We, the Heads of State and Government of African Union Member States, reaffirm our commitment to the African Union Constitutive Act and core continental human rights frameworks, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. We also uphold legal instruments related to the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons. We emphasize our continued support for African Union decisions and efforts aimed at achieving gender equality and ending all forms of violence against women and girls.

Sierra Leone’s women and youth have been powerful forces for peace—from ending civil war to building democracy today. This video highlights how 150 Women-Focused Civil Society Organizations and Youth Peace Ambassadors are working together to prevent conflict and promote inclusive governance with support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund jointly implemented by UN Women, UNDP and World Vision International. In Sierra Leone, 150 Women-Focused Civil Society Organizationsand Youth Peace Ambassadors are working together to prevent conflict and promote inclusive governance with support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund jointly implemented by UN Women, UNDP and World Vision International.

UN Women Sierra Leone champions gender equality by empowering women, ending violence, and promoting leadership through strong partnerships, community action, and inclusive policy reform across the country working hand-in-hand with the government and people of Sierra Leone in partnership with national and international partners. This Brochure demonstrates how UN Women Sierra Leone works to ensure every woman and girl should and can live free from all forms of violence, lead in public life, and thrive economically. Through strategic partnerships, grassroots action, and policy influence, we’re building a more equal and inclusive Sierra Leone one community at a time.

In 2023, UN Women Sierra Leone advanced transformative change—from empowering rural women economically to amplifying survivor voices in the fight against gender-based violence. This report highlights our impact, partnerships, and the bold strides we’ve taken toward gender equality across the nation.  The Report highlights how UN Women’s work in Sierra Leone impacted women’s equality and empowerment in the country through support to rural women’s economic empowerment and the fight against gender-based violence and amplifying survivor voices while working for peace and women’s participation in governance.

This report explores the status of gender equality in universities and colleges within East and Southern Africa, with particular attention to trends in admissions, student retention and graduation, staff diversity and the integration of gender sensitive content in academic programs. Despite gains at primary and secondary education, significant gender imbalances persist in higher education especially in STEM disciplines where women remain underrepresented and face safety and leadership barriers. The analysis draws data from sources such as UNESCO, the World Bank, and national education reports. While some advancements have been observed, deep-rooted inequalities continue to hinder gender parity. The report urges the adoption of gender inclusive laws and strategies, aligned with CEDAW Recommendation 36 and SDGs 4, 5, and 10. It emphasizes the need for universities and policymakers to foster inclusive academic environments that support equal participation, advance gender justice and promote sustainable and equitable development across the region.

A comprehensive gender analysis of the 2022 Population Census and national surveys conducted in Zimbabwe from 2020 to 2024.

This toolkit is designed to help national statistics offices (NSOs), policymakers, and other stakeholders advocate for the use of administrative data in statistics. It provides clear, actionable steps for anyone struggling to access or champion the benefits of using administrative data for statistical purposes. The toolkit compiles rich experience from CAD members and applies principles of advocacy in the context of accessing administrative data and outlines practical steps in the advocacy process.

Lesotho has one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the world, with 43 per cent of women reporting physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. The widespread nature of femicide underscores the need for a deeper understanding of the phenomenon to develop effective strategies to address it. By examining existing data and engaging with key stakeholders to identify gaps in current practices and develop targeted strategies for improving data quality control measures, this assessment aims to do just that.

The decision for women to migrate is multifaceted, driven by various factors, including the pursuit of economic, educational, and life opportunities and the need to escape conflict, environmental disasters, and deeply entrenched gender inequalities. Many migrant women in South Africa have fled violence or persecution in their countries of origin, including community and political violence, as well as experiences of rape and domestic abuse.

The UN has consistently underscored the importance of gender parity, establishing initial benchmarks as early as 1970 and reinforcing them through key frameworks such as the Beijing Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals. Instruments like the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard and the Gender Parity Dashboard have been essential in tracking institutional progress. UN-Kenya’s Gender Parity Strategy builds on these commitments by fostering inclusive hiring practices, promoting equitable career growth, and creating supportive work environments. Anchored in extensive data collection including surveys, document analysis, and consultations with stakeholders, the strategy seeks to transform workplace culture and strengthen leadership responsibility. Its objectives include boosting team performance, lowering staff attrition, and ensuring balanced gender representation across all roles, particularly in more challenging field contexts. This integrated strategy is vital to advancing gender equality while enhancing the UN’s ability to respond effectively to diverse development challenges at both national and international levels.

Why does gender data matter? This publication highlights key insights from a high-level roundtable on closing gender data gaps in Africa and the Arab States. It explores challenges in data collection, media storytelling, and policymaking—while showcasing success stories. With actionable recommendations, it calls for stronger data systems to ensure women and girls are counted, heard, and empowered.

Taking into consideration Zimbabwe’s austerity-oriented macroeconomic policy trajectory, this study analysed 582 women-owned businesses across 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. Findings show that most of the businesses are informal, micro-sized, and survivalist with limited access to finance and markets. The study recommends gender-responsive policies, ease of doing business reforms, support for formalization, improving financial access, strengthening business development services, enhancing skills training and expanding export support.

This strategy, developed through stakeholder consultations in Karamoja, seeks to enhance community participation in humanitarian and development efforts. It addresses gaps in accountability and local capacity, proposing a collective, government-aligned approach over individual referral systems. Oxfam, UN Women, CDFU, and District Local Governments commit to implementing a collective Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanism. The strategy outlines four objectives (2025–2030): build community capacity, improve complaint systems, mainstream community perspectives, and strengthen engagement. It includes monitoring, risk mitigation, and sustainability plans. This calls for collaboration among UN agencies, NGOs, communities, and government for inclusive, impactful, and sustainable programming.

Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, two years into a devastating conflict that has far-reaching regional implications. A major consequence is the large-scale displacement of people to neighboring countries, with projections estimating over 4.8 million displaced by the end of 2025 if the conflict persists. Conflicts like these typically worsen existing social inequalities, especially gender disparities. Even before the current crisis, Sudan and surrounding countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR) ranked poorly on the Gender Inequality Index (GNI), with scores of 0.55 for Sudan, 0.59 for South Sudan, and 0.67 for both Chad and CAR. These figures reflect limited access to education, healthcare, and political participation for women. The ongoing conflict is expected to deepen these disparities, highlighting the urgent need for gender-responsive humanitarian strategies to ensure inclusive support, protection, and long-term development for affected populations across the region.

The baseline survey assesses gender equality in Zimbabwe’s private sector, revealing low female representation in leadership, underrepresented professions, procurement, and share ownership. Only 20 per cent of CEOs and 25 per cent of directors are women. Few companies enforce gender policies or support women through procurement or CSR. The study recommends integrating gender equality into business strategies, improving enforcement, and supporting women-led enterprises through targeted programs, advocacy, and investment literacy.

The 'Gender and water (in)security in agricultural production in East Africa' focuses on the gender dynamics governing access to, use and control over rain water and irrigation used for productive livelihoods in agriculture in the countryside of Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan; how rural institutional arrangements and climate change impacts productive water use by women and men in agriculture, how gendered access to irrigation is impacted by the social norms that shape governance structures; and the policy responses needed to equitably respond to these gender challenges.

UN Women’s Low-Cost Biogas Project in Nigeria supports rural women with sustainable energy solutions, improving livelihoods and advancing climate resilience. By promoting biogas for clean cooking and income generation, the project contributes to reducing deforestation, unpaid care work, and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating green jobs and boosting women’s economic autonomy.

Uganda’s refugee policy is progressive, yet women and children remain highly vulnerable. Since 2022, food aid cuts have severely impacted female headed households. A gender assessment across eight districts highlights these challenges, showing the disproportionate effects on livelihoods, education, and protection. Key recommendations include promoting alternative livelihoods, improving education access, strengthening GBV support, enhancing food security measures, and fostering peaceful coexistence with host communities to ensure sustainable empowerment and gender-responsive aid.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) monitors gender equality commitments and the Beijing Declaration. A study by UN Women East and Southern Africa assessed CSW63–CSW66, finding strong treaty ratification but weak policy implementation. Challenges include inadequate funding, weak national preparations, and limited African influence in CSW negotiations. Recommendations include strengthening coordination, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and improving CSO participation to boost Africa’s impact in global gender equality discussions.

The rapid assessment provides an analysis of the situation of women migrating from, to through and back to Ethiopia based on existing literature and a review of relevant policies, legal frameworks and services related to migration governance in Ethiopia, with a gender lens. The assessment also proposes recommendations to strengthen the rights of migrant women at all stages of migration.