On 4 September 2026, the Women Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL), UN Women Liberia and project partner CareFound Liberia officially launched Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and agricultural cooperatives in Kakata, Margibi County by bringing together VSLA representatives, community facilitators, local authorities, including County Gender Offices and Agriculture Coordinators, from the eight project counties.

For many women farmers in Liberia, access to financial services and digital tools remains a challenge. Through UN Women’s Digital Inclusion for Women’s Economic Empowerment Project, Jacqueline Mulbah gained access to new opportunities that helped her expand her farming business, increase her income and strengthen her economic independence.

In Mobaye, Central African Republic, women are turning small weekly savings into tangible opportunities for themselves and their families. Through Village Savings and Loan Associations supported by UN Women, they are investing in businesses, agriculture, livestock farming and their children’s education, while strengthening their economic resilience, confidence and role within their communities.

Through the Government of Japan-funded Project “Enhancing Women's Resilience in Refugee Camps and Host Communities”, UN Women Kenya, working alongside county government of Turkana, international and national non-governmental organizations, has helped create pathways to safety, economic empowerment, and self-reliance.

For years, women rice farmers in Dabarkda community, Bauchi State, spent long hours traveling outside their community to process their rice, limiting their time and income opportunities. With the installation of a rice milling machine by UN Women, women in the Kunsuman Dabarkda Bundot Group A and Bamganfabam Dabarkda Bundot Group B cooperatives can now process rice locally, saving time, increasing productivity, and improving their livelihoods. The initiative is not only boosting incomes but also empowering women with greater confidence, dignity, and economic independence.

Musongati (Burunga Province) and Gisuru (Buhumuza Province), 1st August 2026 – A total of 204 households in Musongati Commune (Burunga Province) and 200 households in Gisuru Commune (Buhumuza Province) received gender-responsive land certificates, strengthening women’s land rights and promoting more secure and equitable access to land.

Africa cannot achieve sustainable peace without the full and meaningful participation of women and young people. This was the central message emerging from a high-level parallel session held in Bujumbura on 11 August, bringing together political leaders, women mediators, young leaders, women’s rights defenders and peacebuilding actors to reflect on women’s participation in peace negotiations and access to justice. Held as part of the 5th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security in Africa and the Women, Peace and Security Forum, the session focused on “From Promise to Practice: Intergenerational Voices on Peace Negotiations and Access to Justice for All Women and Girls.” The discussion provided a platform for different generations of women to share experiences, identify persistent barriers and explore concrete pathways to strengthen women’s leadership in peace and security processes.

Bujumbura, 14 August 2026 — A new €18 million investment adopted by the European Commission in April 2026 is set to strengthen access to essential social services for adolescent girls in Burundi, with a particular focus on education and health. The investment, adopted by the European Commission in April 2026, was highlighted during a meeting of the Gender Sector Group (GSG) in Bujumbura on 14 August. The meeting brought together the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Gender, UN Women and the European Union, which co-chair the Group, alongside government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.

Burundi is strengthening the capacity of its decentralized services to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). On 13 August 2026, UN Women handed over a significant package of equipment to the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Gender to support structures working to combat SGBV across the country. The initiative is part of the project “Institutional Support to the Establishment of the National Observatory for Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Burundi,” funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Burundi.

From September 7 to 11, 2026, the UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Dr. Maxime Houinato, will be in Ziguinchor alongside Ms. Arlette Mvondo, UN Women’s Resident Representative in Senegal. In a regional context where the rights of women and girls face the risk of setbacks, this visit will have a clear goal: to amplify their voices, empower them, and advance equality for the next generation.

In July and August, the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), with support from the Elsie Initiative Fund through UN Women, embarked on a nationwide awareness campaign across Liberia to promote women’s participation in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and raise awareness of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

From 10 to 15 August 2026, a delegation of 12 Liberian legislators, including nine Representatives and three Senators, together with legislative support staff and UN Women Liberia participated in a South-South Peer Learning Mission to India. The mission formed part of the project “Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development,” funded by the IBSA Fund through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and implemented by UN Women Liberia in partnership with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL). South-South cooperation is a central part of the project, connecting Liberia’s priorities with knowledge and experience from IBSA countries.

Nampula, Mozambique — At 14, Elsa dos Santos was expected to leave school and marry an older man. Today, she runs two businesses, mentors young people and makes her own decisions, an economic empowerment journey supported by the Rapariga Biz Programme.

41 women aspirants from Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa Counties gathered in Monrovia on August 19 for the first round of a three-day Political Leadership and Candidate Preparedness Training. The training forms part of a nationwide initiative that is planned to reach approximately 240 women aspirants across all 15 counties, helping to strengthen the pipeline of women leaders ahead of the 2029 elections. This initiative is implemented under the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) by UNDP in collaboration with UN Women and Sister Aid Liberia. The LESP is managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, with support from the European Union, Ireland and Sweden.

The first birthday cake Beatriz Jaime sold did more than earn her an income. It showed her that her skills could finance her education, create jobs for other young women and give her greater control over her future.

The policies and budgets that shape the lives of millions of Nigerians pass through the Federal Civil Service. To ensure those systems work more equitably for women and men, UN Women and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) have inaugurated the Steering Committee and Technical Working Group on Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) and the INSPIRE Programme.

When news broke of Uganda's Ebola outbreak in May 2026, many people feared a return to the devastating experiences of previous epidemics. For Biira Enid, Team Leader of the Bundibugyo Young Mothers Initiative (BYMI), those fears were deeply personal. Having survived Ebola herself, she understands the anxiety, stigma and uncertainty that communities face during an outbreak.

Chioniso Michelle Murinda is an elected councillor and Chair of the Chegutu District Council in Zimbabwe, where she leads on environmental governance, natural resource management and local development. Murinda joined the first-ever Women’s Assembly on 23 June 2026, hosted in the context of UCLG’s World Congress and Summit of Local and Regional Leaders in Tangier. Supported by WYDE Women’s Leadership, the Women’s Assembly marked a historic moment for women in local governance, creating a space for women leaders across generations and regions to collectively shape a more inclusive political future.

Sarah's story is one of many lives being transformed through the Let It Not Happen Again Programme, a joint initiative of UN Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The programme is implemented in partnership with the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) Kenya and the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), with support from the Italian Government through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

As digital technologies become deeply woven into everyday life, a new frontier of gender-based violence is emerging, one that is often invisible, underreported and devastating for survivors. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), defined as any act of violence committed, assisted, aggravated or amplified through the use of information and communication technologies or digital media against a person on the basis of their gender, is increasingly affecting women and girls across Kenya. It includes image-based sexual abuse, cyberbullying, impersonation, online harassment, cyberstalking and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content.