Stories
- Harmful practices (50)
- Ending violence against women and girls (45)
- Executive Director (10)
- Child marriage (10)
- Gender, culture and society (9)
- Youth (9)
- Human rights (8)
- Domestic violence/interpersonal violence (8)
- Anti-violence interventions (8)
- Health (6)
- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (6)
- Show more
UN Women Regional Goodwill Ambassador Jaha Dukureh receives Council of Europe North-South Prize 2018
Friday, September 13, 2019
UN Women's first Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, has today received the North-South Prize 2018 by the Council of Europe, recognizing her role in the fight to end female genital mutilation.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
The first African Summit to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Child Marriage convened by the governments of Senegal and The Gambia, in partnership with the survivor-led NGO, Safe Hands for Girls, and with the support of multilateral organizations, including UN Women, UNFPA and the World Bank, took place in Dakar, Senegal on 16-18 June 2019.
Speech: African youth lead the way on ending harmful practices
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the first African Summit on Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage in Dakar, Senegal on the African Day of the Child
Monday, June 17, 2019
UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, represented the United Nations at the first African Summit on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage taking place in Dakar, Senegal on June 16-18. The summit aims to translate the commitment of governments, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders into action on the ground that eliminates these harmful practices.
Statement: Take action to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
In a joint statement for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem, and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore, reaffirm their commitment to end this violation of human rights.
Survivors speak: Women leading the movement to end FGM
Monday, February 4, 2019
On International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, 6 February, here are four women, among many, many more, who are fighting for girlhoods free of FGM.
Traditional leaders across Africa move the needle against child marriage and FGM
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Working with traditional leaders, UN Women and partners are building impetus for a continent-wide commitment to end child marriage and female genital mutilation in Africa.
Speech: “Ending FGM is possible in our generation. It is no longer a dream”—Jaha Dukureh
Monday, June 11, 2018
Remarks by Regional UN Women Ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, at the Opening Session of the European Development Days, Spotlight Initiative section
EU-UN Spotlight Initiative urges inclusive global action on violence against women and girls
Thursday, March 22, 2018
On 12 March, opening day of the 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62), the Spotlight Initiative, a multi-year partnership between the European Union and the United Nations, brought together leaders from Government and civil society to discuss strategies for eliminating violence against women and girls.
Monday, March 19, 2018
At the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women side event Accelerating Efforts to Eliminate FGM and Child, Early and Forced Marriage by 2030, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo -Ngcuka said "It takes a man and a boy and a father and a brother to say: not my sister; not my child, not my cousin, so that this is not a fight that only the girls are waging."
In the words of Jaha Dukureh: “We are at a tipping point in the movement to end FGM”
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.
Ending harmful traditional practices in Mali
Monday, February 5, 2018
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is supporting the Malian organization AMSOPT to change social norms and provide access to medical and psychosocial services for survivors of FGM/C, which is often referred to as excision in Mali.
Press release: UN Women announces first Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa
Monday, February 5, 2018
On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on 6 February, UN Women announced the appointment of renowned activist Jaha Dukureh of The Gambia as Regional Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women. Ms. Dukureh will dedicate her efforts to support UN Women’s advocacy to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in Africa, with focus on mobilizing youth.
Statement: “FGM is an act that cuts away equality”
Monday, February 5, 2018
Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, for International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, 6 February 2018
Executive Director’s blog series: Violence against women in rural communities
Thursday, December 7, 2017
The thirteenth part in a 16-part blog series by UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Rural women explore new solutions to counter customs and poverty driving FGM crisis
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Globally, at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM). Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world, with nine in every 10 women and girls cut, many as young as five years old. During the Ebola crisis of 2014, a moratorium was placed on FGM as part of the emergency health measures. But now three years on, the practice has returned, even though the ban is still in place. While gender inequality, myths...
Monday, November 13, 2017
In Mugumu, Serengeti, in the Mara region of north-western Tanzania, a safe house takes in young girls escaping child marriage, domestic abuse and sexual assault; but primarily girls who are escaping female genital mutilation (FGM).
In the words of Ainuru Altybaeva: “Bride kidnapping is not a tradition, it’s a crime”
Friday, October 13, 2017
Ainuru Altybaeva serves as a Member of Parliament in Kyrgyzstan, and has been an activist for women’s empowerment for over 10 years. She was the initiator of a law on toughening penalties for bride kidnapping, and a vocal participant of the national UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls women’s movement, coordinated and led by UN Women in Kyrgyzstan. UN Women partnered with Altybaeva on several advocacy initiatives in Kyrgyzstan, including an advocacy campaign in the parliament on adopting the new law on domestic violence. She is the former chair and initiator of the Kyrgyz Parliament’s Women’s Caucus.
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
Friday, February 3, 2017
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed across the world on 6th February, to raise awareness and boost efforts to end the harmful practice.
Friday, February 3, 2017
While there has been an overall decline in the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) across countries, this progress is likely to be offset by rapid population growth in countries where FGM occurs, unless efforts to eliminate the practice are renewed in light of recent research, and urgently stepped up.