Stories
- Executive Director (815)
- Ending violence against women and girls (760)
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment (637)
- Economic empowerment (567)
- UN Women administration (514)
- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (359)
- Peace and security (342)
- Leadership and political participation (335)
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (244)
- Deputy Executive Director, Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships (217)
- Partnerships (201)
- Show more
From where I stand: “The voices of women and girls are completely absent in water management”
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Dilera Mavlonova is only 16 years old, but she knows the importance of women’s leadership in water management. After learning advocacy skills through a UN Women programme, she and her peers raised awareness about women’s unequal burden to provide water for their homes in the village of Chek-Abad near the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, where there is an unfolding water crisis. As a result, 124 women have joined local councils for water management, including in their executive bodies and committees that resolve conflicts over water. Before, there were only 13 women in these councils, and rarely in any decision-making roles. More
Life after loss: Rights, dignity and justice for widows
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The loss of a partner is devastating. For many women, that loss is magnified by a long-term struggle for basic needs, their human rights and dignity. They may be denied inheritance rights to the piece of land that they relied on for livelihood or evicted from their homes, forced into unwanted marriages or traumatizing widowhood rituals. They are stigmatized for life, shunned and shamed. And, many of these abuses go unnoticed, even normalized. More
Thursday, June 21, 2018
On the occasion of International Widows’ Day, we must consider both the vital role widows play in our society, the ways in which gender inequality impacts their ability to thrive on their own, and the specific recognition and attention that they need from all of us. More
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
The Unstereotype Alliance, an industry-led initiative convened by UN Women to end harmful stereotypes often perpetuated through advertising, celebrates major achievements on its first anniversary at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. More
Healing from trauma in conflict-affected Gaza
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
There are 1.9 million people living in Gaza and 72 per cent of them are refugees. Samia Asaf and her family have lived as refugees across three generations now. After a devastating injury, Asaf found her bearings through a UN Women-supported programme. Today she is an inspiration to many others. More
One woman’s journey to find hope in Turkey, after escaping Syria
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Menal Suleyman, at the age of thirty, is a mother of three, a widow, and a refugee from Syria. Fleeing the violence in Syria, Suleyman has found a new life, and hope, in Turkey, assisted by the “SADA Women-only Centre”, a UN Women-led project in Gaziantep. More
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
"On 31 May, the General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution on the re-positioning of the UN Development System. Thank you to many of you who helped to make that possible. I particularly also want to thank the Permanent Representative of Denmark who also played a significant role, and who I think is with us in the house today... UN Women fully supports this bold new agenda, which must work for women and girls so that we achieve gender equality by 2030 in as many countries as possible and leave no one behind."—Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the UN Women Executive Board Annual Session 2018 We are actively engaged in the transition led by the Deputy Secretary-General and as part of the UN Sustainable Development Group. More
Monday, June 18, 2018
"This is ultimately about so much more than eliminating stereotypes. It is about making cultural change that has the potential to transform our societies, and our future." - UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka issues open letter to the advertising industry More
UN Women statement for World Refugee Day 2018
Monday, June 18, 2018
On World Refugee Day, UN Women calls on the global community to ensure that the global compact on refugees provides the services, protection and resources that all refugees need, addressing the rights of all. More
Resilient and empowered, South Sudanese refugee women find new beginnings in Uganda
Monday, June 18, 2018
More than one million South Sudanese refugees have crossed over the border into Uganda since 2013. Along with immediate assistance, they need long-term support, including therapy to cope with trauma and opportunities to earn a living. UN Women-supported therapy groups in one refugee settlement have helped women come together, heal and discover new beginnings. More
From where I stand: “Always rely on yourself”
Monday, June 18, 2018
Maha Aasi Emm Ala’a, a Syrian refugee, came to the UN Women-run women’s centre in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp with severe depression after her husband passed away. She received counseling and found tailoring work through the cash-for-work programme. As refugee crises become more protracted, humanitarian assistance must take into account immediate and long-term needs of women and girls. The women’s centres in Za’atari Refugee Camp are building women’s resilience and empowering them as leaders, workers and entrepreneurs. More
From where I stand: “We need men who will stand up for the rights of women and girls”
Thursday, June 14, 2018
E. Wilkins Nah is one of 15 public prosecutors at the frontlines of the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict Liberia. By combining his legal experience with knowledge on survivor-centred response, he is working to end impunity and ensure justice for survivors. More
Thursday, June 14, 2018
This year, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we celebrate ten years since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council’s landmark resolution 1820 (2008), which classified the use of conflict-related sexual violence as an impediment to the restoration of international peace and security. More
Take five: “Nothing about disability should be done without women with disabilities”
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Renowned disability rights activist, Ana Peláez Narváez, from Spain, is the first woman with disability to be elected to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) on 7 June, 2018. More
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Dmytro Shurov, Ukranian singer and opinion leader, is the first HeForShe advocate in Ukraine. Often appearing at major events with his 14-year-old son Lev Shurov, he speaks about fatherhood, sharing domestic work and child care responsibilities at home. More
In the words of Nidhi Goyal: “These spaces belong to everyone”
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Nidhi Goyal, 32, is a disabled feminist from India who works on disability rights and gender equality. After losing her sight as a teenager, Goyal committed herself to changing the lives of persons with disabilities, and particularly women and girls with disabilities. As a researcher, writer, trainer, stand-up comedian and advocate, she works to raise awareness on the intersection of the disability rights movement, and the women’s movement. More
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Asa Régner on first official visit to Japan
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Asa Régner will be on her first official visit as UN Women Deputy Executive Director to Tokyo, Japan, from 13 to 15 June. The visit is intended to continue building an already strong partnership with Japan towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment, both at home and abroad. More
Joint Statement: Contribution will help us deliver better results for the communities we serve
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women welcome with appreciation the Government of Sweden’s decision to enter into multi-year core funding agreements with our agencies. This SEK 6.8 billion contribution will help us deliver better results for the communities we serve. More
Op-ed: We have told G7 leaders to make gender inequality and patriarchy history
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
For most people, the annual G7 meeting may just seem like an expensive photo-op that doesn’t connect with any concrete change in people’s lives. But for us, appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit on his G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, it was a unique opportunity to push for strong commitments for girls’ and women’s rights. More
Speech: “Ending FGM is possible in our generation. It is no longer a dream”—Jaha Dukureh
Monday, June 11, 2018
Remarks by Regional UN Women Ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, at the Opening Session of the European Development Days, Spotlight Initiative section More