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Monday, March 8, 2021
Throughout the month of March, a variety of private sector companies are partnering with UN Women to support International Women’s Day and further amplify the Generation Equality campaign.
Monday, March 8, 2021
UN Women is intensifying its preparations for the 2021 Generation Equality Forum amidst a back-drop that shows women’s rights and leadership are under threat, and even more exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Current projections show that gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. This year’s International Women’s Day rings the alarm on rising threats to gender equality and highlights the need to build back better for a more gender-equal future.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Leaders involved in the 2021 Generation Equality Forum have called for bold new global commitments to catapult progress on gender equality. The Action Coalitions of the Forum are new and innovative partnerships –including governments, feminist and youth movements and organizations, the private sector and international organizations– who will today preview the actions they view as critical to creating gender-equal societies as the world rebuilds post COVID-19. They will also call for others to join them as commitment makers in their milestone effort to accelerate investment and implementation for women and girl’s rights. Their urgent call reflects concern that gender equality – set back by the COVID-19 pandemic – needs redoubled investment and focus if the world’s women and girls are not to fall behind.
Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, on International Women’s Day 2021
Thursday, March 4, 2021
In her statement for International Women's Day, UN Women Executive Directory Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: "We need women’s representation that reflects all women and girls in all their diversity and abilities, and across all cultural, social, economic and political situations. This is the only way we will get real societal change that incorporates women in decision-making as equals and benefits us all."
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
The Government of Mexico together with UN Women, the Government of France, and in partnership with civil society and youth, announces the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico City, which will be launched in a virtual format from 29 to 31 March 2021.
Why we support women’s leadership
Monday, March 1, 2021
Meet some inspiring grass-roots women leaders who are bringing lasting change to their communities, supported by the United Nations
Media Advisory: International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021
Monday, March 1, 2021
This year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) comes as the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its staggering impacts on women – from being pushed into poverty, to loss of jobs as the informal economy shrinks, to an alarming spike in domestic violence and the unpaid care burden— and will highlight the pressing need for the 2021 Generation Equality Forum.
Claiming women’s space in leadership
Monday, March 1, 2021
Across all sectors, communities and societies, women have key contributions to make to leadership. From politics and corporations to sports and STEM, diverse leadership benefits everyone. Leaders need to represent the people they serve to best understand their wants and needs.
Statement by UN Women on the continued abduction of school children in Northern Nigeria
Monday, March 1, 2021
UN Women joins the UN Secretary-General in condemning the continued abduction of children from schools in Northern Nigeria, including the most recent abduction of over 300 girls from a secondary school in Zamfara state in Nigeria.
Friday, February 26, 2021
[Joint Press Release] The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Canada and UN Women jointly launched today a 5-year programme to expand and strengthen women’s leadership and participation in conflict prevention, resolution and recovery in South-East Asia.
Generation Equality Film Festival opens for submissions
Thursday, February 25, 2021
The Generation Equality Film Festival will take place during the Generation Equality Forum, a global gathering for gender equality, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, with the partnership of civil society. Kicking off in Mexico City on 29–31 March 2021, and culminating in Paris in June 2021, the Forum will secure a set of transformative commitments for gender equality.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The UN Women Safe Cities programme developed information about COVID-19 prevention and gender-based violence in the five indigenous languages of Hñähñu, Mixteco, Purépecha, Mazahua, and Mahua, and shared them over the radio. Along with community-based loud speaker interventions in neighbourhoods most affected by the pandemic, the information campaign reached 57,000 indigenous people in the state of Jalisco.
Supporting female heads of households to overcome COVID-19’s economic toll in Sri Lanka
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
In an effort to support mothers in Sri Lanka, where many work in informal employment, UN provided emergency relief packages to female-headed households in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts alongside a local NGO. Over 1,300 women heads of households economically impacted by the pandemic were supported through the initiative.
Monday, February 22, 2021
In his remarks at the opening of the high-level segment of the 46th regular session of the Human Rights Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: "No human rights scourge is more prevalent than gender inequality".
Take five: “Women should lead the conversation on gender equality”
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Hayat Mirshad is a 32-year-old Lebanese feminist, human rights activist and gender, communications and advocacy expert. As co-founder of the feminist collective FE-MALE in Lebanon, she advocates against discriminatory gender norms and policies and works closely with UN Women’s Men and Women for Gender Equality programme funded by the Government of Sweden. The programme works to change behaviours and social norms for gender equality in the Arab States. Mirshad is also a member of UN Women’s Gender Innovation Agora and was recognized as one of the BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2020 for her activism on women’s rights. In this interview, she shares her journey of fighting gender inequity and explains how to rally for wide-reaching and sustainable impact.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Eighteen new organizations have stepped up to steer Generation Equality ‘Action Coalitions’ – innovative partnerships of member states, corporations, youth-led, civil society and international organizations and philanthropies, designed to propel a dramatic acceleration in gender equality.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
In her closing remarks at the UN Women Executive Board First Regular Session 2021, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: "We need to make sure that these large numbers of women, who we have all said are disproportionally affected, are not forgotten."
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Here are five human rights defenders and gender equality activists sharing what their communities need and their efforts to build peace in the face of violent extremism and COVID-19.
Monday, February 15, 2021
In her opening remarks at the UN Women Executive Board First Regular Session 2021, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: "We need bold and ambitious change here. The pandemic must not in any way hinder the bold action needed for addressing gender equality. "
UN Women Executive Board to convene First Regular Session of 2021
Thursday, February 11, 2021
The UN Women Executive Board will convene for this year’s First Regular Session from Monday 15 to Tuesday 16 February 2021, remotely via the Zoom Platform.