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- In Focus: 15 years of Security Council resolution 1325
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- 70th UN General Assembly
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- About us
- What we do
- Where we are
- How we work
- Partnerships
-
News
- News
- Editorial series
-
In Focus
- Women in humanitarian action
- CSW60
- International Women's Day
- Women and the SDGs
- Women and climate change
- Prevent violence against women
- Rural women, food and poverty eradication days
- In Focus: 15 years of Security Council resolution 1325
- International Day of the Girl Child
- 70th UN General Assembly
- Financing: Why it matters for women and girls
- Engaging Men
- SIDS Conference
- MDG Momentum
- Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice
- Media contacts
- Digital library
“From where I stand”
As Syrian women peace advocates meet in Beirut ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit, we bring you the story of Zaad, a 17-year-old Syrian refugee studying and working at the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan. Learn more
Women and biological diversity
Ahead of the International Day for Biological Diversity, find out more about women's role in achieving SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss. Learn more
Photo essay: Stories of hope from a Cameroon refugee camp
Fleeing from the devastating conflict in the Central African Republic, women refugees are rebuilding their lives, one day at a time, in a camp in Cameroon. Here are some of their stories. Learn more
Women on the move
Ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul this month, UN Women and Oxfam brought together more than 50 refugee advocates from 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to formulate a joint position on how to respond to the challenges faced by refugee women and girls. Learn more
Women in humanitarian action
Ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit later this month, we highlight UN Women’s continuous work to ensure women are involved as equal partners and agents of change in humanitarian action. Learn more
- New Zealand commits to supporting women’s education, leadership and participation, and improving women’s safety
- Bolivia vows to ensure new laws are adequately implemented to achieve transformative change
- 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
- The United States of America to work towards a world where every woman and girl can enjoy their rights and freedoms
- Azerbaijan commits to mainstream gender in all State programmes and legislation to help working women
- Fiji pledges to develop gender-inclusive policies and laws, improve protections against gender-based violence
- Austria promises to reduce gender pay gaps, encourage women candidates and board members
- Dominican Republic promises a plan to extend early childhood services and financing for women’s businesses
- Denmark vows equal opportunities in education and work, and to combat domestic violence
- Cuba reaffirms ongoing efforts to equalize women’s and men’s roles at home and numbers of women in government decision-making
- Croatia commits to providing active support for women’s empowerment both domestically and internationally, combat stereotypes and aim for better work-life balance
- Colombia commits to strengthen gender equality policies, eliminate gender disparities in education, reduce female unemployment, implement a plan on ending gender-based violence
- Costa Rica plans to embrace shared caregiving, promote women’s equality in the workplace
- Comoros promises continued support for reproductive health and expanded economic roles for women
- China pledges USD 10 million commitment to UN Women, assistance for other developing countries to build 100 health projects for women and children
- Latvia promises to bolster laws and support partners to fight violence
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic vows to take steps to stop violence, commits to continued action on gender equality in national plans
- Kenya aims for universal access to sexual and reproductive health, progressive action towards economic empowerment
- Tunisia seeks to expand participation of women in office
- Viet Nam will devote all necessary resources to close gender gaps, extend employment and other services for women in remote areas
- Armenia commits to implement a law on equal rights and opportunities and sign the Istanbul Convention
- Thailand promises education to cultivate acceptance of gender equality, data to monitor progress, training to promote gender-responsive budgeting
- Switzerland commits to combat wage discrimination, achieve a better work-family balance and act against domestic violence
- United Republic of Tanzania intends to amend all laws with discriminatory provisions and leverage economic growth to advance women’s equality
- Timor-Leste affirms ending gender discrimination an ongoing priority in commitment to the SDGs and Beijing Platform for Action
- Sweden vows that all national policies, budgets and international aid will contribute to gender equality
- Sri Lanka commits to update national action plan, and sustain firm commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment
- South Sudan envisions keeping gender equality at the centre of public policy and ending inequality by 2040
- Senegal enacts legal and policy reforms, commits to meaningful empowerment and true equality
Highlights
Women in humanitarian action
Ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit later this month, we highlight UN Women’s continuous work to ensure women are involved as equal partners and agents of change in humanitarian action. More
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Nepal: A year after the earthquakes
As we approach the one-year mark since the earthquakes, a spotlight on Nepali women and girls, their stories and their solutions 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
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From where I stand...
As part of a new editorial series, UN Women is capturing the unique and powerful stories of people around the world, to showcase their daily lives and challenges and how they are bringing about change. More
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In Focus: CSW60
Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development was the focus of the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women from 14-24 March. Global leaders, NGOs, private sector and activists met to discuss how to ensure women and girls are at the forefront of plans to implement the new 15-year global development roadmap. More
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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. More
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World leaders commit to gender equality
More than 90 world leaders have made concrete commitments and firm pledges 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.” More
Latest news
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20/05/2016Getting humanitarian action right for women and girls
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20/05/2016UN Women Executive Director meets with President of Finland and key partners
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18/05/2016High-level conference focuses on how to make women’s equality a reality
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18/05/2016Civil society advocates forge recommendations ahead of World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul
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18/05/2016Deputy Executive Director calls for cooperation to ensure safety and dignity of migrants and refugees
From where I stand
Sonja Dimitrijoska
“Although the job can be very stressful and intense, I love what I am doing. I started working as a humanitarian worker at the refugee transit centre in Tabanovce* [former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia] in October 2015. Trains arrived every two to three hours and we had around 10,000 people arriving and leaving per day...”
Expert's take
Aleta Miller, Representative for UN Women’s Fiji Multi-country Office, reflects on UN Women’s coordination role in the response to Cyclone Winston, using protection to drive gender equality and address vulnerability. More
Getting humanitarian action right for women and girls
In a statement ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul from 23-24 May, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says getting humanitarian action right for women is central to increasing the effectiveness of humanitarian response, bridging the gap with development, and accelerating the path to recovery for the millions affected. More
Featured video
Mali: Women flee the war to find new life
The 2012 invasion of northern Mali by rebel and Islamist groups displaced over 500,000 people, the majority women and children. Watch the story of two displaced women who to give new direction to their lives with the help of UN Women grants. Khadija brews and sells hibiscus tea in Mopti market, while Aguechatou is a taylor who makes colourful women’s clothes.
UN Women Watch
With a midwife's help, quadruplets are safely delivered in remote Afghanistan
BALAKOH, Afghanistan - It was midnight in the remote Afghan village of Balakoh, and 37-year-old Zainab was entering her tenth hour of labour in her mountainside home. More
'We have an agenda before us' - UN officials reiterate need for measures against sexual abuse
Briefing the General Assembly on the challenges being faced and progress being made to end the exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, senior UN officials today indicated that immediate concerns have been focused on providing protection and support to the victims, and reiterated the need for collective efforts to put stronger measures... More
UN envoy urges South Sudan to implement pledges to address sexual violence crimes
Concluding a four-day visit to Juba, South Sudan, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict has urged high-level authorities of the Transitional Government of National Unity to implement commitments made to address sexual violence crimes. More
Most countries lack adequate laws to protect and promote breastfeeding
Laws to protect breastfeeding against the growing multi-billion-dollar breast-milk substitute business are inadequate in most countries, exposing small children to a greater risk of childhood diseases, according to a United Nations report released today. More
Peacebuilding through early childhood development centers in Côte d'Ivoire
Eugenie Zohole and her family fled Abidjan after the violence in 2012. After arriving in Mapussie in the west, Eugenie joined a UNICEF-supported mothers' group which brought together women from different ethnicities. The women farm together and with support from UNICEF have built an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre in their village. More
Pregnant in a city under siege: Yemeni refugees find safety and maternal services in Djibouti
OBOCK, Djibouti - Four months pregnant and living amidst constant shellings and airstrikes, Jamila decided she had to flee her home in Taizz City, Yemen. More
Investing in girls: Cash incentives help promote gender equality in India
PUNJAB, India - "I am getting financial support for my education from the government, whereas my brother, who is studying in the same school as me, is not eligible for that," says Guneet*, an adolescent girl currently enrolled in seventh standard at a government school in Punjab, India, near the Pakistani border. More
'Girls in ICT Day' highlights need to promote technology careers for women - UN
28 April 2016 - On Girls in ICT Day - marked annually on the fourth Thursday in April - the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is highlighting the need to promote technology career opportunities for girls and women in the world's fastest growing sector. More
Providing support for women and girls surviving Boko Haram
Two years ago, on 14 April, 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from their dormitory beds at a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria. Yesterday, on the two-year anniversary of their disappearance, a video surfaced showing 15 of the 219 girls who are still missing standing against a wall in black robes. More
'We cannot forget the girls from Chibok' - UN child rights envoy
Marking two years since Boko Haram abducted 276 girls in Nigeria, a United Nations child rights envoy reiterated a call to bring them back, stressing that the international community must "be their voice" and help give children of Nigeria and the region the peaceful, stable lives they deserve. More
Prime time dads: Improving gender equality in Georgia through reality TV
TIBILISI, Georgia - The camera zooms in, panning across a marble mantle covered with family photos of three young boys and their happy, smiling parents, then stops on what studies have shown is a statistically uncommon site in Georgia: A father - in this case Zviad Kvaratskhelia, best-selling author and publisher - sitting in his living room, spending... More
UN peacekeeping chief condemns sexual exploitation; says victims' needs are 'top priority'
The top United Nations peacekeeping official has underscored that the protection of and assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Central African Republic remains the Organization's top priority. More













