In the Words of Dorcas Amakobe:“We take girls when they are nine years old and give them a chance to be bold”

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2019

Dorcas Amakobe is the Executive Director of “Moving the Goalposts”, a sport for development organization based Kilifi, a coastal town in Kenya. As part of a UN Women programme funded by the Government of Japan on enhancing women’s active participation in prevention of violent extremism in Kenya, the organization ran a project that provided livelihood skills training and helped build financial independence of young women engaged in its sport programme to build their resilience in Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale and Tana River County in the coastal region, where youth, including young women, are vulnerable to the spread of violent extremism. Using football as a tool for empowering girls and young women, Moving the Goalposts is helping girls and women stand on their own feet and make their mark, both on and off the field.

From where I stand: “People said, how are you going to play football, you’re a girl!”

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2019

Fathime Tibu, 26, is the youngest female coach of MTG United, the football league for Moving the Goalposts (MTG), a sport for development organization based in Kilifi, Kenya. She recently spoke to UN Women about her own journey, aspirations, and how sport is a powerful tool to empower girls.

From where I stand: “Girls need to believe in themselves”

Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Using football as a tool for empowering girls and young women, Moving the Goalposts is helping girls and women stand on their own feet and make their mark, both on and off the field.

Leading by example in addressing sexual harassment and abuse at the work place

Date: Monday, December 24, 2018

Caption Text As the world commemorated the global campaign on 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, the UN family in Nairobi, under the leadership of UN Women Kenya and Resident Coordinator’s Office, organized a joint town hall meeting on addressing sexual harassment and abuse at the workplace. The meeting brought together UN Leadership from the UN Office in Nairobi, UN Habitat, UN Environment, UN Women Kenya, UN Resident Coordinator, members of the UN Country Team...

Kenya Hosts High Level Review Meeting on the Implementation of UN Resolution on Peace and Security

Date: Thursday, October 25, 2018

During the discussion and deliberation on the high-level peer review on peace and security. The following were the key highlights of the discussion;That women participation in peace and security process remains instrumental and has transformed the security sector in Kenya.

African Traditional Leaders united against child marriage and FGM

Date: Thursday, August 16, 2018

Traditional Leaders from 17 African countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC, South Africa, Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Sierra Leone Swaziland, and Sudan converged in Nairobi from 12 to 16 August 2018. The meeting was hosted and facilitated by UN Women in collaboration with the Queen Mother Best Foundation (Uganda) and the Institute of African Royalty to develop a road map for the process of building a coordinated and sustainable...

Empowering women in Industry

Date: Thursday, August 16, 2018

UN Women in partnership with Classic Mouldings, a leading interior design and construction services organized a first ever industry on site-visit for women and young adults as well as representatives of corporates that are signatories to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

UN Women conducts pilot training for women in humanitarian fields

Date: Monday, July 2, 2018

Research has shown that women are at risk in both private and public spaces, neighborhoods, communities and large cities. There is a myriad of challenges that women are faced with not only in everyday work but also when going to the field, especially when undertaking various assignments at different work environments and offices.

Understanding the principle of Leaving No One Behind: UN Women meets stakeholders

Date: Friday, June 29, 2018

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) features the stand-alone Goal 5 to “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (GEWE)” with 54 gender-specific targets, out of the 169 targets. It is important to note that all SDGs are relevant to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and that women’s substantive and effective contributions are critical to achieving this agenda.

Agricultural shift: UN Women Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Summit with partners

Date: Thursday, May 31, 2018

The panel discussion highlighted that the gender gap in agricultural productivity is large, reducing it may reduce poverty and improve nutrition. Resultantly, there is need to reduce the gap by focusing on the constraints bringing to attention that environment, gender and agriculture are inter-linked factors in poverty reduction paradigm

From where I stand: “Women are our solution”

Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2018

DR. Josephine Kulea. Photo: UN Women Dr. Josephine Kulea is the Founder and Executive Director of Samburu Girl Foundation and the UN Person of the Year – Kenya COVAW Champion in 2013. Dr. Josephine works to protecting women’s rights and improving women empowerment at the grassroots level. She spoke to UN Women at the forum on what are the top priorities of her foundation. “Women and girls have an infinite potential to change the narrative. In our...

Women hold key to sustainable Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region

Date: Friday, April 6, 2018

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was a groundbreaking addition to the global peace and security infrastructure. The resolution served as the first global affirmation that women both disproportionately suffer from conflict and have an integral role to play in conflict resolution, peace negotiation, peacebuilding, and humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts. As such, the four pillars of 1325 – Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Relief and Recovery – reflect on the need to incorporate gender perspectives in peace and security efforts at all levels.

Stepping up the HeForShe Campaign at the University

Date: Monday, March 12, 2018

Participants discussing the meaning of consent at the USIU IWD event Photo: UN Women/ Ken Okoth USIU Africa is one of the leading private universities in Kenya and has adopted safe spaces for women and girls on the campus. The university through the office of the Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zaleza has embraced the HeForShe movement which is now actively promoted on the campus. This is aimed at addressing gender parity and sexual harassment at the university. Through the HeForShe club...

International Gender Champions strive towards Gender Balance

Date: Monday, March 12, 2018

On 7 th March 2018, ahead of the International Women’s day, the United Nations agencies operating in Nairobi launched the Nairobi chapter of the UN International Gender Champions. This is a leadership network that brings together female and male decision-makers to break down gender barriers and make gender equality a working reality in their spheres of influence. The launch was attended by UN staff members, the diplomatic community among other dignitaries. Senior UN offers present...

International Women's Day celebrations emphasize gender parity at all levels of society

Date: Friday, March 9, 2018

The meeting emphasized the need to do everything possible to ensure gender parity within our work as the UN and within the UN and its affiliated agencies which have not yet met the gender parity especially in senior positions.

To realize the SDGs, we must focus on gender equality

Date: Monday, March 5, 2018

UN Women on Wednesday, 28 th February 2018 launched its flagship report, “Turning promises into action: Gender equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The Africa launch of the report was held at the 3 rd annual Aid & International Development Forum in Nairobi. The report unveiling preceded similar launches in New York and Berlin. The report demonstrates the pervasive nature of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, and puts forth actionable...

Mango farmers in Kenya get access to new technology to counter post-harvest losses

Date: Friday, March 2, 2018

Mango farmers in Kenya get access to new technology to counter post-harvest losses

Take Five: 'Thousands of people leave their homes, families and, often, countries in order to help humanity as UN Volunteers'

Date: Thursday, March 1, 2018

How do you see the partnership between UN Women and UN Volunteers and why is this important? Ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls is a basic human right. It is also vital to accelerate sustainable development. It has been proven that empowering women and girls has a multiplier effect, and helps increase economic growth and development across the board. That is why, to contribute to equality for all genders, UNV has mobilized and continuous to mobilize hundreds of highly...

Press Release: Turning promises into action

Date: Friday, February 23, 2018

UN Women will on 28th February 2018 launch its flagship report, “Turning promises into action: Gender equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The report demonstrates through concrete evidence and data the pervasive nature of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, and puts forth actionable recommendations on how to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Take 5: Time to Change the Narrative

Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018

Ms. Valentine Njoroge is a Kenyan journalist and media practitioner. She spoke to UN Women about why it is time to change the narrative of African women in the media. A trustee of the New Faces New Voices program of the Grace Machel Trust, and member of the Women in Media Network's (WIMN) Kenyan Chapter, she conducted a study titled, “Women in Media: what is the narrative?” The launch of the study took place on the margins of the Grace Machel Trust's bi-annual event, Women Advancing Africa (WAA), launched in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in August 2017.