UN Women - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Doaa Eshtayeh taking a photo. Photo: UN Women/Carlos Pérez Osorio

From where I stand...

Doaa Eshtayeh, from Palestine, found her talent and passion in photography and has made it her profession. Doaa is the main provider for her family, thanks to the support she received through a UN Women project that helped her develop her skills and buy the equipment she needed. Learn more

Zuneyka Dhisnays Gonzalez. Photo: UN Women/Vannesa Romero

Ask an activist: What is being done to help Venezuelan women migrants?

Zuneyka Dhisnays Gonzalez is a Venezuelan migrant to Colombia. To help fellow migrants, she created a social network-based community to offer support and guidance. Learn more

Sally Barber, of UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, facilitating discussions on gender-responsive labour migration governance and policies. Photo: UN Women/Pathuumporn Thongking

Empowering South Asian women migrant workers through improved contracts

Ensuring that women know their rights as migrant workers, including what should be in their employment contracts, is a crucial step in protecting them from abuse and exploitation. Learn more

Cielo Gomez (center) and her family live in the municipality of El Tablón de Gómez, in the southeast of Nariño territory, Colombia. “Both of us are now land owners and that’s economic autonomy,” says a proud Cielo. Since then, she has taken a loan from the bank and bought another piece of land. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

Photo essay: Families are changing, policies need to change too

As the world around us changes, families, and the role of women and girls within them, are also changing. Learn more

Highlights

Progress of the world's women 2019–2020

UN Women’s flagship report, “Progress of the world’s women 2019–2020: Families in a changing world”, assesses the reality of families today in the context of sweeping economic, demographic, political, and social transformation. The report features global, regional, and national data. It also analyses key issues such as family laws, employment, unpaid care work, violence against women, and families and migration. At a critical juncture for women’s rights, this landmark report proposes a comprehensive family-friendly policy agenda to advance gender equality in diverse families. More

Generation Equality

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, UN Women is launching a new campaign, “Generation Equality—Realizing women’s rights and an equal future”. The campaign demands equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and all forms of violence against women and girls, health-care services that respond to their needs, and their equal participation in political life and decision-making in all areas of life. More
In Focus: Women and girls in Sport

As some of the world’s top women athletes prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, we’re celebrating the remarkable achievements and unmatched potential of women and girls in sport, and calling for action to address issues such as unequal pay, gender-based violence and lack of targeted investment that would enable more women and girls to have a career in sport. More
In Focus: Women and the SDGs

Gender equality is a right. Fulfilling this right is the best chance we have in meeting some of the most pressing challenges of our time—from economic crisis and lack of health care, to climate change, violence against women and escalating conflicts. Check out new data, stories, videos and more illustrating how and why gender equality matters across all the Sustainable Development Goals. More

Get updates

Latest news

More news ►

Homes for equality in a changing world

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Photo: Kea Taylor.

In an op-ed on the occasion of the launch of UN Women's flagship report, “Progress of the world’s women 2019–2020: Families in a changing world”, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka calls on governments, civil society and the private sector to recognize the important diversity of families. More

Featured video

Families of today

Families around the world look, feel, and live differently today. Families can be “make or break” for women and girls when it comes to achieving their rights. They can be places of love, care, and fulfillment but, too often, they are also spaces where women’s and girls’ rights are violated, their voices are stifled, and where gender inequality prevails. In today’s changing world, laws and policies need to be based on the reality of how families live.

Visit our YouTube channel ►

Planet 50–50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality

See full feed

UN Women Watch

Women and Girls with Disabilities: Needs of survivors of gender-based violence and services offered to them - occupied Palestinian territory

The objective of this study was to map the available services; analyze major gaps and challenges related to service delivery; identify roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and service providers, including stakeholder coordination, legislation and policies, capacity, prevention and response services, the referral process and accountability; as... More

Gender-based violence: Financial independence and economic empowerment key to survivors' recovery

An upsurge in violence and insecurity in several regions of Cameroon have triggered a spike in humanitarian needs. Around 4.3 million people need emergency assistance, marking a 30 per cent increase compared to 2018. Violence and forced displacement have dramatically affected the lives of women and children. More

In China, women work to raise the status of girls

LILING, China - Not long ago, Wen Xiujuan was swept up in a romance. Against the wishes of her parents, she moved to the small village of Liling, 300 km from her hometown, to marry a young man named Yang Liu. They lived happily with Mr. Liu's parents, who hoped the couple would have a son. More

UN food agencies step up joint efforts to tackle rural gender inequalities

Three United Nations agencies today launched a new European Union-supported global initiative to address the root causes of rural gender inequalities and thus strengthen efforts to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. More

Change attitudes for future generations of women in tech, UN urges

Celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of April, the Day is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and aims to encourage and empower girls and young women to consider entering the growing field of ICT, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the sector. More

Protect women's rights 'before, during and after conflict' UN chief tells high-level Security Council debate

Over the course of the past decade, there has been "a paradigm shift" in understanding the devastating impact of sexual violence in conflict on international peace and security, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council during a high-level debate on Tuesday. More

Former Somali refugee inspires children with illustrated book

The mind behind Nasra is Habso Mohamud, a 24-year-old former refugee from Somalia. Habso’s real life is very similar to Nasra’s fictional one, and she shares both stories with schoolchildren at readings across the United States. Habso is clear on the message she wants to transmit: “Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your dreams, no matter... More

'Foreign children' in overwhelmed Syrian camp need urgent international help, says top UN official

Panos Moumtzis, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis made the "special plea" to journalists in Geneva, noting that 75,000 people now shelter in Al Hol camp, after fleeing ISIL extremists. More

When disaster strikes: how education and children's futures were battered by Cyclone Idai - Mozambique

An in-depth look at how the deadly storm and flooding have disrupted the schooling of half a million children in southeast Africa - and the efforts to rebuild. First comes the shock and the terror. Then the fight for survival - to find food, water and shelter, and to avoid diseases. More

IFRC's - RCRC National Societies' Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises Appeal 2019 - 2022 - World

This appeal to support the work on 'Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Humanitarian Crises' is in line with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies' commitment to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in disasters and other emergencies... More

Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi women weave a brighter future

Only the encouraging murmurs of a trainer who checks on their progress break the silence of the focused women. They are mainly widows or other women heading their households alone. Ranging in age from 18 to 40, most had never learned how to sew before. More

Unique project in Cox's Bazar puts Bangladeshi and refugee women first, provides skills

A new training project in southeast Bangladesh to promote self-reliance among women in communities hosting refugees as well as among Rohingya refugee women has become operational in Cox's Bazar. The project is potentially a game-changer for women in these communities. It is being supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. More