from around the world come together for the annual meeting of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW). The 67th CSW session, 6-17 March 2023, the first in-person CSW since 2019, will convene under the theme: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving… Continue reading Your guide to CSW67

Today marks one year since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The past twelve months have seen continued escalation of attacks and the destruction of Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, government buildings and power plants.  The Ukrainian people have endured immense suffering.   We pay tribute to the exceptional dignity, resilience, leadership and courage of Ukrainian women and… Continue reading Statement on Ukraine by Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director 

Since the launch of the Russian Federation full-scale invasion on 24 February, 2022, over 2,000 women have been confirmed dead in attacks that have wrecked homes and civilian structures across Ukraine. Total numbers are likely to be much higher: according to the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, women account for nearly 40 per cent of… Continue reading Creating safe spaces for women in Ukraine

According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal deaths have either increased or stagnated nearly everywhere, from 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, down from 227 in 2015 and 339 in 2000.  Unless progress is made on global targets for reducing maternal deaths – most of which are… Continue reading Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth

As we have just heard, the projections in Somalia are dire. In the last weeks alone, nearly 200,000 people have been displaced from Laascaanood, more than 60,000—mainly women and children have fled to neighbouring Ethiopia. The ongoing drought is expected to render half the population food-insecure by mid-2023 and place the country at increased risk… Continue reading Speech: Seize the opportunity for decisive action in Somalia

At the beginning of the crisis, Bacico’s main concern was to provide refugees with accommodation, food and personal hygiene products. But as time went on, she realized that the level of stress women refugees are under required something more.  “Most men have remained in their country, and women are involved in an ongoing struggle here—they… Continue reading Responding with care: Beauty services coupled with counselling for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova

Statement: Rising to the challenges of 2023 for women and girls Let us pause for a moment of collective condolences for the tens of thousands of lives lost and the many more injured in the earthquakes in southern Türkiye and northern Syria. UN Women is contributing to the response with and through the UN System,… Continue reading Statement: Rising to the challenges of 2023 for women and girls

From Marie Curie and Katherine Johnson to Tu Youyou, Segenet Kelemu and Maryam Mirzakhani, women throughout history have made innumerable and invaluable contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Innovations in science and technology are also crucial drivers of gender equality, offering new opportunities for social and economic transformation.   But women… Continue reading Paula Coto: The technology sector has outstanding debts on gender equality

That’s the message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, who appealed for concrete action to increase their ranks.  Diversity and fresh perspectives  “On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we highlight a simple equation: More women and girls in science equals better… Continue reading ‘More women and girls in science equals better science’, UN chief declares

The 2023 International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrates women and girls who have devoted themselves to science and the advancement of human knowledge and understanding as students, researchers, and practitioners. They have made revolutionary discoveries, reinvented our future through the power of innovation, imagination and technology and paved the way for generations… Continue reading Statement: Building a future of scientific progress and gender equality 

“This new research highlights the vast economic and political power of the big formula milk companies, as well as serious public policy failures that prevent millions of women from breastfeeding their children,” said Nigel Rollins, one of the authors of a series on the $55 billion-a-year industry and their marketing “playbooks”, published in the peer-reviewed… Continue reading Slamming ‘big formula milk companies’, WHO scientist calls for swift clampdown to protect nursing mothers

António Guterres said that the practice of genital cutting, prevalent in some cultures for more than a thousand years, causes lifelong damage to both the physical and mental health of women and girls. ‘Vicious manifestation of the patriarchy’ “It is one of the most vicious manifestations of the patriarchy that permeates our world”, he added.… Continue reading Around 4.2 million girls at risk for Female Genital Mutilation says Guterres, stressing men must also speak out

There are few more extreme reflections of deeply entrenched discrimination against women and girls than female genital mutilation. It is deeply rooted in communities’ gender and social norms and cultural and religious traditions. There is no way to change such harmful practices without challenging these discriminatory norms head on. UN Women statement: International Day of… Continue reading UN Women statement: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

6 February marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM affects 200 million women globally, with dire consequences ranging from debilitating pain to childbirth complications to death. Today, UN Women is recommitting to ensuring that laws are not only passed against the practice, but that governments are taking action to… Continue reading International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation: UN Women GWA Jaha Dukureh speaks

1 January 2021Women The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that more than 371,500 children would be born on the first day of 2021.  “The children born today enter a world far different than even a year ago, and a New Year brings a new opportunity to reimagine it”, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore… Continue reading Make 2021 ‘safer, healthier world for children’, UNICEF chief urges

UN officials say that gender-based violence is a “shadow pandemic,” hidden beneath COVID-19. 28 December 2020Women An increase in violence against women in India during the global COVID-19 outbreak has been described by the United Nations as a “shadow pandemic”. Members of a “Jugnu” club get trained by UN Women to support women who ​​​​​​​… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: India’s pandemic of violence against women

14 December 2020Migrants and Refugees The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday. The report, “The migrant pay gap: Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals”, examined 49 countries that host… Continue reading ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening

14 December 2020Women The UN agency dedicated to improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide (UNFPA) appealed on Monday for $2.5 billion by 2030 to help avert potential “dire consequences” surrounding pregnancies and maternal deaths. As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) announced the next phase of its Supplies Partnership… Continue reading Avert ‘dire consequences’ for women’s health, UNFPA urges in appeal to prevent maternal deaths

7 December 2020Human Rights Afghanistan’s justice system is continuing to fail female victims of violence and sex crimes, despite a 2009 law that was hailed as a significant step forward in legal efforts to protect them, according to a UN report published jointly on Monday by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN Mission in… Continue reading Improved Afghan law still fails victims of sex crimes and violence against women, UN report finds

30 November 2020Women Violence against women and girls at home affects millions globally. The problem is particularly pervasive as it occurs in a space women and girls should feel most secure.  According to UN data, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence mostly at the hands of an intimate partner. In 2019,… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: Answering the call for help in Thailand

UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly was speaking during a virtual event to strengthen global commitment at a time when women and girls are locked down and locked in, rendering them further exposed to violence and harassment, or at greater risk of being trafficked.  “In every part of the world, we are seeing that COVID has… Continue reading COVID-19 worsening gender-based violence, trafficking risk, for women and girls

Eunice has been shunned by her community after being forced to fight for rebels in northern Uganda. , by ICC-CPI/Pete Muller Eunice’s parents were killed in the years long conflict in the north of the East African country, leaving her unable to protect herself from abduction and forced marriage. Now her community is unwilling to… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: Girl child soldier shunned at home in Uganda

In his message for the day, Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the need to prioritize women’s leadership in finding solutions and to engage more men in the struggle.  “The global community needs to hear the voices and experiences of women and girls and take into account their needs, especially survivors and those who face multiple and… Continue reading End gender-based violence, ‘once and for all’, UN urges on International Day

The UN chief issued the call for action during an online event held on Wednesday to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and to launch the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign, headed up by UN Women.  “Millions of women are being pushed further into poverty by the COVID-19… Continue reading Build on momentum to end violence against women and girls: Secretary-General

17 November 2020Health The World Health Organization (WHO) set out a strategy on Tuesday for eliminating cervical cancer, which would avoid the death of an estimated five million women and girls from the disease, by 2050. “Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make… Continue reading WHO rolls out plan to rid world of cervical cancer, saving millions of lives

5 November 2020Human Rights The deteriorating health of Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul is “deeply alarming”, UN-appointed rights experts said on Wednesday, calling for her release along with “all other women human rights defenders in detention”.  In a statement underscoring the need for Ms. Al-Hathloul’s urgent release, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) stressed the importance of all women human rights defenders, saying that they “bring voices… Continue reading UN rights experts call for release of Saudi activist championing women’s right to drive

1 November 2020Women One of the far-reaching effects of the global lockdown brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has been the return of migrant workers to their home countries.  The UN is assisting the authorities in Myanmar in facilitating this homeward migration, with a focus on providing for the needs of women.  Myanmar has been… Continue reading First Person: supporting migrants on the COVID-19 frontline in Myanmar

30 October 2020Peace and Security Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won 2020 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilities. Ms. Malambo, who is Zambian, and spent… Continue reading Standing up for vulnerable South Sudanese: UN woman police officer of the year

“In war zones and everywhere in the world”, individuals are “calling for inclusion and representation, which is one of the main reasons why so many ordinary people are taking to the streets, organizing protest and raising their voices”, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka emphasized to the 15-member body.  Global ceasefire Meanwhile, Secretary General António… Continue reading Guterres to Security Council: Women leaders ‘essential to peace and progress for all’

Introducing the 2020 edition of The World’s Women: Trends and Statistics, Liu Zhenmin, chief of the UN’s economic and social affairs department (DESA), said that over the last two decades, “attitudes of discrimination are slowly changing” and women’s lives have improved with regard to education, early marriage, childbearing and maternal mortality, all while progress has… Continue reading New UN gender study: Women ‘far from having an equal voice to men’

15 October 2020Women Rural women play a critical role in agriculture, food security and managing land and natural resources – yet many suffer from “discrimination, systemic racism, and structural poverty”, the UN chief said on Thursday.  “The COVID-19 pandemic has now affected more than half the world’s women farmers with restrictions on movement, the closure… Continue reading Invest in rural women, help them build resilience to future crises, urges UN chief

Under the theme “Be Bold. Building Equity for Girls”, leaders and policy makers spoke up on a host of important topics, to protect and empower young women. In her opening remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told girls: “Be bold in your demands and be confident in the steps you are taking”.  “As we celebrate the… Continue reading International Day of the Girl: ‘Be bold in your demands’, urges UN deputy chief 

At a virtual roundtable discussion on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in peacekeeping, António Guterres drew attention to “landmark” Security Council Resolution 1325, which he called “foundational” to international peace. Noting that October marks the 20th anniversary of the “ground-breaking” resolution, he explained that “it underscored the link between gender inequality and fragility, and between… Continue reading Guterres: UN working ‘relentlessly’ to advance women, peace and security agenda

The agency has published a report which documents the interlinkages between trafficking in persons and marriage, and provides steps for governments and other authorities to strike back.  “This is the first publication that looks at the issue globally and through the lens of the international, legal obligations that States have to address trafficking in persons,”… Continue reading Report reveals linkages between human trafficking and forced marriage

2 October 2020Human Rights UN-appointed independent rights experts have urged the Iraqi authorities to investigate the murder of a female human rights defender, and the attempted killing of another, targeted “simply because they are women”. In a joint appeal on Friday, the seven experts also called on Baghdad to ensure that it was safe for everyone who… Continue reading Iraq urged to investigate attacks on women human rights defenders

António Guterres issued the charge in a speech to a UN General Assembly high-level meeting to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China.  The Beijing Conference, as it is known, marked a significant turning point on the global agenda, making it clear that women’s rights are… Continue reading COVID-19 underscores need to deliver on promise of landmark women’s rights conference

30 September 2020Women Chief executives of 110 companies in Thailand on Wednesday, have signed up to a new set of UN principles on women’s economic empowerment, pledging to improve gender equality in the boardroom, equal pay for equal work, and safer and more inclusive workplaces. The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), established by UN Women and… Continue reading Thailand: More than 100 companies pledge to strengthen women’s economic empowerment

“Millions of women are living in fear, with long-term consequences for families and communities, and for all our efforts for peace and security, human rights and sustainable development”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message to a virtual high-level GBV event in the context of COVID-19.  Against the backdrop of his global call for a ceasefire and an end to all violence – from war zones to people’s homes – he acknowledged… Continue reading Redouble efforts against ‘global scourge’ of gender-based violence, intensified by pandemic: Guterres 

28 September 2020Women The COVID-19 pandemic is “hitting women hard”, but most nations are failing to provide sufficient social and economic protection for them, the head of the UN gender empowerment agency said on Monday. And women have often become victims of domestic violence “locked down with their abusers, as unpaid caregivers in families and… Continue reading Most countries failing to protect women from COVID-19 economic and social fallout

“We have the ability to provide resources to communities destroyed by violence, Ms. Murad, who also serves as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, said.  “We simply lack collective political will to do so.” Speaking during an online event titled #EndSGBV, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, Norway and Somalia on the margins of General Assembly general debate,… Continue reading Nobel laureate Nadia Murad denounces lack of will to end sexual violence as a war tactic

Protect the Progress: Rise, Refocus, Recover, 2020 highlights that since the movement was launched 10 years ago, spearheaded by then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there has been remarkable progress in improving the health of the world’s women, children and adolescents, with under-five deaths reached an all-time recorded low in 2019, and more than 1 billion children were vaccinated… Continue reading Conflict, climate crisis, threaten fragile gains to advance women and children’s health

Globally, despite decades of activism, and dozens of laws on equal pay, women still earn less than 80 cents for every dollar men do. For women with children, women of colour, women refugees and migrants, and women with disabilities, that figure is even lower.  Women’s unequal status at work “feeds inequality” in other areas of… Continue reading Equal pay essential to build a world of dignity and justice for all, UN says, commemorating first International Equal Pay Day

“When I last spoke here, I was just about to enter university…optimistic about what was ahead: university life, making new friends and access to an incredible education”, she told the inaugural SDG Moment event, intended to renew the effort to meet the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over the coming decade. “This June, I graduated… Continue reading Sustainable Development goals are ‘the future’ Malala tells major UN event, urging countries to get on track

Alice Ledu is a South Sudanese refugee living in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Yumbe District, Northern Uganda. Through UN Women’s Second Chance Education Programme, implemented with financial support from the Government of Japan, she gained life-changing vocational skills. Now a business owner, Alice is paying it forward by helping to train and mentor a… Continue reading In the words of Alice Ledu: “I feel happy that I can contribute to my family’s well-being.”

Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General for UN political, peacebuilding and peace operations, Khaled Khiari, spend four days on a fact-finding mission in Afghanistan, to engage with Taliban leaders, and “underscore UN solidarity with the Afghan people”, according to a press release issued to correspondents on Friday.  Afghanistan:… Continue reading Afghanistan: Top UN delegation tells Taliban to end confinement, deprivation, abuse of women’s rights

In meetings with de facto authorities in both Kabul and Kandahar, the delegation directly conveyed the alarm over the recent decree banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations, a move that undermines the work of numerous organizations helping millions of vulnerable Afghans. The de facto authorities have also recently moved to close… Continue reading Press release following UN Deputy Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director’s visit to Afghanistan

More than 99 per cent of businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are unregistered. For decades, women vendors have managed their stands informally, exposing themselves to notorious risks, ranging from adverse weather to high transportation costs, complications with the supply of raw materials and even violence when travelling to their stands in… Continue reading Women vendors register businesses, and hope, in DRC

UN Women Executive Board to convene first regular session of 2023 The President of the Executive Board, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, will open the session on 13 February at 10am EST. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous will deliver opening remarks. Over the two days, the Executive Board… Continue reading UN Women Executive Board to convene first regular session of 2023

In elections taking place on 10 January, the UN Women Executive Board opened the year by electing its new Bureau for 2023.  The rotational Presidency of the Executive Board during 2023 is held by the Eastern European Group and is represented by H.E. Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United… Continue reading New UN Women Executive Board Bureau 2023 elected

Advancing Gender Equality: UN Women at Davos 2023 Programme Be a part of the conversation and tune into UN Women’s daily events online with global speakers, advocates and many more:  Monday 16 January Climate and Gender: A Connected Crisis  Join UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia and HCLTech Chairperson Roshni Nadar for a fireside… Continue reading Advancing Gender Equality: UN Women at Davos 2023

Sport mobilizes and energizes the global community. It speaks a common language of aspiration and inspiration to youth. In our conflict-and crises-ridden world, it unites across national barriers and cultural differences and helps teach participants the skills and resilience necessary to advance in life. Girls who play sport develop self-esteem, learn to overcome adversity, and… Continue reading Op-ed: Sport is a key driver of social change

It often takes considerable bravery to stand up for the rights of women. The UN, which is committed to empowering women and girls, works relentlessly with activists and organizations across the world, to protect women from abuse, support health initiatives, and improve lives. Graduating university students in Afghanistan. Women are now banned form attending university… Continue reading 2022 Year In Review: Celebrating women fighting for their rights

Updated Once again, the de facto authorities of Afghanistan have found new ways to harm the women and girls of Afghanistan. As the world remains outraged by recent decisions to ban women and girls from higher education, the decree issued on the 24th December barring women from working in national and international NGOs is yet another stark… Continue reading Statement: The decree barring women in Afghanistan from working in non-governmental organizations is yet another stark violation of women’s rights

Breadcrumb Home News And Stories 23 December 2022 Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to E-mail In 2022, amidst conflict, crisis and a growing global pushback on gender equality, UN Women pushed forward. As we look to next year, we’re more determined than ever to keep building momentum and to deliver… Continue reading Looking forward to 2023

The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 (IWD 2023) is, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality… Continue reading International Women’s Day 2023: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

The comprehensive onslaught on women’s rights in Afghanistan is unmatched in the world today. The Taliban’s latest announcement of the closure of universities for women, effectively banning them from higher education, is yet another blatant curtailment of their fundamental rights. It is as short-sighted as it is appalling.  The right to education for all women and girls must… Continue reading Statement on Afghanistan by Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director

In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also urged the de facto authorities to “reopen girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade and end all measures preventing women and girls from participating fully in daily public life”. Clear and present violation UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk described the ban as “another appalling and… Continue reading UN condemns Taliban decision to bar women from universities, calls for ‘immediate’ revocation

Photos (from left to right): UN Women (Viet Nam); UN Women/Karen Peña (Bolivia); UN Women/Faith Mvula (Malawi); UN Women (Kosovo); UN Women/Sultan Mahmud Mukut (Bangladesh) For the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) from 25 November to 10 December 2022, UN Women teamed up with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), the United Nations… Continue reading Around the world: 16 Days of Activism

UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Dr. Sima Bahous carried out a two-day mission to Egypt to participate in the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Dr. Bahous met with global leaders, COP27 Presidency officials, government representatives, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, international organisations and climate… Continue reading At COP27, UN Women Executive Director calls on global leaders to focus on gender equality as central to climate action

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous conducted a four-day mission in Japan, from 2 to 5 December, where she met with H.E. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, and delivered a keynote speech during the 6th World Assembly for Women (WAW!), a key global conference hosted by the government of Japan. The mission, which underscored… Continue reading UN Women Executive Director visits Japan, calls for creating more opportunities for women and girls in Japan and globally

Survivors of gender-based violence face a myriad of challenges in pursuing justice and accessing other essential support services such as emergency health care and safe accommodation. Social norms and stereotyping that stigmatize or blame survivors, constraints within justice institutions and a general culture of impunity often stop women from reporting violence they have experienced and… Continue reading Generation Equality leaders UN Women and IDLO call for centring survivors in gender-based violence response efforts

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the positive contribution of migrants for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Migration can potentially bring significant benefits to women; a demonstration of their agency and a means of empowerment whose benefits, such as remittances, radiate to their families. However, without access to safe and regular migration pathways, many… Continue reading Statement: New lives and livelihoods – protecting the rights of women and girls on the move

14 December 2022Women The 54-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Wednesday adopted a resolution to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its four-year term ending in 2026.  The development comes in the wake of the country’s brutal crackdown on protests calling for justice for… Continue reading Iran removed from UN Commission on the Status of Women

13 December 2022Women Amid rising humanitarian needs worldwide, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, on Tuesday launched a $1.2 billion appeal to support 66 million women, girls and young people in 65 countries affected by crisis.  The 2023 Humanitarian Action Overview is UNFPA’s largest appeal ever and includes $289 million in Afghanistan, $70… Continue reading UN reproductive health agency appeals for $1.2 billion to support crisis-affected women and girls

Secretary-General António Guterres was speaking at a meeting of the UN Group of Friends on Gender Parity Marking the Fifth Anniversary of his Gender Parity Strategy – a key priority of his first term in office, that remains so now. He said it was “vital for the United Nations to represent the values it stands for –… Continue reading Gender parity, the only path to gender equality: Guterres

Jaha Dukureh is the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. A renowned activist, she herself is a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. On 19 to 27 November 2022, Jaha undertook a mission to Liberia to support the Liberian Government in their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and… Continue reading In the words of Jaha Dukureh: “As long as I am alive, I will wake up every single day and scream to the world that FGM is wrong and child marriage is not different from rape.”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out fundamental human rights and freedoms to which everyone, everywhere is entitled, establishing the gold standard for dignity, freedom and justice for all people. Statement: Women’s and girls’ human rights—universal and indivisible Today we celebrate the vitally inclusive spirit of that Declaration, while also acknowledging the many ways… Continue reading Statement: Women’s and girls’ human rights—universal and indivisible

Speech: Tackling challenges head on We are now nearly halfway to the 2030 endpoint for the SDGs. Seven more years to go. It saddens me to report that at the current rate of progress, it will not take seven years to achieve gender equality but rather 300 years—this is the latest estimate for the time… Continue reading Speech: Tackling challenges head on

On 29 November, the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, together with UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, held their first official commemoration of International Women Human Rights Defenders Day to centre the voices and experiences of women human rights defenders and call on the international community to… Continue reading “Their courage should give us hope and direction”: Generation Equality Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership uplifts the contributions and priorities of women human rights defenders

This year’s theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities underlines the strong links between gender equality and disability inclusion. These issues are crosscutting and key to an equitable world. It is estimated that one in five women lives with a disability, among one billion people with disabilities. They are some of the most… Continue reading Statement: Transformative solutions for inclusive development – the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world

Every two minutes, a young woman or adolescent girl is infected with HIV. At this pace, the world will not meet the target to reduce the number of new HIV infections among this population group to below 50,000 by 2025. We must urgently take a different approach.   This World AIDS Day, I call upon all… Continue reading Statement: For HIV progress – listen, respect, and respond to young women and girls

The bravery and courage of women in situations such as those in Afghanistan and Iran, asserting and calling for their human rights in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity, continues to inspire us. In these countries and others, women in all their diversity continue to prove that the quest for the recognition of human rights… Continue reading Statement: We must urgently defend the rights and lives of women human rights defenders

On the occasion of this year’s International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, we recognize and commemorate the tireless efforts of women human rights defenders around the world, especially those at risk in migration contexts. Statement: Defending migrants’ human rights must not cost women their lives Today, UN Women is launching a groundbreaking set of recommendations… Continue reading Statement: Defending migrants’ human rights must not cost women their lives

“In recent months, violations of women and girls’ fundamental rights and freedoms in Afghanistan, already the most severe and unacceptable in the world, have sharply increased”, they said. In a statement pushing back on the Taliban’s violations, the Special Rapporteurs argued that gender persecution is a crime against humanity, which can be prosecuted under international… Continue reading Taliban’s draconian violations against women may amount to crimes against humanity

In a statement kicking off the “UNiTE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls campaign”, they reminded that an estimated one in three women experience gender-based violence during her lifetime. Moreover, that last year, nearly one in five 20- to 24-year-old women had been married before turning 18 and less than 40 per cent… Continue reading Eliminate violence against women, most widespread, pervasive human rights violation

Gender related killings (femicide/feminicide) are the most brutal and extreme manifestation of a continuum of violence against women and girls that takes many interconnected and overlapping forms. Defined as an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation, femicide may be driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and girls, unequal power relations between women and… Continue reading Five essential facts to know about femicide

24 November 2022Women On Thursday, the UN launched amplifyHER; a vibrant, music-filled podcast, celebrating exciting women artists from around the world. Many women produce art in the face of, and sometimes inspired by, the challenges they face in society, whether related to insecurity, human rights, climate change, inequality, or simply because of their gender. In… Continue reading Music, passion, and powerful women: Launch of amplifyHER, an exciting new UN podcast

Mana Shooshtari is an Iranian American feminist activist and organizer whose work—spanning issues like immigration reform, gun violence prevention and sexual and reproductive health and rights—focuses on the protection and promotion of human rights. In the midst of widespread protests across Iran, she’s working to amplify the voices of Iranian feminists and to bring their… Continue reading Pushing forward: Protesting women’s rights abuses in Iran

From the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, a range of stresses intensify physical and verbal abuse.   Meanwhile, misogynistic hate speech and sexual harassment trigger rampant online exploitation against women and girls.   “This discrimination, violence and abuse targeting half of humanity comes at a steep cost”, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored in his message for the day.  … Continue reading Consign violence against women and girls, ‘to the history books’: UN chief 

The study by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women was issued ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on 25 November.  Of the 81,000 women and girls intentionally killed last year, 45,000 – around 56 per cent – died at the hands of… Continue reading Home is a deadly place for many women and girls, UN report reveals

Statement: Push forward — act now to end violence against women and girls This wake-up call, alongside other invaluable initiatives around the world, continues to resonate.   Grassroots activists, women’s human rights defenders and survivor advocates remind us every day, everywhere.  They are revealing the extent of that violence, they collect and shape statistics, document attacks… Continue reading Statement: Push forward — act now to end violence against women and girls

[Available in: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish] New York — A new study by UNODC and UN Women shows that, on average, more than five women or girls were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021. The report comes ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence… Continue reading Press release: Women and girls are more at risk to be killed at home, new UNODC and UN Women report on femicide shows

The Official UN Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will take place on Wednesday, 23 November 2022 from 10 am – 11.30 am (EST) at the ECOSOC Chamber, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The event will bring together feminists from all over the world who will be reminding us how gender-based violence… Continue reading Official UN Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Trigger warning: The following includes descriptions of gender-based violence. Salma*, 26, a Lebanese mother of 3 girls, was 13 years old when she eloped with her 16-year-old next door neighbor. Looking to escape her abusive stepmother, she thought marriage would offer her liberty. Instead, it opened a door to further abuse and violence. In the… Continue reading In the words of Salma*: “We, as women and girls, deserve better.”

[PDF version] Gender-based violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the worst manifestations of discrimination against women and remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation worldwide affecting more than an estimated 1 in 3 women, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the last decade. According to the latest estimates,… Continue reading Statement: Call to Action – “UNiTE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls!”

“I always feared the police. You hear stories of women going to the police station to report their violent husbands and they get told ‘you deserve it’. Then she must wait in a room full of men, feeling vulnerable and misjudged. On the way to the police station, I was terrified. After what I went… Continue reading Providing survivor-centered police and justice services in Morocco

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Led by civil society, the campaign is supported by the United Nations through the Secretary General’s UNiTE by… Continue reading In focus: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Violence against women and girls remains the most pervasive human rights violation in the world, affecting more than 1 in 3 women—a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the last decade. Global emergencies, crises and conflict have further intensified violence against women and girls and exacerbated the drivers and risk factors. Climate change is… Continue reading Push forward: 10 ways to end violence against women

Fernanda Rotondo is an Argentinian feminist, LGBTIQ+ and human rights activist, and writer and photographer. She is also the Gender and Human Rights Coordinator for the organization ANDHES (Lawyers in Human Rights and Social Studies in the Argentinean Northeast). In the face of inconsistent national policies and protections, Fernanda is fighting to advance the human… Continue reading Pushing forward: Dismantling anti-LGBTIQ+ discrimination in Argentina

To ensure that women and girls receive the support they need in times of crisis, says Fouzia Yasmin, Senior Manager at Pakistani mental health organization Rozan, “relief support programmes need to be designed to address the vulnerabilities of women and girls during disasters”.   Stepping up for women and girls during the flood crisis in… Continue reading Stepping up for women and girls during the flood crisis in Pakistan

Marwa Azelmat is a digital rights expert and lead policy advocate for the Association for Progressive Communications. She is also an activist involved with women’s rights movements and organizations around the world. At the intersection of these issues, Marwa is facing off against a central barrier to progress on both: online violence against women and… Continue reading Pushing forward: Preventing violence against women in online spaces

But none of this is accidental. They are achievements directly supported by gender statistics—including disaggregated and localized data on violence against women (VAW). The rapid gender assessment on violence against women (VAW) during COVID-19, rolled out nationally by UN Women in 2021, found that 63 per cent of surveyed women said they or someone they know… Continue reading Driving data-based progress on violence response and prevention in Colombia

“This is our new family business. Each loaf of bread is made with lots of love because each of us contributes to making it delicious,” enthuses 38-year-old Gulnaz Almambet kyzy, a new business owner who received Spotlight Initiative-supported gender equality training implemented by UN Women in Kyrgyzstan. Changing social norms to end violence against women… Continue reading Changing social norms to end violence against women and girls in Kyrgyzstan

“As a male champion, I strive for gender inclusiveness and making gender parity a priority,” says local government Community Development Officer, Wilfred Nyeko. “Being a male champion means reporting forms of abuse, acting as a source of change and inspiration for men, and being a role model for mindset change. It also means advocating for… Continue reading How male champions are helping to end gender-based violence in Uganda

Hrystyna Kit is a Ukrainian women right’s advocate, jurist and attorney. She is also the co-founder of the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association JurFem, which focuses on increasing gender sensitivity within the legal community and Ukrainian legislation as well as improving survivors’ access to justice. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues into its ninth month, she’s… Continue reading Pushing forward: Ending conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine

Malalay* is an Afghan lawyer and activist working to support and restore the rights of women and girls affected by family and social violence in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s takeover last August, her work has gotten significantly more difficult—and more dangerous. Pushing forward: Resisting systemic violence in Afghanistan Malalay* is an Afghan lawyer and activist… Continue reading Pushing forward: Resisting systemic violence in Afghanistan

Hanna Lemma is a women’s rights advocate and feminist researcher from Ethiopia. She is also the founder and director of Addis Powerhouse, a young women-led feminist knowledge production platform that conducts gender research and works to ensure young women’s meaningful representation in Ethiopian politics and society. In the wake of civil war, Hanna is fighting… Continue reading Pushing forward: Countering anti-feminist backlash in Ethiopia

Women face greater demands to care for their families because of social and gender norms, and these demands increase during and after climate disasters. Women spend more time than men gathering household fuel and water and face more barriers in accessing information and resources to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. And they… Continue reading Op-ed: Ramp up investment to support Asia-Pacific women to overcome climate disasters

Media advisory: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing conflicts, crises, and emergencies have intensified all forms of violence against women and girls. Furthermore, the pushback on women’s rights has resulted in a shrinking space for civil society and a rise in attacks against women… Continue reading Media advisory: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

WHO’s updated landmark Family Planning Handbook, launched on Tuesday, informs health workers on protecting access to family planning services during emergencies, and provides policy makers with the most current information on contraceptive options.  “Family planning promotes self-actualization, empowerment, as well as health and wellbeing, and reduces maternal and infant deaths through the prevention of unintended… Continue reading Updated family planning guide promotes empowerment, health and wellbeing – WHO 

Speech: Focus on gender equality as central to climate action with concrete solutions فخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي، رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية صاحبات وأصحاب المعالي و السعادة السيدات والسادة، شكراً جزيلا لمصر علي الاستضافة الكريمة للدورة الـ27 لمؤتمر الأطراف الخاص باتفاقية الأمم المتحدة الإطارية حول تغير المناخ ، وعلي تخصيص مساحة قيمة من الوقت لمناقشة… Continue reading Speech: Focus on gender equality as central to climate action with concrete solutions

Bali, Indonesia — In the midst of interlinked crises around the world threatening progress on women’s rights and pushing women out of the paid economy, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway has today called for women to be at the heart of economic growth and recovery. Press release: UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway calls on… Continue reading Press release: UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway calls on leaders of the business community worldwide to put women at the heart of economic growth

Op-ed: Three asks on gender equality to COP27 Our opportunity at COP27 [the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC] is to recognize and augment how women and girls are bringing innovative climate actions and other solutions, to understand how our current structures are preventing women’s engagement, and to respond with credible policy and… Continue reading Op-ed: Three asks on gender equality to COP27

UN Women has today announced the launch of its first-ever National Committee in Spain to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Spain is now the thirteenth country to have a UN Women National Committee, joining others such as Germany, the United States, and Japan. Press release: UN Women launches first-ever National… Continue reading Press release: UN Women launches first-ever National Committee in Spain

Op-ed: Unlocking the full potential of women Nearly halfway to the 2030 endpoint for the SDGs, it is time to turn our interconnectedness into solidarity in shaping our responses and invest intentionally—and better—in women and girls. Currently, despite progress, only 26 per cent of countries have a comprehensive system to track gender budget allocations. Recent… Continue reading Op-ed: Unlocking the full potential of women

Zahra Nader is an Afghan Canadian journalist and editor-in-chief of Zan Times, a newly launched media outlet that covers human rights in Afghanistan with a focus on women, the LGBT community and environmental issues. Born in Afghanistan, she is from the Hazara community, an ethnic group that faces marginalization and violence. She began her journalism career… Continue reading Afghan journalist Zahra Nader: Creating a platform for Afghan women’s voices to be heard

Participants at the UN Women-organized outreach event “Strengthening Women’s Participation and Influence in Peace Processes in the MENA Region,” held on 29 June 2022, in Amman, Jordan. Photo: UN Women/Alaa .I Atawneh Around the world, persistent conflict is exacerbating social and gender inequalities and is hindering the progress of countries struggling to recover from the… Continue reading Women’s meaningful participation in peace processes builds lasting peace

A scene from the 20 September 2019 demonstration in downtown New York as part of the youth-lead global #ClimateStrike. Photo: UN Women/Amanda Voisard The 27th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—otherwise known as COP 27—opens Sunday, 6 November 2022. Hosted by the Government of Egypt in… Continue reading In focus: COP 27

One year ago, UN Women found itself at a moment of change with the imminent start of a new Strategic Plan and the arrival of a new Executive Director. In the time since, the world’s women and girls have faced multiple compounding crises: the persisting impacts of COVID-19, a raging climate crisis and seemingly intractable violent… Continue reading UN Women at a time of change

The Taliban takeover of Kabul on 15 August 2021 erased years of hard-won progress towards national peace and security. In the year since, the regime has systematically erased women from Afghan society, too: mandating face coverings in public, excluding women from most jobs, banning girls from high school and dismantling all institutions that protected and… Continue reading No peace without women: Afghan activists on why women’s representation matters

The 2018 national survey on violence against women in Albania revealed that 82.9 per cent of incidents of sexual harassment occurred in public spaces, and 42.3 per cent occurred in schools. Women reported that more than half (51.2 per cent) of these incidents were perpetrated by friends or acquaintances and 32.6 per cent were perpetrated… Continue reading Empowering students in Albanian schools through self-defense training

Amid protests sparked by the death in custody last month of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by so-called “morality police”, Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman, told journalists in New York that since then, many in the UN human rights sphere had made “very strong calls for independent, impartial investigations”, with no response from Iran, other than escalation.… Continue reading Time for ‘concrete action’ by international community to hold Iran’s security forces to account

Across Kenya, local conflicts driven by diverse factors have one thing in common: they’re increasingly being mediated by women. From ethnic tensions to land disputes, some of these conflicts stretch back decades; remaining unresolved despite the lasting instability and violence they create among communities. So women are stepping up to end longstanding strife through local… Continue reading Kenyan women lead peace efforts in longstanding conflicts

24 October 2022Women Cities have an in-built bias against women, who overwhelmingly describe them as unsafe and unwelcoming. A UN report released on Monday, calls for a complete overhaul of city design, and for women to be more closely involved in urban planning. Even though they make up half the population, women and girls get… Continue reading Making cities safer for women: UN report calls for radical rethink

For much of its 76-year history, the Security Council barely heard from women. Most of the diplomats and policymakers seated there were men. From 1990–2022, a mere 8 per cent of its Permanent Representatives were women, and more than a third of them were appointed only in the last four years. In total, only 26… Continue reading Women at the UN Security Council: a sea change in numbers

A selfie moment with emerging young leaders, beneficiaries of a UN Women programme on young women’s leadership in the HIV response. Photo: UN Women/Rashid Hamis Kindamba UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous conducted a four-day mission in Tanzania, where she met with government officials, civil society groups, and partners,  to strengthen partnerships, ignite public discourse… Continue reading UN Women Executive Director visits Tanzania, calls for investment in women and girls

The Peace Agreement in Colombia, signed in 2016 between the Government and the guerilla group FARC-EP, put an end to the longest war in Latin America.  Six years later, more than 13,000 ex-combatants—a third of which are women—continue to face daily challenges resulting from their reintegration into civil life. The country’s new government has generated… Continue reading The reintegration of former guerrilla female fighters, a key piece in the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia

The Deputy Secretary-General has already made clear the linkages between the challenges we face.  The retreat from and pushback against the rights of women and girls aggravates those challenges while depriving us of the most powerful solutions.  The Secretary-General’s report describes how the Women, Peace and Security Agenda has been driven back. It details crucial… Continue reading Statement: Making choices to place women at the heart of our agenda

New York — Against a backdrop of increasing violent conflicts and reversal of generational gains in women’s rights, the women, peace and security agenda is farther from achieving its goals than ever before, as the latest UN Secretary-General report shows. The report points out that the sharp deterioration in peace and security globally is causing… Continue reading Press release: Amidst increase in violent conflict, the situation for women, peace and security worsens, new UN report shows

Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, 2015. A woman crafts a mosaic depicting a peace dove. UN Women provides economic empowerment and protection programming for women and girls in the camp. Photo: UN Women/Christopher Herwig On 20 October, 2022, the UN Security Council will convene for the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security. Guided by… Continue reading In focus: Women, peace and security

Anastasia Perepylytsia, 44, is no stranger to displacement. In 2014, she had a stable job in finance and lived a normal life together with her husband and two children in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. But when the Russian army invaded her hometown, she had to flee with her family to Zaporizhzhia, a city situated on the… Continue reading In the words of Anastasia Perepylytsia: “Women are half of the population, whose opinions and needs must be taken into account.”

For over a decade, Syria’s protracted conflict has taken countless lives, displaced millions in and outside the country and left much of its infrastructure in tatters. International mediation efforts to end the conflict have largely stalled, in part because the local dynamics that help fuel the crisis are often overlooked by formal mediators. This makes… Continue reading How Syrian women navigate security risks to mediate local conflicts

18 October 2022Health A new UN report shows that women’s and children’s health has suffered globally, as the impacts of conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change converge, with devastating effects on prospects for children, young people and women. Data presented in the report show a clear and critical regression across virtually every major measure… Continue reading Global health: Women and children pay heaviest price for ‘gaping inequities’

In Building Forward Fairer: Women’s rights to work and at work at the core of the COVID-19 recovery, the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights that between 2019 and 2020, women’s employment declined by 4.2 per cent globally, representing 54 million jobs, while men suffered a three per cent decline, or 60 million jobs.  This means that there will be 13 million fewer women in employment this year… Continue reading Fewer women than men will regain work during COVID-19 recovery: ILO 

Voices from Sudan 2020, published this week, is the first-ever nationwide qualitative assessment of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country, where a transitional government is now in its second year.  Addressing the issue is a critical priority, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government’s Combating Violence against Women Unit (CVAW), co-authors of… Continue reading Domestic violence, forced marriage, have risen in Sudan: UN-backed study

In the Sinawe Thuthuzela Care Centre, located in the small town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape Province, Lerato*, a 20-year-old first-year student at the local university, bends forward on her chair, her head fixed to the floor. She looks sad, tired and dejected, avoiding any eye contact. Dressed in a pink tank top and fading jeans… Continue reading ‘We are with you’: The South African care centres providing hope for survivors of sexual violence

Close to $40 billion was pledged in new investments, as well as ambitious policy and programme commitments from governments, civil society and others, to help fuel a new global five-year action plan to accelerate true gender parity, by 2026.   “The Generation Equality Forum marks a positive, historic shift in power and perspective”, said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.  The Forum has been held at a critical moment, as the world assesses the disproportionate and damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls.  Gender… Continue reading Landmark gender equality forum concludes with concrete commitments, plan to advance parity by 2026 

“Gender equality is essentially about power, and power in a world that is still largely male dominated, with a culture that is still largely patriarchal”, Secretary-General António Guterres said at the Generation Equality Forum, launching a “five-year action journey”, based on the UN Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality.  Noting that “power is very rarely given. You have to take it”, he stressed as one of… Continue reading Women must no longer be ‘squeezed into a small corner’, landmark Forum declares 

On Wednesday, leaders from around the world will gather in Paris and online, in a massive push for gender equality.  The Forum is a landmark event convened by UN Women, and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, in partnership with youth and civil society, to accelerate gender equality.  In the early months of the pandemic, the… Continue reading Generation Equality: Alongside COVID lies an ‘equally horrific pandemic’ threatening women

From politics to security, the peace process to the economy, Deborah Lyons, Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said the “possible slide toward dire scenarios is undeniable”.  “The relentless spirit of the Afghans and their incredible resilience is being severely tested”, she said, reminding that what happens there is “of global consequence”, and the Security Council needed to be fully aware of the gravity of the situation.   Unfolding reality  She described… Continue reading Time running out to prevent ‘worst case scenario’ arising in Afghanistan

5 June 2021Economic Development A Ugandan woman entrepreneur who was left with just a wheelbarrow and a red dress, when a business partner ran off with all her money has been recognized with an award by the UN trade agency (UNCTAD) after she grew her company into a nationwide enterprise with five million customers. Julian… Continue reading First Person: Raising a glass to ‘Mama Cheers’

16 October 2022Women In Mozambique, more than 20 per cent of girls aged between 13 and 17 have been married or live with someone as if they were married. Women’s support groups are putting thousands of them on the road to financial independence, making them less vulnerable to gender-based violence. Teresa Gala is a 44-year-old… Continue reading A new, financially independent life for former child brides in Mozambique

The cost-of-living crisis facing the world is putting women’s livelihoods, health and wellbeing at risk and jeopardizing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Propelled by disruptions in supplies of oil, gas and staple food commodities linked to the war in Ukraine and the intensifying climate emergency, food, fuel and fertilizer prices have skyrocketed. Women and… Continue reading Statement: Rural women confronting the global cost-of-living crisis

Mariam Ntungu, a woman farmer from Singida’s Ikungi district in central Tanzania, spent decades cultivating the small piece of land behind her home and had resigned herself to yielding only enough to sustain her family.“If we got lucky, we had a little extra to sell and give our children some meat or eggs that week,… Continue reading Climate-smart agricultural practices deliver life-changing benefits for women farmers in Tanzania

71 million people in the developing world have fallen into poverty in just three months as a direct consequence of global food and energy price surges. The impact on poverty rates is drastically faster than the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current cost-of-living crisis is expected to hit women the hardest, with persistent pay… Continue reading Three challenges for rural women amid a cost-of-living crisis

But amid the violence and volatility, staffers from the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, are doing their utmost to protect girls from unintended pregnancy and saving the lives of women trying to give birth in the most difficult circumstances. A gang-led blockade at the country’s principal fuel terminal in the capital Port au… Continue reading Haiti: ‘Bearers of hope’, saving newborn lives, amid growing turmoil

Press release: Inter-generational collective of African women leaders champion young women’s role in global HIV response His Excellency Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa, Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, delivered the keynote address. Participants joined in-person and online from 15 African countries where girls and young women experience disproportionately high rates of new HIV infections.… Continue reading Press release: Inter-generational collective of African women leaders champion young women’s role in global HIV response

We know from decades of research that when girls and women are educated, we see faster poverty reduction, better maternal health, lower child mortality, greater HIV prevention and reduced violence. Each additional year a girl spends in school can also boost her earnings as an adult by up to 20 per cent. Leaving no girl behind… Continue reading Leaving no girl behind in education

The sounds of laughter, singing and clapping emanate from a small event space deep in Mamelodi township on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa. Inside, a group of girls are excitedly preparing to begin a group dialogue session. The participants, whose ages range from 15 to 25, have been brought together by their desire for… Continue reading In South Africa, girls join forces to overcome adversity and drive change

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl, an occasion devoted to celebrating the girls and young women driving change around the world. From fighting against bias and discrimination to advocating for climate action, girls are at the forefront of some of the biggest battles of our time—pushing to make… Continue reading Through Generation Equality, young activists hold the world accountable

“When girls are supported to realize their human rights, they can reach their potential and create a better world for themselves, their communities and societies”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message. He pointed out that when they can be in school, “they are more likely to lead healthy, productive and fulfilling lives”. When girls… Continue reading ‘Investing in girls is investing in our common future’: UN chief

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child, a day dedicated to celebrating adolescent girl leaders, in all their diversity. This year’s theme, “Our time is now – our rights, our future”, reflects their tenacity to drive change as transformative feminist leaders—right now. Statement: Girls – leading from the front for… Continue reading Statement: Girls – leading from the front for their future

Secretary-General António Guterres drew attention on Saturday, the International Day of Older Persons, to the “resilience of the more than one billion older women and men” in a rapidly changing world.  

Confined to their homes, excluded from work, murdered in classrooms—this is what faces Afghan women and girls. With inequality imposed everywhere, nowhere is safe. Friday’s suicide attack in Kabul killed or wounded many students who were simply taking an exam. The majority were young women.   Education is a fundamental human right and a driving force… Continue reading Statement: Protect the rights of all Afghans

“The past years have witnessed dramatic upheavals – and older people often found themselves at the epicenter of crises,” he said in a video message, adding that they are vulnerable to “a range of challenges”, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the worsening climate crisis, proliferating conflicts, and growing poverty.  “Yet in the face of these threats,… Continue reading On International Day of Older Persons, UN chief highlights their ‘remarkable resilience’  

“The past years have witnessed dramatic upheavals – and older people often found themselves at the epicenter of crises,” he said in a video message, adding that they are vulnerable to “a range of challenges”, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the worsening climate crisis, proliferating conflicts, and growing poverty.  “Yet in the face of these threats,… Continue reading On International Day of Older Persons, UN chief highlights their ‘remarkable resilience’  

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous delivers remarks at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security in Abu Dhabi on 8 September 2022. Photo: UN Women/Saroj Khadka  UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous carried out a two day mission in the United Arab Emirates, where she delivered opening remarks at the Women, Peace and… Continue reading In the United Arab Emirates, UN Women Executive Director calls for increasing women’s leadership in global peace and security and climate action

The first Generation Equality Accountability Moment demonstrates initial progress and high aspirations for the road ahead Foreign Affairs Minister of the Government of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard; UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous; and Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Government of France, Catherine Colonna in the Generation Equality Accountability Moment. Photo: UN Women/Miguel… Continue reading The first Generation Equality Accountability Moment demonstrates initial progress and high aspirations for the road ahead

In recent days Iran has seen deep public unrest, with demonstrations and protests taking place in some 80 cities, triggered by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained by authorities in Tehran on 13 September and died, while in custody, three days later. UN Women stands with the women of Iran in their rightful demands… Continue reading UN Women statement on women’s rights in Iran

Opening statement by Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, on ‘Embracing the principle of co-responsibility in care and domestic work’ at the High-level Panel in the context of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly Speech: Re-calibrating our global conversation on care Today’s dialogue is most timely.  The Care… Continue reading Speech: Re-calibrating our global conversation on care

Speech: Taking stronger action to keep the promises of Generation Equality As we gather today—just over a year since the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico City and Paris—I am here to tell you that we must take stronger action to ensure that the promises of Generation Equality are kept. As Executive Director of UN Women,… Continue reading Speech: Taking stronger action to keep the promises of Generation Equality

UN Women is deeply concerned and saddened by the death of Mahsa Amini, in Iran, at the age of 22.  We convey our heartfelt sympathies to her family. UN Women statement on the death of Mahsa Amini The death of any young person, any young woman, is a tragedy beyond measure. The circumstances surrounding this… Continue reading UN Women statement on the death of Mahsa Amini

A new UN policy paper, published as the UN Security Council meets on Ukraine, reveals how the war and its global impacts on food, energy, and finance are affecting women and girls disproportionately, both inside Ukraine and globally. From the school-aged girls who are at risk of being obliged to drop out to get married… Continue reading Press release: New UN policy paper shows the devastating impacts of the Ukraine war on women and girls

The war in Ukraine is now in its seventh month. The fallout—humanitarian, economic and environmental—continues to grow. Its costs are being felt not only within Ukraine but around the world as well, where they are in turn compounding other conflicts and emergencies.   In a new brief, UN Women explores the interrelated crises being driven… Continue reading Ukraine and the food and fuel crisis: 4 things to know

A new UN report reveals how the Ukraine war and its global impacts on food, energy, and finance are affecting women and girls disproportionately, both inside the country and around the world. The policy paper developed by gender agency UN Women and the Secretary-General’s Global Crisis Response Group, describes how the war has widened gender… Continue reading Ukraine war-induced crisis affecting women and girls disproportionately: UN report

Speech: Shaping a more inclusive digital transformation with SDG 5 at the core A very warm welcome to today’s event. It is an honour to be here, with an inspiring line up of leaders to launch a ground-breaking year of action on the intersection of gender and technological change. Today’s shifting power dynamics and the… Continue reading Speech: Shaping a more inclusive digital transformation with SDG 5 at the core

New York — Against a global backdrop of receding rights for women and girls, as well as collective crises like climate change, conflict, and natural disasters, the HeForShe Summit gathered political, business, global development and social justice leaders to review progress on gender equality across countries, companies and communities. While UN Women recently reported that,… Continue reading Press release: Calling on all men to act now to drive action on gender equality, world leaders gather to accelerate progress at UN Women’s HeForShe Summit

[As delivered] UN Women and DESA´s recently launched SDG Gender Snapshot tells us that it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality and the realization of women’s rights. I don’t think that any one of us here today would like to wait 300 years. So we must continue to drive forward. Speech:… Continue reading Speech: Let’s recommit to male allyship for concerted, inclusive action

Opening remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, for the meeting of the UN General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders: “Transformative Solutions by Women Leaders to Today’s Interlinked Challenges”  Speech: Women leaders—decisive, effective and inclusive [As delivered.] On behalf of UN Women, it is my honour and… Continue reading Speech: Women leaders—decisive, effective and inclusive

New York — Women Heads of State and Government met today on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week to discuss global issues in the newly created UNGA Platform of Women Leaders. The event, under the theme of “Transformative solutions by women leaders to today’s interlinked challenges”, highlights that women’s full… Continue reading Press release: New Platform of Women Leaders meets at UN General Assembly

The newly established UNGA Platform of Women leaders held an event where they discussed global issues under the theme of Transformative Solutions by Women Leaders to Today’s Interlinked Challenges.  In attendance were President Katalin Novák of Hungary, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa of Samoa,… Continue reading New platform highlights women’s leadership in tackling global challenges

Closing Remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, for Transforming Education Summit (TES) Leaders Day—Spotlight session “Advancing gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment in and through education” Speech: Transform education—transform gender equality [As delivered.] We can all agree that education is a fundamental right. Yet, as… Continue reading Speech: Transform education—transform gender equality

Almost one in five women will experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or in the year after the birth, the UN health agency said on Monday, launching new recommendations for health authorities worldwide, to help improve women’s lives. Life-altering moments like pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood can be stressful for women and their partners,… Continue reading New UN guide helps support perinatal mental healthcare in ‘stigma-free’ environment

First published in The State of Broadband 2022 Online and ICT-facilitated violence against women and girls is evolving and expanding, including sexual harassment, stalking, and zoom bombing[i]. Innovations, including virtual reality and the metaverse, are creating new digital spaces for misogyny and sexual violence.  Those relying on an online presence for their work, including women… Continue reading Expanding broadband safely and inclusively to reach digital gender equality

In Africa, women leaders and entrepreneurs have already proved in so many different ways to be really unstoppable in terms of how much progress they are driving and the inspiration they are giving to us all throughout the world. Speech: Breaking remaining barriers for women and girls in Africa We see that there are five… Continue reading Speech: Breaking remaining barriers for women and girls in Africa

The 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77) runs from Tuesday, 13 September to Friday, 23 September 2022, with the high level debate opening on Tuesday, 20 September. This year’s theme, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”, acknowledges the shared roots of crises such as COVID-19, climate change and conflict—and… Continue reading In focus: 77th Session of the UN General Assembly

Speech: Working together for the world’s women and girls We discussed this morning our work in Africa. I want to reiterate that Africa remains a priority region for me and for UN Women. My colleagues shared, and we discussed, that it is a region not only of some of the greatest challenges for our mandate,… Continue reading Speech: Working together for the world’s women and girls

Let me start by warmly congratulating H.E. Ambassador Mohammed Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, on his election as President of UN Women’s Executive Board. We look forward to working with you, Your Excellency, in the remainder of 2022, and count on your support for our important work at this session and in the months… Continue reading Speech: Living up to our crucial mandate

The high-level week of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly will feature a meeting of the UNGA Platform of Women Leaders. This year’s theme is “Transformative Solutions by Women Leaders to Today’s Interlinked Challenges”. Women Heads of State and Government will be invited to share experiences executing decisive and inclusive leadership and… Continue reading Media Advisory: Meeting of the UNGA Platform of Women Leaders

New York — At the current rate of progress, it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality, the “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): The Gender Snapshot 2022” shows. Global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, violent conflict, climate change, and the backlash against women’s sexual and… Continue reading Press release: Achieving full gender equality is still centuries away, warns the United Nations in a new report

Achieving full gender equality, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), could take close to 300 years if the current rate of progress continues, according to a report published on Wednesday by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The study reveals how gender disparities are worsening in… Continue reading Without investment, gender equality will take nearly 300 years: UN report

Activists, social leaders, organizations, women and men shout slogans against gender-based violence during the “Vivas nos Queremos” protest in Quito, Ecuador. Photo: UN Women/Johis Alarcon In 2015, recognizing the global nature of challenges  like poverty, inequality and climate change, UN Member states universally adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Resolving to meet these matters head… Continue reading Explainer: Sustainable Development Goal Five

When crises hit, not everyone is affected quite the same way. Crises intersect with and exacerbate existing inequalities. Challenges of climate change and its disproportionate impacts on women have been compounded by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and cost-of-living crisis. All of these have had a crippling effect on achieving the Sustainable Development… Continue reading It will take 22 years to close SDG gender data gaps

(Note: The report is under embargo until 7 September 2022, 12.00 EDT) At the current rate of progress and in light of multiple global crises, it may take centuries to achieve full gender equality, according to the “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2022”, a new report produced jointly by UN Women… Continue reading Media advisory: How equal is our world? Latest UN report to reveal the state of gender equality globally

The UN Women Executive Board will convene for its second regular session from Tuesday 13 to Wednesday 14 September 2022 in person at United Nations Headquarters in New York. UN Women Executive Board to convene second regular session 2022 The session will begin on Tuesday 13 September at 10am EDT with the election by acclamation of… Continue reading UN Women Executive Board to convene second regular session 2022

Hundreds gather in Janakpur, Nepal in December 2019 to take part in a Women’s March. Photo: UN Women/Uma Bista The Sustainable Development Agenda, adopted by UN Member States in 2015, set a 2030 deadline for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Now, with under 10 years left to… Continue reading In focus: Sustainable Development Goal 5

19 August is World Humanitarian Day, an opportunity to honour the humanitarian community and the life-saving work they perform every day. This year’s theme, “it takes a village”, recognizes the importance of collective action in delivering humanitarian assistance—by professionals and volunteers, but also by crisis-affected people themselves. When crises occur, women and girls disproportionately bear… Continue reading In Uganda, refugee women’s leadership drives inclusive humanitarian action

Zarina* is a young Afghan woman entrepreneur. Her drive for innovating, and passion for baking made her one of Afghanistan’s youngest entrepreneurs. Her business is still running, but her clients are scarce and her plans for expansion across the country had to be shut down. “I told myself that I should travel to Kabul and… Continue reading First Person: Heartbroken but hopeful, under Taliban rule in Afghanistan

On World Humanitarian Day, as humanitarian needs globally have reached an all-time high, we salute and honour humanitarians’ life-saving work.  They save and protect lives and ensure access to essential resources including food, shelter and health services in the toughest locations for the 305.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide.  Statement: In solidarity,… Continue reading Statement: In solidarity, we honour the global humanitarian community

“She consistently called attention to the importance of addressing the needs of women, and of involving women directly in making and carrying out development policy, which she believed was particularly important for population policies and programmes,” UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on behalf of the UN chief. A native of Pakistan, she served as… Continue reading UN HIV/AIDS advocate and ‘proud champion’ of women dies at 92

On 15 August 2021, I was in Afghanistan, in my office. I witnessed everything from the minute it happened. The first nights and days were especially horrible. Afghanistan was turning into chaos—people were running everywhere; offices were closing. It was all happening in front of my eyes: in 24 hours a democracy we worked for… Continue reading In the words of Mahbouba Seraj: “We are the hope, we are the power keeping Afghanistan together”.

In focus: Women in Afghanistan one year after the Taliban takeover Decades of progress on gender equality and women’s rights have been wiped out in mere months. We must continue to act together, united in our insistence on guarantees of respect for the full spectrum of women’s rights.” Read the complete statement. Stripped of their… Continue reading In focus: Women in Afghanistan one year after the Taliban takeover

Najiba*, 45, is a mother, former university lecturer and counsellor who helps women heal from trauma in Afghanistan. Despite threats and restrictions on her freedom to move, she continues to enable women to learn and heal. In the words of Najiba*: “Women need women to support each other”. I have helped women survivors of violence… Continue reading In the words of Najiba*: “Women need women to support each other”.

Zarina*, 28, is a young Afghan woman entrepreneur. Her drive for innovating and passion for baking made her one of Afghanistan’s youngest entrepreneurs. Her business is still running, but her clients are scarce and her plans for expansion across the country had to be shut down. In the words of Zarina*: “I am heartbroken, but… Continue reading In the words of Zarina*: “I am heartbroken, but hopeful”.

Nasima*, 36, is a peacebuilder and a women’s rights activists. She has been living in Afghanistan all her life. After 15 August 2021, she continued to work in Afghanistan in what would soon become one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. In the words of Nasima*: “I realized Afghan women were still fighting. And… Continue reading In the words of Nasima*: “I realized Afghan women were still fighting. And I chose to be one of them”.

“Shortly before the Taliban takeover in 2021, I visited an orphanage in Kunduz, a city in the north of Afghanistan. I was heartbroken when I spoke with a young girl there who had lost her entire family the day before, following intense fighting between the Afghan National Security Forces and the Taliban. Although she was… Continue reading ‘We can’t turn our backs on Afghanistan’s future’: A Resident Coordinator Blog

In the year that has passed since the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, we have seen daily and continuous deterioration in the situation of Afghan women and girls. This has spanned every aspect of their human rights, from living standards to social and political status. It has been a year of increasing disrespect for their right… Continue reading Statement: ‘Meticulously constructed policies of inequality’ – Afghanistan one year on

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous conducted a three-day mission in Colombia, where she met with government officials, civil society groups, and partners. The purpose of the mission was to build on momentum and galvanize action for women’s leadership and gender equality across Colombia.  In Colombia, UN Women Executive Director galvanizes action for women’s leadership… Continue reading In Colombia, UN Women Executive Director galvanizes action for women’s leadership and gender equality

Youth and adolescents are leading global movements for change, bringing renewed energy and opportunities for achieving a more equal world for all. Generation Equality is building on this momentum by uplifting the leadership and contributions of the new generation in the fight for gender equality and bringing them together in partnership with advocates and visionaries… Continue reading Youth leadership and intergenerational partnership: The driving force of Generation Equality

Ageism is an issue of inequality, discrimination, and injustice. Without tackling it, we will not achieve gender equality by 2030. Ageism impacts everyone—young and old. Prejudices surrounding age are widespread and unchallenged—in our attitudes, beliefs, policies, and societies—and create a formidable barrier to young women’s full participation in their communities. Negative stereotypes can exacerbate harmful… Continue reading Statement: Intergenerational solidarity – Creating a world for all ages

Rosa Quispe Huanca is an Aymara singer and participant in UN Women’s Originarias Programme in Chile, one of the aims of which is to promote indigenous women’s businesses and projects developed in coordination with indigenous organizations, as well as public and private institutions. The programme also promotes the integration of indigenous women into the ecosystem of economic… Continue reading Rosa Quispe Huanca: Ambassador of Aymara music, defender of her language and traditions

(Bogota, 8 August) — UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous is on a three-day mission in Colombia, where she is meeting with government officials, civil society groups, and partners. The purpose of the mission is to build on momentum and galvanize action for women’s leadership and gender equality across Colombia.  Media advisory: UN Women Executive… Continue reading Media advisory: UN Women Executive Director, in Colombia, calls for a new era of gender equality

The preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge is the theme of this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It is an opportunity to celebrate indigenous women’s rich knowledge about the natural world, health, technologies, distinct rites and rituals, and other significant cultural expressions. Generation after generation, women pass on this… Continue reading Statement: Indigenous women play a vital role in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge

Approximately a quarter of the world’s population, two billion people, are currently living in conflict areas, in highly unsettled conditions that create vulnerabilities and risks of trafficking for women and girls. Recent research has revealed that human trafficking was present in 90 per cent of the 171 wars and conflicts that took place between 1989… Continue reading Statement: Crises drive an increase in human trafficking – Here’s how we stop it

Over the past 11 months, we have seen an escalation of restrictive policies and behaviours towards women. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from going to high school. Women are restricted from working outside the home, except for a few sectors and particular roles. There are no women in… Continue reading Press briefing: The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan

Breadcrumb Home News And Story Announcement 21 July 2022 Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to E-mail UN Women and Ant Foundation, a private charitable foundation established by global technology provider Ant Group, jointly announced the launch of “Together Digital”, a five-year partnership to support women-led micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises… Continue reading UN Women and Ant Foundation launch ‘Together Digital’ to empower women entrepreneurs in the digital economy

Lebanon’s women-led cooperatives are helping communities to cope with the country’ recent wave of crises: the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial crisis, and the notorious August 2021 Beirut Port Explosion. Al Atayeb (The Delicacies), a Lebanese women-led cooperative based in Kfardebian town, north of Beirut, specializes in producing Lebanese local and traditional food, such as citrus… Continue reading Women working together, to survive Lebanon’s economic crisis

“A blue dress, black tights and boots. That’s what I was wearing,” said Jessica Long, a sexual violence survivor who has been campaigning for the rights of survivors, for the past six years. “That’s what I was wearing the night I was drugged. I was raped. And I was left alone to die”.  This and… Continue reading ‘I will never stop telling my story’: Confronting victim-blaming for sexual assault 

The gender pay gap in the health and care sector: a global analysis in the time of COVID-19, was published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).   It documents a raw gender pay gap of roughly 20 percentage points which jumps to 24 percentage points when factors such as… Continue reading More women work in health and care but they earn 24 per cent less than men: UN report

The thematic review of SDG5 was clear. We have to do things differently. We have to scale up investment in gender equality. We must promote and support women’s health, education, and leadership. We must ensure that women are able to access financing and resources. Forty-four countries have or will be presenting their voluntary national reviews… Continue reading Speech: Our ability to fulfil the SDG’s promises depends on our decision to put women and girls at the centre

Nearly a third of all women in developing countries, start having children at the age of 19 or younger, and nearly half of first births to adolescents, are to children or girls aged 17 or under, new research released on Tuesday by UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, reveals.  While total fertility across the… Continue reading ‘World is failing adolescent girls’ warns UNFPA chief, as report shows third of women in developing countries give birth in teen years

One year ago, the Generation Equality Forum brought together leaders from governments, civil society, youth and the private sector to take bold global action on gender equality, marking the start of an ambitious 5-year journey convened by UN Women. One year driving action for gender equality. One year of Generation Equality. Since the Forum, convened… Continue reading One year driving action for gender equality. One year of Generation Equality.

One year from the Generation Equality Forum: where are we now? Since the Forum, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the Governments of France and Mexico, countries and partners have already initiated implementation of commitments made through six Action Coalitions, and a series of global, innovative, multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender equality., In addition, signatories… Continue reading One year from the Generation Equality Forum: where are we now?

Saleha Begum, 45, in Patarkhola village of Ramzan Nagar union at Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira, stands near some of the remaining damage after the roof of her home was torn off by Cyclone Amphan in 2020. She received cash support from UN Women following the cyclone, which compounded the hardships already wrought by the COVID-19… Continue reading In the aftermath of crisis, rural Bangladeshi women pursue economic security

Reproductive rights are integral to women’s rights, a fact that is upheld by international agreements and reflected in law in different parts of the world. Statement: Reproductive rights are women’s rights and human rights To be able to exercise their human rights and make essential decisions, women need to be able to decide freely and… Continue reading Statement: Reproductive rights are women’s rights and human rights