In Guatemala, investing in indigenous women’s economic empowerment is key to building back better after COVID-19

Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Since March 2020, Guatemala has recorded more than 600 COVID-19 deaths and over 11,000 infections. Amidst this crisis, indigenous women have continued to use their voices, knowledge and capacities to assist their communities and adapt their livelihoods. To build back better, their needs and concerns, but also their leadership must be placed at the centre of COVID-19 recovery plans.

Tech giants partner with UN Women to provide life-saving information to survivors of domestic violence during COVID-19

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2020

UN Women offices around the world have partnered with tech giants like Google, Twitter and Facebook to provide important information about helpline services for domestic violence survivors.

Women survivors of violence receive vital support from shelters in Kosovo during the pandemic

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Around 550 women survivors of domestic violence from Kosovo were admitted to shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic, with support from UN Women within the regional programme on ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey, “Implementing Norms, Changing Minds,” funded by the European Union.

Gulbahor Majidova: Overcoming loss with a determination to help others in Tajikistan

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Gulbahor Majidova’s life has been full of losses. But she has not let that deter her from becoming an activist in her community and a leader in advancing the reform of the civil registration system in Tajikistan.

Supporting local women-run businesses in COVID-19 response

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2020

The Government of Sweden and UN Women Moldova provided 28,000 units of protective equipment to social assistance staff from 36 territorial departments throughout the country. The coveralls and masks were purchased from three local companies run by women. Thus, the procurements provided financial support both to factories and to employees who kept their jobs and salaries during this time of crisis provoked by COVID-19. At the same time, textile enterprises took steps to help front-line workers.

Tajik businesses run by women living with HIV supply key protective gear for COVID-19 response

Date: Monday, June 8, 2020

Dilyora Mammadova, a woman living with HIV from Tajikistan, is working with affected women and high-risk groups, helping identify new cases of local HIV infection, supporting women with the same diagnosis, and bringing them medicine. Through a joint UN Women- UNAIDS project for women living with HIV in 2019, her small sewing workshop and her business proposal received funding. Nowadays, due to the high demand for COVID-19 protection masks, Mammadova is supplying masks.

UN Women and Rohingya women on the front line of COVID-19 response

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2020

The world in lockdown has created a ‘profound shock to our societies and economies, and women are at the heart of care and response efforts underway[1]. Primarily as caregivers, women are not just sustaining families, but also serving as front-line responders, mainly in the health and service sector.

In Myanmar, women work to protect small businesses during COVID-19 pandemic

Date: Friday, May 22, 2020

UN Women has been working with other United Nations agencies, partners and the Government to raise public awareness about COVID-19. Initiatives by UN Women’s Sittwe office include providing information geared toward women, helping women get health and social protection services, and ensuring that virus control measures, such as quarantine centres, meet women’s needs and concerns

COVID-19 exposes the harsh realities of gender inequality in slums

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is largely concentrated in cities and urban areas, with around 2,600 cities globally reporting at least one case of the disease. While the epicentre of the global health crisis is still Europe and North America, its impact on developing countries may be more devastating, especially for the poorest. The 1 billion+ people living in slums and slum-like settings in developing countries, where population density is high, are those most at-risk and least prepared.

Youth volunteers combat online misinformation on COVID-19 in Arab States

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, emerging evidence shows that underlying gender inequalities are exacerbated by this crisis. As observed in previous pandemics, women are -and will be- disproportionately affected in myriad ways, including by an increased incidence of domestic violence, loss of jobs and increased unpaid care burden. Previous experiences also indicate that failing to collect gender-disaggregated data can have a negative impact in the effectiveness of the response and recovery efforts.

Calling to support indigenous peoples in COVID-19 response

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020

The United Nations Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) on Indigenous Issues calls to include indigenous peoples needs and input in response efforts around the world.

Take five: “After this pandemic, we will have to work much harder than before to improve Roma women’s lives”

Date: Monday, April 20, 2020

Slavica Vasić is the chair and one of the founders of BIBIJA Roma Women's Centre in Serbia, a partner of the EU-UN Women regional programme “Ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey: Implementing Norms, Changing Mind”. She spoke to UN Women about the impact of COVID-19 on Roma women and girls and vulnerable groups in Serbia and in the region, and how the lives of many women will change after the outbreak.

HeForShe launches #HeForSheAtHome campaign

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020

In providing useful tools and tips, the #HeForSheAtHome campaign seeks to inspire men to help balance the burden in their households. Whether its learning to use that new vacuum cleaner, or the game you play when washing the dishes, we want to hear your stories. In sharing these stories of positive male role models from all over the world, we hope to inspire many more to do their fair share.

Ending violence against women in the context of COVID-19

Date: Friday, March 27, 2020

As the current COVID-19 global pandemic spreads through the world, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), and its grantees, recognize the gender dimensions of the impact from the COVID-19 outbreak. In this challenging time, the need to respond to the immediate and long-term consequences of the current crisis for women and girls is critical.

Women and COVID-19: Five things governments can do now

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia takes a look at how impacts of COVID-19 are hitting women hardest, and how governments around the world can address these issues.

Checklist for COVID-19 response by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér

Date: Friday, March 20, 2020

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

Paying attention to women’s needs and leadership will strengthen COVID-19 response

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

A week since The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, the social impact of the Corona Virus is hitting women hard, around the world. Globally, women make up 70 per cent of workers in the health and social sector, and they do three times as much unpaid care work at home as men. As first responders, frontline health workers, primary care givers at home and community mobilizers, women are at increased risk of exposure to the virus. They are also playing a disproportionate role in responding to the disease.

Women’s organizations advocate for localized humanitarian and crisis response

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020

UN Women’s Humanitarian Action and Crisis Response Office, together with the informal Friends of Gender Group (created at a Grand Bargain meeting in Bonn in September 2016), organized three regional consultation workshops with local women’s organizations – in Addis Ababa, Amman and Jakarta – which culminated in an informal Friends of Gender Group annual meeting in December 2019.

UN Women Executive Director attends the UN Human Rights Council

Date: Friday, February 28, 2020

The Human Rights Council marked the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action with a high-level panel discussion during its high-level segment on Tuesday the 25 February.

Marta Vieira da Silva and One Win Leads to Another girls celebrate women’s empowerment in Brazil Carnival

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Global soccer star, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and UN SDG Advocate, Marta Vieira da Silva was honoured in the Carnival parade in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.