Category: Women

The UN agency has supported a community-based health care organization called Maedot, which has established a Maternity Waiting Home at a camp for people displaced by the ongoing conflict between Ethiopian government troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).  “They have saved my life and that of my daughter,” said Selam, the first mother… Continue reading UNFPA supports health workers delivering hope, and babies, in crisis-wracked Tigray

A Nepali peacekeeper serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was on Friday named the recipient of the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award.  Superintendent Sangya Malla with the UN mission in the country, MONUSCO, is Chief of its Police Health and Environment Unit, based in the capital, Kinshasa.  Ms. Malla, a medical professional by training, helped establish the unit, which… Continue reading Nepali Superintendent in DR Congo is UN Woman Police Officer of the Year

The delivery of reproductive health services, including safe childbirth, has been seriously impacted in Afghanistan, due to the turmoil surrounding the Taliban takeover of the country.  Najaba, 36, has experienced firsthand how the dangers of pregnancy, collided with rising insecurity, according to the UN reproductive and maternal health agency, UNFPA, which continues to provide lifesaving… Continue reading UN commits to long-term support for Afghan mothers and newborns: Najaba’s story

“Today, women’s leadership is a cause. Tomorrow, it must be the norm”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the meeting, covering landmark resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Women remain on the periphery of formal peace processes, and they’re largely excluded from rooms where decisions are made — UN chief Frontline women Having just visited the… Continue reading Women in leadership ‘must be the norm’, Security Council hears

Gender-based violence, hate speech and disinformation are being used extensively online and offline, to chill or kill women’s freedom of expression, an independent UN human rights expert told the General Assembly on Monday. Presenting her report on gender justice and free expression, Special Rapporteur on protecting freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, said that “women’s voices… Continue reading ‘Sexism and misogyny’ heightened; women’s freedoms supressed

Discussing gender equality in Jordan can lead to difficult conversations, as Balqees Shahin, a volunteer for the UN Women gender equality campaign HeforShe, has discovered. Marking International Day of The Girl Child on Monday, Ms. Shahin told UN News that online games can help young people to address gender issues. HeForShe Balqees Shahin is a… Continue reading First Person: Levelling the gender playing field in Jordan

Unresolved issues surrounding parliamentary quotas, and women’s participation in elections in Somalia were highlighted by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in the Security Council on Tuesday, with the aim of increasing their involvement in the political process. Briefing ambassadors under the Women, Peace and Security agenda, she said that her most recent trip, earlier this… Continue reading Somalia: ‘Sustained focus, investments’ needed to boost women’s political participation

Sexual abuse and exploitation allegedly carried out by World Health Organization (WHO) staff during the UN health agency’s response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “a sickening betrayal of the people we serve,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said on Tuesday.  An independent panel commissioned by WHO identified more… Continue reading DR Congo: Abuse allegations amid Ebola outbreak ‘a sickening betrayal of the people we serve’

“It is essential that the hard-won rights of Afghan women and girls are protected”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council. Women are not just half of the global population, it has been shown that their full participation in public life “enhances economic results, prompts greater investment in social protection, leads to more sustainable peace… Continue reading UNICEF’s women Goodwill Ambassadors, give voice to the voiceless

GBV includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or mental harm – or other forms of suffering, coercion and limits on personal freedoms – and has “long-term consequences on the sexual, physical and psychological health of survivors”, according to the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA). These are being driven increasingly by conflict, climate change,… Continue reading Call to action: Prevent gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies

Afghanistan’s girls and women are showing “bravery” in the face of real “fears and pressures” following the formation of the new, de facto authorities in Afghanistan,  according to a UNICEF member of staff, one of the few westerners to remain in Kabul. Following an announcement by the Taliban that boys could return to secondary school… Continue reading First Person: The ‘bravery’ of Afghanistan’s girls and women

Michelle Bachelet informed a high-level event on safeguarding 20 years of international engagement in Afghanistan, that women have been “progressively excluded from the public sphere”, prohibited from appearing without a male guardian and face increasing restrictions on their right to work. “The Ministry that once promoted women’s rights has been disbanded, and its premises taken… Continue reading Afghanistan: ‘Palpable’ fear of ‘brutal and systemic repression’ of women grows

The UN’s gender equality and empowerment organization on Thursday published a flagship feminist plan for economic recovery and transformation, which aims to learn the lessons of the past, and seize the opportunity to handle COVID-related crises better. UN Women’s Beyond COVID-19: A Feminist Plan for Sustainability and Social Justice, draws on the latest data, analysis, and input… Continue reading UN Women’s feminist roadmap tackles triple crises of jobs, care and climate 

Secretary-General António Guterres described Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan, as “a champion for women and girls”, announcing on Monday her appointment to lead the UN’s gender equality and empowerment entity, UN Women.  The UN chief said she would also champion gender equality and youth empowerment, as well as being a “keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation and inclusive governance”.  Ms. Bahous brings to the job more than 35 years of leadership experience at… Continue reading Gender equality ‘champion’ Sima Sami Bahous to lead UN Women 

With Taliban fighters continuing to gain ground in Afghanistan, the UN Secretary-General is following events “with deep concern” said the UN Spokesperson on Thursday, including the battle for Herat and Kandahar, the country’s second and third largest cities. “We are particularly concerned about the shift of fighting to urban areas, where the potential for civilian… Continue reading Afghanistan: UN chief following escalation in fighting ‘with deep concern’

Pierangela Sierra set up an e-commerce platform in Ecuador called Tipti to make shopping easier but also to save people time. Ms. Sierra spent the better part of her career working for prominent international corporations across Latin-America, becoming a renowned marketing expert. A few years ago, she decided to retire from the corporate world to… Continue reading For women in e-commerce, ‘entrepreneurship means freedom’

Some one thousand victims of human trafficking have been identified in Burundi since 2017, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Elisabeth (not her real name) is one of the lucky ones. She survived the ordeal and received assistance from IOM to return home to Burundi. She told her story for the first time… Continue reading First Person: ‘I’m not old enough to be a woman’ says trafficked teen

Farmers, especially women and indigenous people, work tirelessly to put food on our tables. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed met on Saturday women producers at a farmers’ market in Circo Massimo, Rome, ahead of the Food Systems Pre-Summit taking place next week. Dozens of stalls were set up in the vicinity of the UN event’s venue,… Continue reading Farmers the ‘lifeblood of our food systems’, deputy UN chief highlights, ahead of key summit