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.

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.

I am Generation Equality: Francy Jaramillo Piedrahita, human rights defender and peacebuilder

Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Francy L. Jaramillo Piedrahita is a human rights defender with over a decade of experience working on women’s rights, LGBTQ issues and peacebuilding in Colombia. She has been leading the localization of the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 and the peace agreement between the Government and the FARC in Cauca, Colombia.

In the words of Yana Panfilova: “You can talk about HIV a lot, but a personal example is what can really change people’s attitude”

Date: Friday, November 29, 2019

Yana Panfilova, 22, is a Ukrainian HIV positive activist and co-founder as well as chairwoman of Teenergizer, an organization that supports and advocates for the rights of HIV positive youth in Europe and Central Asia (Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia). She was also nominated as a heroine for UN Women’s Generation Equality campaign in Ukraine.  

UN Women takes home Clio Gold Award and ADCOLOR MVP Award in 2019

Date: Monday, September 9, 2019

The video series “Courage to Question” produced by UN Women and Google has been awarded ADCOLOR’s Most Valuable Partners (MVP) Award. Additionally, the campaign “Closer Than You Think”, produced by UN Women’s National Committee in Iceland has been awarded the Clio Gold Award.

Joint statement: One UN for family leave and childcare

Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019

In a joint statement, the Heads of UNICEF, UN WOMEN, UNDP and UNFPA committed to strong gender-responsive, family-friendly policies for all United Nations staff, including paid parental leave for all parents regardless of gender, including parents who adopt, foster, or have children through surrogacy or assisted reproductive technology; flexible working arrangements for parents; designated private rooms and appropriate breaks for nursing and pumping; quality and affordable childcare; and child grants for all staff.

From where I stand: “We are the solution in Brazil, not the problem”

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2019

Valdecir Nascimento has been part of the women’s rights movement in Brazil for 40 years. When asked what inspired her, she said, “being a black woman in Brazil”.

Statement by UN Women on discrimination against female athletes

Date: Sunday, May 5, 2019

UN Women expresses its strong concern that the recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on female athletes with naturally elevated levels of testosterone contravenes the international human rights norms and standards expressed in the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution of March 2019 on the ‘Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Girls in Sport’.

Strong partnerships and bold actions to stamp out child marriage and FGM

Date: Friday, March 15, 2019

On the margins of the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, a high-level side event on “Accelerating the elimination of harmful practices to reap the demographic dividend in Africa” convened Member States, civil society, youth and development partners to discuss decisive measures to eliminate child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) across the continent.

Youth, innovation and irreversible progress for gender equality on the agenda as UN Women Executive Director visits Denmark

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2019

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is in Denmark to attend the annual consultations with the Danish Government.

Six things we learned from women’s resistance in 2018

Date: Friday, December 21, 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back at stories from some of the women who rose against injustice, defied stereotypes and inspired us all.

UN Women statement: Ensuring the protection of women human rights defenders in Nicaragua

Date: Friday, December 21, 2018

UN Women expresses its concern in face of the acts of violence, intimidation and harassment against women human rights defenders and women’s organizations in Nicaragua.

The sheroes of human rights

Date: Monday, December 10, 2018

As we close out the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on Human Rights Day (10 December), we stand in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of women human rights defenders who are leading the fight for universal human rights and lives free from violence.

Statement: Speaking out and speaking up for fundamental rights and freedoms

Date: Friday, December 7, 2018

In a statement for Human Rights Day (10 December) Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director UN Women, says: "Let us re-affirm our commitment to a world in which human rights, and women’s rights, underpin justice, solidarity, harmony and prosperity for all".

Statement by the Executive Director: Those who defend our rights in turn need our defense

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2018

In a statement for International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says: "We honour today the women whose courageous efforts—and sometimes whose lives—are given in defense of the universal human rights agenda and women’s empowerment".

Land rights at last for Sulaliyyate women in Morocco

Date: Wednesday, August 29, 2018

After 10 years of advocacy, ethnic Sulaliyyate women of Morocco finally have equal land rights. On 23 July, a State-run lottery distributed some 860 plots of land equally among men and women, as part of ongoing efforts to privatize land throughout the country.

Resilient and empowered, South Sudanese refugee women find new beginnings in Uganda

Date: Monday, June 18, 2018

More than one million South Sudanese refugees have crossed over the border into Uganda since 2013. Along with immediate assistance, they need long-term support, including therapy to cope with trauma and opportunities to earn a living. UN Women-supported therapy groups in one refugee settlement have helped women come together, heal and discover new beginnings.

From where I stand: “Always rely on yourself”

Date: Monday, June 18, 2018

Maha Aasi Emm Ala’a, a Syrian refugee, came to the UN Women-run women’s centre in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp with severe depression after her husband passed away. She received counseling and found tailoring work through the cash-for-work programme. As refugee crises become more protracted, humanitarian assistance must take into account immediate and long-term needs of women and girls. The women’s centres in Za’atari Refugee Camp are building women’s resilience and empowering them as leaders, workers and entrepreneurs.

Press release: UN Agencies call for stronger action to achieve equal nationality rights for all

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018

UN Women, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called today for increased efforts to eradicate gender inequality in nationality laws, which is a key driver of statelessness.

In the words of Jaha Dukureh: “We are at a tipping point in the movement to end FGM”

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Jaha Dukureh, UN Women Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, is an outspoken activist leading the movement to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.