Stories
- Human rights (168)
- Ending violence against women and girls (63)
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment (44)
- Economic empowerment (30)
- Executive Director (28)
- Women’s rights (26)
- Gender, culture and society (24)
- Access to justice and legal protection (21)
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (19)
- UN Women administration (19)
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Sunday, August 1, 2021
Since February 1, women and girls have been at the frontlines as leaders of civil society organizations, civil servants, activists, journalists, artists and influencers exercising their fundamental rights to express their hopes for the future of their country. Even before the coup, women, who make up 75 per cent of Myanmar’s healthcare professionals, were at the forefront of the COVID-19 response. Now, during a tragic surge in COVID-19 cases, many women continue in their activism and serve their communities while also assuming significant responsibilities as caregivers for sick family members, and for their children’s home-based learning.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
UN Women will host the first all-Black, all-women global selling exhibition and auction titled “A Force for Change”, with proceeds benefiting Black women across the world and the participating artists. The exhibition will be open to the public in New York City from 27 to 31 July 2021, with an online auction hosted on Artsy from 16 to 30 July 2021, closing at 2pm EDT.
Seven ways to change the world
Monday, June 21, 2021
Convened by UN Women, co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, together with civil society and youth, the Generation Equality Forum is taking place in Paris, from 30 June to 2 July. Here’s how it’s set to be catalytic and action-oriented, unveiling major investments, programmes, and policies that accelerate progress on women’s rights.
Explainer: What you should know about widowhood
Monday, June 21, 2021
On International Widows’ Day, 23 June, take a look at some of the issues affecting widows around the world and what must be done to safeguard and advance their rights.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
In a statement on the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: "We unite today across the world through a day of anti-racism solidarity and celebrate the rekindling of the global racial justice movement".
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Women’s leadership is at the forefront of unfolding discussions at the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, from 15 to 26 March. UN Women brings inspiring voices of women leaders from around the world
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.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Today, UN Women stands in solidarity with the women and women’s civil society organizations of Myanmar as they seek to exercise their fundamental right to demonstrate peacefully and express their hopes and desires for the future of their country.
Ana Šaćipović: Building a bridge between two worlds
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Ana Šaćipović is a social worker from Serbia who advocates for the rights of Roma women, fighting prejudice and discrimination. In 2005, she founded the Osvit (Dawn) Roma Association, an NGO which supports and promotes women's interests throughout the community and beyond.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Nahla Haidar is a member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). She has over 30 years of professional experience mainly within the United Nations System, ranging from social development, to relief coordination, to peace-building and human rights. Ms. Haidar is CEDAW’s rapporteur on reprisals and covers cases on women human rights defenders.
From where I stand: “Together, we are building peace and equal rights in our territories”
Monday, August 17, 2020
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.
Advice from activists: Pride is a protest, and marginalized communities must be centre-stage
Friday, June 26, 2020
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.
Friday, June 26, 2020
In a statement released today on the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter, UN Women Executive Director stressed, "The words of the Charter resonate now more strongly than ever before. They reiterate our shared work across all parts of the UN ‘to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom’. Today we in UN Women recall and recommit to those aspirations, as we build back better from the consequences of conflict and coronavirus, and engage in concerted efforts for equality and racial justice in all segments of society and in all sectors."
Monday, June 22, 2020
United Nations Senior African Officials, including UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka commit to harnessing their expertise and leadership to address the root causes and structural changes that must be implemented to bring an end to racism.
Speech: “We must be united to end racism as well as gender inequality”
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Remarks by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, at the urgent debate on current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and the violence against peaceful protest during the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
Press release: COVID-19 sparks urgency around justice for women, new report calls for action
Thursday, May 21, 2020
A new report documents major challenges to women’s access to justice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and puts forth recommendations to accelerate action and push back against threats to progress.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
During these uncertain and difficult times, we turn to women leaders from around the world for inspiration. They have forged peace when ravaged by war; they have driven innovation despite all odds; and they persisted in the face of challenges and insisted on building a better future.
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.
I am Generation Equality: Lee Mi-kyung, overseas aid administrator and women’s rights activist
Friday, April 3, 2020
Lee Mi-kyung is President of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). She served five terms as Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea from 1996 to 2016, and was Standing Vice-Chairperson and Representative of Korea Women’s Association United from 1987 to 1996.