Stories
- Executive Director (747)
- Ending violence against women and girls (649)
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment (595)
- UN Women administration (513)
- Economic empowerment (492)
- Post-2015 Development Agenda and SDGs (350)
- Leadership and political participation (309)
- Peace and security (288)
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (230)
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Malian artists take a stand to end violence against women
25 July 2017
Launched in April 2017 by a group of young women artists from different parts of Africa, the ‘Moussoya ye Koba Ye’ programme (meaning “It’s a great thing to be a woman”) aims to engage youth to take a stand against gender-based violence in Mali. The initiative is funded by the Embassy of Canada. More
UN Women to host Facebook Live on combatting cyberviolence
24 July 2017
On 25 July, UN Women will broadcast a Facebook Live conversation on combatting cyberviolence with experts and survivors, beginning at 10.30 a.m. (EDT). More
In Kenya, women gear up for county elections
24 July 2017
UN Women is working with community elders to break the cultural barriers to women’s political participation. For the upcoming general elections on 8 August, hopes are running high among women candidates. A total of nine women are competing for Governors, 115 as members of the National Assembly, 25 as senators’ and 261 as members of the County Assemblies. More
24 July 2017
Following a high-level visit to Nigeria, the joint UN-AU delegation led by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to urge action to strengthen meaningful participation of women in peace and security and elections. The UN Deputy Chief will be joined in the DRC by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, and the African Union (AU) Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security Bineta Diop. More
From where I stand: “Women have to be at the heart of the Africa of tomorrow”
20 July 2017
Mehrezia Maïza Labidi chaired many of the plenary sessions that led to the birth of Tunisia’s new constitution, which includes a clause guaranteeing women’s rights. A vocal advocate for young women's participation and leadership in politics, she took part in the High-Level Women Leaders’ Forum for Africa’s Transformation and the launch of the African Women Leaders’ Network. More
Women in rural Cambodia cultivate their way out of vulnerability
19 July 2017
In five rural districts of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces in Cambodia, Banteay Srei, a local women-led NGO works with the poorest, most marginalized women—including those who are illiterate or single mothers—to help them improve their livelihoods. More
19 July 2017
Today, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed began a first-of-its-kind visit to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), joined by the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and the African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop. More
18 July 2017
In a statement on the continued detention of women human rights activists in Turkey, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka calls for immediate release of the arrested women’s rights and human rights activists and support to those, like women’s human rights defenders, who work for the good of their societies. More
In Albania, elections herald historic increase in number of women MPs
18 July 2017
In the recently concluded national elections, Albania has reached a new milestone with 28 per cent of women parliamentarians. Women candidates benefited from the gender quota and public forums organized by UN Women and partners that enabled them to outreach to the public. Efforts continue to boost women’s political participation nationally and to secure gender balance in local elections. More
17 July 2017
The UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on Women’s Economic Empowerment held an event on 17 July 2017 titled, “Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment to Achieve the 2030 Agenda”, in the context of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York. The event was co-hosted by the Group of Champions of Women’s Economic Empowerment, led by the Government of Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, together with UN Women and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). More
Speech: “Women entrepreneurs can drive economic growth”—Lakshmi Puri
17 July 2017
Remarks by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at the SHE·ERA: 2017 Global Conference on Women and Entrepreneurship, in Hangzhou, China. More
Maternal health gets a new boost in Liberia
17 July 2017
With 1,072 maternal deaths for every 100,000 births, Liberia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. In the remote areas, infrastructure and facilities in clinics are often lacking; midwives and health workers have to deliver babies without any electricity at night. With the installation of solar lighting systems by UN Women and partners, conditions have improved in 26 clinics and five newly constructed Maternal Waiting Rooms across Liberia. More
Reshaping the future: Women, girls, ICTs and the SDGs
14 July 2017
A chapter on Sustainable Development Goal 5, written by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and originally published in the ITU publication, “Fast forward progress: leveraging tech to achieve the global goals”, launched at the High-Level Political Forum in New York. More
Speech: “Young people need their voices to be heard”—Executive Director
12 July 2017
Remarks by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the London Family Planning Summit, Spotlight Session on “Transitions to Adulthood and the Importance of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights to Girls’ Empowerment” in London. More
In the words of Elena Kochoska: "Women bear a double burden because of their gender and disability”
11 July 2017
Elena Kochoska is a vocal advocate for persons with disabilities in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and works at the local organization, Polio Plus, Movement Against Disability. She participated in training and mentoring sessions on gender-responsive budgeting (GRB)—analyzing a budget to ensure women’s needs are met—organized by UN Women’s regional programme on GRB, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Austrian Development Agency. Thereafter, she prepared a report that did a cost-benefit analysis showing the benefits of including children with disabilities in mainstream education. More
Feminism in Times of War and Peace
10 July 2017
In June 2016, the Government of Colombia signed the first historic cease-fire agreement with the FARC insurgency group. While this first peace accord was rejected in a referendum, a second agreement was ratified by the Colombian Congress in November of the same year, bringing an end to 52 years of armed conflict. Colombian women peacebuilders played a pivotal role in building consensus and bringing to light the needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls throughout the peace process. More
10 July 2017
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Ms. Lakshmi Puri starts today a visit to China to participate in the "SHE·ERA: 2017 Global Conference on Women and Entrepreneurship", organized by the Alibaba Group in Hangzhou. From 10 – 11 July, the conference is convening women leaders in politics, business, fashion, and many other areas to share their experiences. This year’s conference will focus on the themes of “Altruism, Inclusiveness, Dreams,” and will highlight how women entrepreneurs can help achieve sustainable and inclusive growth and development. More
10 July 2017
UN Women and the EU will aim to reform policies in line with international standards, transfrom dicriminatory social norms and empower women and girls subjected to violence. More
Interview with Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Kai Mykkänen
07 July 2017
In a May 2017 interview, the Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen referred to his country’s combined core and non-core contribution of approximately USD 14.53 to UN Women in 2016, and urged other Member States to also step up and help UN Women deliver on its mandate of achieving gender equality by 2030. Finland has been one of UN Women’s largest donors, topping the list in 2014. More
07 July 2017
In 2016, the Government of Sweden donated a core contribution of USD 12 million to UN Women. In addition, the Government, through the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), contributed USD 30 million in multi-bi support – bringing its overall 2016 contribution to approximately USD 42 million and making Sweden UN Women’s largest donor. In an interview, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Isabella Lövin explains why her Government believes UN Women’s work is such an important priority for its multilateral aid. More