I am Generation Equality: Celina Jaitly, actor and activist

Date: Thursday, January 16, 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.

Strengthening women’s livelihoods and resilience to disasters and climate change in Viet Nam

Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2020

When Tran Thi My Linh, a 51-year-old rural woman first said that she would replace her rice fields with lotus fields, she raised many eyebrows. In the little commune of Hoa Dong in Phu Yen province, just south of Viet Nam’s capital, Ha Noi, villagers had planted rice for generations. However, with the changing weather patterns in recent years, millions of people have been affected in Phu Yen and in rural Viet Nam in general and people have started looking for new livelihoods.

I am Generation Equality: Wasfia Nazreen, mountaineer and activist

Date: Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Wasfia Nazreen, 37, is a Bangladeshi mountaineer, activist, social worker and writer. She is the only Bangladeshi and the first Bengali to scale “the Seven Summits” [the highest peaks on each of the seven continents]. She holds the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer and Adventurer. 

Rickshaw drivers break stereotypes in Nepal

Date: Thursday, December 12, 2019

After returning to Nepal from working abroad in Dubai, Hira Kumari Sewa took part in UN Women’s Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme and learned to drive an e-rickshaw in order to support herself and her family.

Asia-Pacific countries adopt declaration to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment

Date: Monday, December 2, 2019

Ministers and high-level officials from 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region have committed to intensify priority actions towards realizing women’s rights and fundamental freedoms for an equal future. The Asia-Pacific Declaration on Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+25 Review was adopted after intense negotiations at a three-day Ministerial Conference, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific this week.

Asia-Pacific UN Ministerial Conference opens with urgent call for change to make gender equality a reality

Date: Monday, December 2, 2019

Over 500 Ministers, senior policymakers, UN officials, civil society, youth and private sector representatives from across Asia and the Pacific region today gathered in Bangkok to chart out priority actions to support accelerated progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The three-day Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+25 Review, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and UN Women

Changing mindsets and improving police response in Solomon Islands to combat violence against women

Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The SAFENET approach ensures that all front-line service-providers—from police to hospital and crisis centre staff—coordinate with one another to provide the best possible survivor-centred response and ongoing support to gender-based violence survivors, in a timely way

Survivors of sexual violence during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia speak out

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Since 2011, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) has funded two generations of projects supporting the Victims Support Section of the ECCC, which has worked to ensure that women survivors of violence under the Khmer Rouge become visible and participate in the justice process.

From where I stand: “If we talk more about sexual harassment in our society, we’ll change mindsets”

Date: Monday, November 18, 2019

Law graduate and Thai women’s rights activist Thararat Panya, 23, used her experience of sexual assault to drive change at the Thammasat University in Bangkok.

I am Generation Equality: Shireen Huq, anti-violence crusader

Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2019

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. Shireen Huq helped found the non-profit organization Naripokkho, which has become a leading voice for women’s rights in Bangladesh. From 1987 to 2006, she served as an advisor to the Danish development agency, DANIDA.

My take, your take: Changing social attitudes and stopping violence against women in Bangladesh

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019

In this new intergenerational series for Generation Equality campaign, young people take the lead to shape the conversations. Zefroon Afsary, 25-year-old human rights activist talks with Ayesha Khanam, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, a women’s rights organization that started during the independence struggle in 1970.

Growing women’s entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

Date: Thursday, October 3, 2019

The “Inclusive and Equitable Local Development Programme (IELD)”, a joint initiative of UNCDF, UNDP and UN Women, facilitates women’s access to the labour market and entrepreneurial ventures by fostering local public and private investments in women-led enterprises and small businesses that benefit women as well as their communities.

From where I stand: “Now I have bigger dreams”

Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Sufia Khatun from Pirganj, Rongpur, found herself without any source of income after her husband passed away. Through a joint UN programme, she was able to learn tailoring and get access to finance to invest in her own business. Today she employs 20 women in her community.

Boosting harvests for women in the hills of Nepal

Date: Friday, September 6, 2019

UN Women’s Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (AWEE) Programme works in Kavrepalanchokand five other districts of Nepal to support over 2,000 marginalized women including those affected by conflict, survivors of human trafficking, migrants who have returned home, home-based workers and women living with HIV and AIDS.

Take five: “Addressing gender and protection issues in humanitarian action is lifesaving and planning and budgeting needs to reflect that”

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Nimarta Khuman, a Gender and Protection Advisor, explains what it means to incorporate gender and protection in humanitarian action and why it’s important.

Inclusive peace in Afghanistan means ‘women at the centre’, urges UN deputy chief in Kabul

Date: Sunday, July 21, 2019

The UN deputy chief issued an impassioned plea on Sunday for Afghans to reconcile with the past and put “women at the centre” of all efforts to forge a durable peace, and a truly inclusive political process where women’s voices are truly heard.

Take Five: “Elected Women Representatives are key agents for transformational economic, environmental and social change in India”

Date: Thursday, July 18, 2019

Rahul Bhatnagar serves as the Secretary for the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, a branch of the Indian Government responsible for the ongoing process of decentralization and local governance. UN Women works with the Government of India and local organizations to promote women’s leadership and participation in governance at all levels. In this interview, Mr. Bhatnagar elaborates on the importance of elected women representatives in the Panchayati Raj (local governance) institutions and their role in advancing primary education, health, agricultural developments, and women and child development.

UN Women incoming Deputy Executive Director visits Thailand, meets migrant women workers along the border towns

Date: Wednesday, July 3, 2019

During a visit to Thailand, UN Women incoming Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia visited a market town bordering Myanmar this week to see first-hand how migrant women workers can avoid the hazards of human trafficking by learning about their rights and developing their work skills.

Empowering South Asian women migrant workers through improved contracts

Date: Monday, July 1, 2019

Ensuring that women know their rights as migrant workers, including what should be in their employment contracts, is a crucial step in protecting them from abuse and exploitation – especially since some are not aware that their rights are being violated.

UN Women Executive Director visits Japan ahead of the G20 Summit

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2019

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is visiting Japan this week, where she will attend the Annual Global Summit of the Women Political Leaders (WPL), the largest global network of women in politics.