UN Women stands in solidarity with all people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). We recognize that LGBTIQ+ rights depend on autonomous decision-making over matters of one’s body and health. In many contexts these rights remain out of reach.

Gender inequality coupled with the climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It poses threats to ways of life, livelihoods, health, safety and security for women and girls around the world.

In marking this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and every day, we emphasize that at UN Women we work for you; we stand with you, and in respect for, honour and celebration of the diversity and resilience of LGBTIQ+ peoples globally.

In her remarks at the Brussels V Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér said: "With increased and better coordinated resources earmarked for women and girls, we can collectively do more, and our overall impact will increase".

In an op-ed during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Asa Regner writes: "What this year has shown us is that there are no obstacles too great for traffickers to overcome, so we must reduce the demand at its source."

In her remarks to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, 75th session, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Asa Regner emphasized how the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of all nations and peoples, and disproportionately affected women and girls everywhere who bear the brunt of the massive health, social and economic impact of the pandemic.

Johana, a trans woman, is the founder of the Johana Maturana Foundation, an organization that promotes LGBTI people’s rights in the Chocó Department of Colombia. She stresses the need for financial resources to reach local communities and that communities must shape humanitarian action.

This year Pride goes digital, but its activism is as vibrant as ever. To commemorate Pride Month, we asked a few members of the LGBTQI+ community what Pride means to them, and what building-back-better from COVID-19 means.

Sophie Browne (she/her; they/them) is UN Women’s recently appointed LGBTIQ+ Policy Specialist. In this newly created, dedicated post, Browne will work across the organization, globally, and with external partners to integrate an LGBTIQ+ lens to UN Women’s work. Browne has long worked on gender and social justice causes in research, policy, advocacy, law reform and programming capacities . Sophie is also on the board of UN-GLOBE, the system-wide staff body for LGBTIQ+ personnel, and...

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing inequalities, including those based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, with often-devastating impacts for LGBTIQ+ people, who are already among the most marginalized and excluded. The theme of this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia – break the silence – calls our attention to these inequalities across the world and asks us to speak out together against the discrimination, restrictions on basic freedoms, and hate that LGBTIQ+ people face in the current context and beyond.

As governments respond to the global COVID-19 crisis under huge pressures to act fast, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Asa Regner, calls on leaders and decision-makers to answer 10 key questions about how their responses and policies will include and impact women and girls

Anastasiia Yeva Domani is a transgender woman from Ukraine who became an activist for transgender rights after fighting for her own right to transition with dignity.

Pip Gardner is a gender equality and human rights activist with a focus on sustainable development. They are currently the Communications Manager for Woodcraft Folk, a co-operative youth movement in the United Kingdom (UK), and the Chief Executive of The Kite Trust, a charity for LGBT+ young people. Pip is a member of UN Women’s Beijing+25 Youth Task Force and attended the 25th year Regional Review Meeting of the Beijing Platform for Action for the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Region.

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér visited Brussels, Belgium, from 4 to 5 February 2020.

Billions of people across the world stand on the right side of history every day. They speak up, take a stand, mobilize, and take big and small actions to advance women’s rights. This is Generation Equality. Celina Jaitly is an acclaimed Indian actress, human rights activist devoted to advocating for the rights of the members of LGBT communities in India, and a Champion of the UN Free & Equal campaign.

Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Åsa Regnér, completed her first official mission to Nigeria from 21 to 25 October.

In the first ever high-level meeting on gender diversity and non-binary identities held at UN headquarters in New York, Member States, UN entities and civil society came together to discuss the current state of LGBTI rights globally.

On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia UN Women calls to change the social norms that lead to the exclusion of LGBTI people that keep them living in the shadows and rupture their ties with their families and communities.

Day in and day out, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activists fight for their right to live, love, work, be heard and respected. They risk their safety to push for a world where all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, are treated with equality. On some fronts, there have been joyous victories, but there is still much to fight for.

Chissana Magalhães is a journalist from Cabo Verde who reports on gender equality issues regularly. Since undergoing a training programme through UN Women, she feels that the media has the responsibility to report on gender and human rights issues and stories can change lives.