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- About us
- What we do
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- How we work
- Partnerships
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News
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- Editorial series
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In Focus
- Women refugees and migrants
- 71st UN General Assembly
- Women and sport
- 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
- Financing: Why it matters for women and girls
- Engaging Men
- SIDS Conference
- MDG Momentum
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HeForShe turns two
On the sidelines of the 71st United Nations General Assembly, world leaders, activists, change-makers and celebrities recommitted to fast-tracking gender equality at UN Women’s HeForShe second anniversary event. Learn more
One year since Step It Up
One year since the historic gathering of over 70 world leaders at the United Nations committed to putting gender equality at the top of their agenda, momentum continues to rise as early results come in. Learn more
High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment presents first report
The first report by the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment highlights the challenges faced by the most disadvantaged women. Learn more
Women’s political participation gains momentum in Moldova
The joint UN Women-UNDP programme, Women in Politics, has trained nearly 1000 women candidates and 260 elected local officials and district councilors. Learn more
- Mexico commits to better coordination of national gender equality actions, scaled up measures on reproductive health
- Italy pledges new resources of up to 50 million euros will advance gender equality and women’s rights
- Jordan pledges to align national laws with international commitments and expand support to women and girls in many areas
- Thailand promises education to cultivate acceptance of gender equality, data to monitor progress, training to promote gender-responsive budgeting
- China pledges USD 10 million commitment to UN Women, assistance for other developing countries to build 100 health projects for women and children
- New Zealand commits to supporting women’s education, leadership and participation, and improving women’s safety
- Bosnia and Herzegovina pledges implementation of the Istanbul Convention
- Estonia commits to reduce the gender pay gap and protect against discrimination under first national gender equality action plan
- Armenia commits to implement a law on equal rights and opportunities and sign the Istanbul Convention
- Japan vows to boost women’s leadership and development assistance for gender equality
- Argentina pledges to break cultural barriers, end prejudice
- Denmark vows equal opportunities in education and work, and to combat domestic violence
- The United States of America to work towards a world where every woman and girl can enjoy their rights and freedoms
- Luxembourg aims for 40 per cent participation on boards and among candidates
- Cyprus commits to scale up support for gender equality rooted in a new national action plan
- Burundi commits to reinforcing gains and advancing gender equality under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Norway plans long-term efforts to speed up action on gender equality, including through strong laws
- Ireland vows gender equality a foreign policy priority in the push for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Latvia promises to bolster laws and support partners to fight violence
- Georgia commits to legal reforms to tighten provisions for non-discrimination, campaigns to combat early marriages
- Costa Rica plans to embrace shared caregiving, promote women’s equality in the workplace
- Sweden vows that all national policies, budgets and international aid will contribute to gender equality
- 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
- Paraguay commits to boost resources for rural women and improve coordinated action to prevent violence against women and punish perpetrators
- Albania vows to include more women in decision-making and the labour market
Highlights
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 Focus: UN Women at the 71st General Assembly
As global leaders convene in New York, UN Women will continue to ensure the voices of women and girls are heard and place gender equality and women’s empowerment at the heart of all development efforts. More
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In focus: Women refugees and migrants
On the occasion of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly and leading up to the first UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, UN Women highlights the voices of women refugees and migrants around the world. With refugee and migrant women playing a pivotal role around the world to sustain communities and economies, global commitments must address their unique needs, include their voices and be accountable to them. 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
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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
Latest news
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28/09/2016Moldovan NGOs innovate to stop violence against women
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28/09/2016Statement by UN Women on the release of Homa Hoodfar from Iranian prison
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27/09/2016“Luxembourg is well positioned to take a leading role…in the national implementation of the SDGs”—Lakshmi Puri
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27/09/2016Belgium and UN Women sign agreement to promote women’s rights and gender equality
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27/09/2016Press release: Robust actions mount, at one year mark of landmark meeting on gender equality and women’s empowerment
From where I stand
Ileana Crudu
“In my community, most people believe that women are not as logical as men are. This affects the choices you make in life—it tells you that some jobs are just not for you...”
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
“Women are overwhelmingly peacemakers”
In a speech at the high-level meeting on “Global Leadership – Local Partnerships: Women’s Leadership and Gender Perspectives on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism”, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highlighted the definite link between investing in women and generating a society that will make and find peace. More
Featured video
295,000 refugees flee political violence in Burundi
A year after political violence erupted in Burundi, 295,000 people have fled to neighboring Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. More than half of those fleeing are women and children, who face not only food shortage and poverty, but also higher rates of sexual and domestic violence, and increased chances of early/child marriage. UN Women sets up “Safe Spaces” in refugee camps to offer income opportunities and business training for women, as well as psycho-social counselling and trauma assistance.
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UN Women Watch
Companies pledge to help reduce childbirth deaths in crisis settings
Women do not stop giving birth when disaster strikes. Every day, about 500 women die of childbirth-related causes in humanitarian emergencies or fragile settings. Yet women's reproductive health needs are not considered priorities in humanitarian response. More
WFP And Japan Partner To Empower Women Farmers In The Kyrgyz Republic
BISHKEK - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Embassy of Japan today participated in a ceremony to provide equipment to support food-processing businesses and rural women's entrepreneurship across seven rural communities in the Kyrgyz Republic. The food processing equipment is part of a US$490,000 contribution from Japan to economically... More
Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau blows whistle on poverty at world's first women's amateur soccer World Cup
Globally acclaimed Danish actor and star of HBO's Game of Thrones Nikolaj Coster-Waldau kicked off his role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme by refereeing the world's first amateur women's World Cup soccer tournament in New York. More
Yazidi survivor of ISIL's human trafficking appointed UN Goodwill Envoy for victims
Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Nadia Murad Basee Taha, who survived trafficking at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) was today appointed a United Nations advocate for the victims of human trafficking. More
UN Peacebuilding Commission Becomes First Inter-Governmental UN Body to Adopt Gender Strategy
Under the Chairmanship of Kenya, the UN Peacebuilding Commission today adopted a historic Gender Strategy. This makes the PBC the first inter-governmental body within the United Nations to adopt a gender strategy, according to UN Women. More
Women and girls with disabilities are equal rights holders, not 'helpless objects of pity' - UN rights committee
Noting that national policies often tend to treat women and girls with disabilities as helpless objects of pity or allow them to be treated in that manner, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed that, instead, they need to be empowered and allowed to enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms, as any other... More
Women and girls with disabilities need empowerment, not pity, UN experts tell States
GENEVA – States too often fail to uphold their obligations with regard to women and girls with disabilities, treating them or allowing them to be treated as helpless objects of pity, subjected to hostility and exclusion, instead of empowering them to enjoy their fundamental human rights and freedoms, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities... More
Collecting water is often a colossal waste of time for women and girls
NEW YORK/STOCKHOLM, 29 August 2016 - UNICEF said the 200 million hours women and girls spend every day collecting water is a colossal waste of their valuable time. As World Water Week gets underway in Stockholm and experts gather to try to improve the world's access to water, the UN children's agency stressed that the opportunity cost of lack of access... More
Joint UN programme aims to empower over 1 million girls in Mozambique
NAMPULA Mozambique - "Before I entered the safe space, I was shy, and it was difficult for me to express myself. I spent my free time after school with vulnerable girlfriends my age who had left school to marry, and some were even pregnant," 16-year-old Amelia Abadala Salimo told UNFPA. More
UNHCR working with Government of Uganda and emergency response partners to contain cholera outbreak amongst the newly arrived South Sudanese refugees in Adjumani district, Uganda
The Government of Uganda and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are implementing containment measures in the recently-opened Pagirinya settlement in Adjumani district following confirmation of an outbreak of cholera. 49 South Sudanese refugees and one Ugandan national have been confirmed to have contracted the disease. More
As Games near end, Team Refugees looks to the future
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The nightmares have gone. But the memories remain. Yolande Mabika remembers running for her life when rebels attacked her home in Bukavu, eastern Congo more than 20 years ago. She was eight. That was the last time she saw her family. They had scattered in other directions. More
UN health agency takes steps to help improve data on stillbirths, maternal and neonatal deaths
Most stillbirths and neonatal deaths are preventable with quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) stressed today as it launched three new publications to help countries address and strengthen their classification, review, and investigation processes on these deaths, which are unrecorded... More