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 conflict. Committed as ever to the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls worldwide, UN Women is facing a deepening range of challenges.
UN Women at a time of change
UN Women has risen to these challenges, exemplified by work in the most difficult contexts such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia and Yemen and the rollback of women’s rights in Afghanistan, demonstrating the crucial contribution we bring to crisis response.
UN Women has stepped up as a political actor and assisted Member States in achieving the best possible outcomes from their deliberations in intergovernmental spaces.
At one of the most challenging Commissions on the Status of Women in recent years, UN Women helped place women at the heart of the climate agenda.
UN Women is delivering on priorities to strengthen internal governance, accountability and results, making the organization ever more fit for purpose in a changing world, by:
- Launching a new Transparency Portal which allows public access to results and resources information;
- Partnering with the Development Coordination Office to bolster gender capacity in countries where UN Women is not present; and
- Greatly increasing fund allocation towards strengthening capacity in the field.
All these achievements have been founded on our close relationship with the UN-Women Executive Board and its consistent guidance and support. They have aligned with and contributed to Member States’ efforts and progress toward gender equality.
This collaboration is more essential than ever since the world is off track to achieve SDG 5. In the year ahead, UN Women is committed to to do more and do so with a growing sense of urgency.
We will build on the strength of the last year and our solid foundations established through our Executive Director’s focus on efficiency and results, the dedication of our staff, the crucial support of the Board and the leadership of Member States.
We will work with all our partners to escalate results and impact for women and girls around the world, and we will continue to add value by cementing gender equality as one of the core principles of the wider UN system.
Join us.
