Six women athletes who are changing the game

Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018

As athletes from 93 nations fly to Pyeongchang County in the Republic of Korea to compete from 9-25 February, women are set to make their mark on the 2018 Winter Olympics like never before. To celebrate women in sport, we bring you some inspirational women who are breaking down gender barriers. More

Levelling the playing field for gender equality in the Pacific region through rugby

Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Rugby — traditionally a male dominated sport—is starting to make strides in the Pacific towards gender equality, with a record number of women’s teams taking their talents to the field and joining the rugby workforce. More

UN Women carries the Olympic Torch, calls for gender equality in sport

Date: Friday, January 19, 2018

Today, UN Women Country Programme Manager in China, Julie Broussard carried the Olympic Torch in Paju, South Korea, leading up to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. She called for gender equality in sport, following in the footsteps of UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who had carried the Olympic Torch at the 2016 Rio Games. More

UN Women and the International Olympic Committee renew partnership on sport for gender equality

Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2017

After five years of successful collaboration on women and sport, UN Women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have renewed their commitment through a second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU lays out the vision for the next five years of partnership, which will empower women and girls through sport and increase women’s leadership and gender equality in the sport industry. More

From where I stand: “It is important to show women athletes can be anywhere and can do anything”

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017

Raphaela Barbosa, a handball player from the northern region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aspires to play for Brazil’s national team one day. She believes that female athletes must be more visible, so that society changes its attitudes about men and women. More

Georgian language has no gender prejudice, get it out of your head!

Date: Friday, September 29, 2017

UN Women Georgia’s new social campaign focuses on promoting gender equality and empowering women through sport More

Scoring goals for gender equality at the Global Goals World Cup

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2017

Balls were flying high and goals were scored for gender equality across the river from the United Nations, as the Global Goals World Cup took place on 19 September in Brooklyn, New York, to raise awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals More

World Rugby U20 Championship joins HeForShe

Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Hosted by Georgia, the World Rugby U20 Championship 2017 saw its participating teams and the World Rugby Organization declare their support for HeForShe, the UN Women solidarity movement for gender equality. More

Gender equality at new heights: Kanchhi Maya Tamang summits Mount Everest for gender equality in sports

Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017

After an 11-hour-climb from Camp 4 on Everest’s South Col route, Kanchhi Maya Tamang, together with Pemba Dorje Sherpa, and their Sherpa teammates reached the 29,035 feet (8,848 metres) summit of the world’s highest peak on 20 May. It was the first time someone has climbed Mount Everest for gender equality and women’s empowerment. More

Speech: Making equality a reality

Date: Monday, March 6, 2017

[Check against delivery]   Mr. Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, Madam Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary-General, Distinguished participants, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you very much to FIFA for inviting UN Women to be part of this important conference that brings together the worlds football constituency to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Remember that what we are pledging today requires us to work for women's human rights not just once a year, once a month or once a... More

In Albania, football and a mobile app get men to commit to gender equality

Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The HeForShe in Stadiums campaign and HeForShe Fan mobile app use football to reach men and boys across Albania, encouraging them to empower women, stop discrimination and speak out against gender-based violence. More

“People are beginning to see our potential…the potential of all the girls who play sport”

Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Marcelly Vitória de Mendonça, participant of ‘One Win Leads to Another’ programme by UN Women and the International Olympic Committee, received the Olympic Cup on behalf of the people of Rio de Janeiro in the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games. More

The day we carried the Olympic Torch for women and girls

Date: Monday, August 22, 2016

By Thaiza Vitória, 15-year-old Brazilian handball player and member of the ‘One Win Leads to Another’ programme in Rio de Janeiro and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Both of them carried the Olympic Torch on the day of the opening ceremony of the Rio Games. More

From where I stand: Flor Isava-Fonseca

Date: Saturday, August 20, 2016

Flor Isava- Fonseca, 95, is a tireless Venezuelan activist, athlete, journalist and writer. Ms. Isava-Fonseca and Finnish sprinter Pirjo Häggman were the first women to be elected to the International Olympic Committee. More

“We are carrying the torch for women and girls all over the world” – Executive Director

Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Remarks by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at One Win Leads to Another event at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro More

Media advisory: UN Women at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Date: Thursday, July 28, 2016

At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, UN Women, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Always (#LikeAGirl) will celebrate women’s and girls’ empowerment through sport and share experiences of the ‘One Win Leads to Another’ programme in Brazil. More

For the Federation, every day is Orange Day: Q&A with Stephan Fox

Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Stephan Fox has lived in Thailand for 15 years. He is the Vice President of the World Muaythai Council, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur. Since 2014, he has been working with UN Women to promote gender equality and raise awareness on ending violence against women and girls. More

From where I stand: Abby Wambach

Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Abby Wambach, a sports icon and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, speaks out against pay inequality. More

Football camps in Jordan plant seeds of friendship and cohesion

Date: Monday, July 25, 2016

For Syrian refugees in Jordan, integration into the Jordanian society is fraught with challenges. Mistrust and rumors taint how each group perceives the other. A project by UN Women organized football camps for adolescent girls, where Jordanian and Syrian girls built friendships and social cohesion. More

From where I stand: Micaele Fernandes

Date: Monday, July 25, 2016

Micaele Fernandes, 16, is a handball player from Rio de Janeiro. She is a participant in ‘One Win Leads to Another’, a programme to empower young women and girls through sport in Brazil by UN Women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). More