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In Focus
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- Invest and mobilize to end violence against women
- Women leading climate action
- Women at the forefront of peacebuilding
- Empowering rural women, ensuring food security and ending poverty
- International Day of the Girl Child
- Women refugees and migrants
- 71st UN General Assembly
- Women and sport
- Women in humanitarian action
- CSW60
- International Women's Day
- Women and the SDGs
- Financing: Why it matters for women and girls
- Engaging Men
- SIDS Conference
- MDG Momentum
- Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice
- Media contacts
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- Commission on the Status of Women
- Trust funds
- Get involved
- About us
- What we do
- Where we are
- How we work
- Partnerships
-
News
- News
- Editorial series
-
In Focus
- Invest and mobilize to end violence against women
- Women leading climate action
- Women at the forefront of peacebuilding
- Empowering rural women, ensuring food security and ending poverty
- International Day of the Girl Child
- Women refugees and migrants
- 71st UN General Assembly
- Women and sport
- Women in humanitarian action
- CSW60
- International Women's Day
- Women and the SDGs
- Financing: Why it matters for women and girls
- Engaging Men
- SIDS Conference
- MDG Momentum
- Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice
- Media contacts
- Digital library
Nicole Kidman co-hosts star-studded gala to mark 20 years of the UN Trust Fund
Luminaries, activists and artistes come together to spotlight life-changing interventions through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. Learn more
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
From 25 November to 10 December, for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UNiTE calls for action to orange the world and mobilize resources to end and prevent violence against women Learn more
From where I stand
Francesca De Antoni, a UN Volunteer and a Programme Coordinator based in UN Women’s office in Mali, speaks about ending the stigma surrounding gender-based violence. Learn more
Stepping it up towards Goal Five: More women in politics make for stronger democracies
UN Women is working with countries around the world to fulfil the shared commitment made in the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve gender parity in political, economic and public life by 2030. Learn more
- Slovenia pledges to challenge traditional norms, call on men and boys as agents of change and pursue equality by 2020 (updated)
- Germany pledges to expand support for women’s professional skills in developing countries, and require corporate boards at home to apply a 30 per cent quota for women (updated)
- Mexico commits to better coordination of national gender equality actions, scaled up measures on reproductive health (updated)
- Italy pledges new resources of up to 50 million euros will advance gender equality and women’s rights (updated)
- Jordan pledges to align national laws with international commitments and expand support to women and girls in many areas (updated)
- Thailand promises education to cultivate acceptance of gender equality, data to monitor progress, training to promote gender-responsive budgeting (updated)
- China pledges USD 10 million commitment to UN Women, assistance for other developing countries to build 100 health projects for women and children (updated)
- New Zealand commits to supporting women’s education, leadership and participation, and improving women’s safety (updated)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina pledges implementation of the Istanbul Convention (updated)
- Estonia commits to reduce the gender pay gap and protect against discrimination under first national gender equality action plan (updated)
- Armenia commits to implement a law on equal rights and opportunities and sign the Istanbul Convention (updated)
- Japan vows to boost women’s leadership and development assistance for gender equality (updated)
- Argentina pledges to break cultural barriers, end prejudice (updated)
- Denmark vows equal opportunities in education and work, and to combat domestic violence (updated)
- The United States of America to work towards a world where every woman and girl can enjoy their rights and freedoms (updated)
- Luxembourg aims for 40 per cent participation on boards and among candidates (updated)
- Cyprus commits to scale up support for gender equality rooted in a new national action plan (updated)
- Burundi commits to reinforcing gains and advancing gender equality under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (updated)
- Norway plans long-term efforts to speed up action on gender equality, including through strong laws (updated)
- Ireland vows gender equality a foreign policy priority in the push for the Sustainable Development Goals (updated)
- Latvia promises to bolster laws and support partners to fight violence (updated)
- Georgia commits to legal reforms to tighten provisions for non-discrimination, campaigns to combat early marriages (updated)
- Costa Rica plans to embrace shared caregiving, promote women’s equality in the workplace (updated)
- Sweden vows that all national policies, budgets and international aid will contribute to gender equality (updated)
- fYR Macedonia commits to provide equal opportunities to men and women, step up measures to prevent and address domestic violence
- Bolivia vows to ensure new laws are adequately implemented to achieve transformative change
- South Africa commits to equity in the workplace by 2030, reduce HIV and AIDS and end violence against women
- Slovakia commits to new targets, such as reducing the gender pay gap and increasing support services for women survivors
- Hungary commits to take action to prevent and eliminate domestic violence and sexual violence in conflict, increase employment and provide flexible day-care options for women
- Algeria commits to ongoing efforts to promote peace and tolerance and implement strategies to improve women’s status
Highlights
In Focus: Invest and mobilize to end violence against women
Impacting one in three women worldwide, violence against women and girls devastates lives, causes untold pain and incurs high economic costs. Yet, robust funding for efforts to end this violence remains woefully insufficient. For the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, from 25 November to 10 December, Orange the World and mobilize resources to end this global pandemic. More
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In focus: Women leading climate action
As world leaders attend COP 22, we highlight the importance of an inclusive environment, which puts gender equality, voice and agency of women at the centre of climate management and investments. More
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World leaders Step It Up for gender equality
More than 90 governments have made concrete commitments to overcome gender equality gaps at, and since, a historic event co-hosted by UN Women and the People’s Republic of China: the “Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: A Commitment to Action.” One year since then, momentum continues to rise as early results come in. From new laws to better policies for women and girls, commitments are turning into actions. More
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In post-hurricane Haiti, women work together to rebuild
One month since Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, women voice their needs and take an active role in recovery efforts. More
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Gender and the New Urban Agenda
At Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, UN Women advocated for and supported including women's rights at the heart of the New Urban Agenda. More
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Fast forwarding to the future we want
As UN Women turns five, the Annual Report 2015-2016 highlights our key achievements in the last year, and efforts to turn the promise of the SDGs into reality for women and girls through stepped-up partnerships with civil society, private sector, the media, and others. More
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Women and the Sustainable Development Goals
With the new global 2030 roadmap and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved by UN Member States, we take a look at how women are affected by each of the 17 proposed goals, as well as how women and girls can – and will – be key to achieving them. More
Latest news
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18/11/2016“The price of no change is unacceptable”—Executive Director
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17/11/2016Press release: Luminaries, activists and artistes come together to spotlight life-changing interventions on ending the pandemic of violence against women and girls
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16/11/2016Kazakhstan’s domestic violence crisis centres save lives, need funds
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16/11/2016Young people in Viet Nam organize to end dating violence
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16/11/2016“Help gave them hope”—Nicole Kidman
Expert's take
Anthony Ngororano, Programme Advisor and Head of the Africa Section at UN Women Headquarters who is currently serving as Representative a.i. UN Women Haiti, writes about how all of Haiti can benefit from including women and women's needs in the humanitarian response in Haiti. More
Flagship programmes
Using a human-rights-based approach focused on strengthening the voice of women and girls, UN Women has developed 12 flagship programmes that seek to remove structural barriers to gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with sustainable development. Read more
“The price of no change is unacceptable”
In her statement for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highlights effective interventions, and reiterates that the pandemic of violence against women and girls can end, but it will need commitment and investment, nationally and internationally. More
Featured video
Ending Violence against women and girls: If not you, who?
UN Women, together with all its partners, is working to support countries in the area of comprehensive laws and policies for ending violence, prevention, provision of quality essential services and improved data collection and analysis.
UN Women Watch
Women on the Move Award 2017: Nominate your champion!
Nominations are now open for the Women on the Move Award 2017. Do you know a woman who should be celebrated for their outstanding contribution to the community? The Women on the Move Awards celebrate exceptional refugee and migrant women who have done exceptional work towards women's empowerment and integration. More
UN OCHA: Displaced women and girls in Darfur are a priority
Crises are not gender neutral, and this year’s displacement crisis in Darfur is no exception. This latest emergency, triggered by conflict in the mountainous Jebel Marra region, has disproportionately affected women and girls, including the thousands taking refuge next to Tawilla, an isolated small town in North Darfur. Tawilla is about 65 km from the... More
A teacher from Syria empowers young refugees in Malaysia
Although she was born to Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp in Damascus, Lujain looked forward to a bright future while growing up. "We had a house, a car, everything a Syrian citizen had," she recalls. More
Families increasingly resort to child marriage as Yemen's conflict grinds on
IBB, Yemen - Last year, Ayisha was married at only 13 years old. She delivered a baby several weeks ago - a girl. "My family forced me to get married and took me out of school," she told UNFPA while recuperating from childbirth. She was crying; the new reality of her situation weighed heavily on her. More
New approaches required to prevent trafficking among conflict-induced migrants - UN human rights expert
Governments need to adopt new approaches to human trafficking in light of conflict-induced migration increasing around the world and putting many more people at risk of such trafficking, according to an independent United Nations human rights expert. More
Investing in 10-year-old girls will yield huge demographic payoff towards reaching Global Goals - UN
If all of the ten-year-old girls living in developing countries that currently drop out of or do not attend school were to complete their secondary education, it would lead to an additional $21 billion per year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed today in its annual State of the World Population Report. More
Emotional family reunions highlight need for psychosocial for all girls kidnapped by Boko Haram
After more than two years of being held hostage by Boko Haram, in northeast Nigeria, Chibok girls have finally been reunited with their families, however, their return emphasizes the necessity of urgent and intensive psychosocial care, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). More
Local communities must 'stand strong to support' recovery of 21 Chibok school girls - UN rights experts
United Nations human rights experts have welcomed the release of 21 Chibok school girls from Boko Haram and called upon Nigerians - particularly their families and local communities - to support their immediate reintegration and rehabilitation. More
The power of 10: Ten astonishing facts about 10-year-old girls
The world's future will be determined by the fate of its 10-year-old girls. Age 10 is the beginning of adolescence, when girls start to see life's possibilities expanding - or contracting. As these girls approach puberty, they may begin to exercise more independence and explore new interests. More
Rural women's empowerment critical to UN Sustainable Development Agenda - Ban Ki-moon
Marking the International Day of Rural Women, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that rural women are critical to the success of almost all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they all "have gender equality and women's empowerment at their core." More
'All girls count,' says UN, calling for reliable data to uncover and tackle inequalities holding them back
Girls are the sometimes-hidden change-makers of the present and future, and to make sure their voices are heard, the United Nations is marking the International Day of the Girl Child by calling on governments, civil society groups, and communities to provide more and better gender data to so that in the sustainable development era, no girls are left... More
"What our daughter has done is a miracle" - the power of an adolescent girl
MAKONDE, Zimbabwe - Three years ago, Sibongile Majaura was on the cusp of dropping out of school, a misfortune all too familiar to girls in Zimbabwe. But she has defied the odds. With just a little investment and a lot of ingenuity, she was able to start a thriving business and return to school. More











