National authorities, international partners, women’s organizations and citizens gathered to celebrate the central role women play in the country’s development, peace and social cohesion. The ceremony brought together high-level officials including members of Government, Parliament, the diplomatic corps and representatives of national institutions. Government officials, parliamentarians, members of state institutions and representatives of the diplomatic corps gradually took their seats.

UN Women, in partnership with the Government of Burundi and the European Union Delegation, brought together key service providers in Burundi for a capacity-building workshop focused on improving services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Held at Bujumbura, the workshop created a space for dialogue, learning, and collaboration among professionals providing psychosocial, legal, and medical support to survivors. The shared goal was clear: strengthen coordination and improve the quality of care across sectors.

UN Women Burundi, in collaboration with the National Platform for Disaster Risk Prevention and Management and several UN agencies including UNFPA, UNHCR, OCHA and IOM, organized a capacity-building workshop at La Détente in Bujumbura on integrating gender into humanitarian programming and disaster risk management. The workshop brought together women leaders from national organizations, humanitarian actors and experts with a shared objective: strengthening the capacity of women-led organizations to effectively integrate gender perspectives into humanitarian response and disaster management.

In the foothills of Cyivugiza Cell, Musanze District, Marcelline Uzamukunda's days were long shaped by an unrelenting routine of unpaid care work. Like many women in her community, her morning rhythm reflected entrenched gender norms that quietly eroded her socio-economic potential. In 2023, her integration into a UN Women and ActionAid initiative addressing unpaid care work marked a turning point, helping her recognize her own possibilities. Today, Marcelline is an active cooperative member, small-scale trader and role model, training other women on strategies for economic empowerment.

Through the AGCCI, partners aim to reduce gender disparities in information and communication technologies. In Burundi, as in many African countries, girls remain underrepresented in STEM fields. “After this camp, I want to teach other girls in my community what I have learned here,” said Clairia Mugisha, from Buhumuza province, expressing her commitment to sharing knowledge.

The third phase of the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) has successfully concluded in Gitega, Shombo commune, this March 27th, 2026, marking another significant milestone in advancing digital inclusion and empowering young girls in Burundi. Hosted at the Cefore RUSI in Shombo commune, the coding camp brought together young girls from across the country for an intensive training focused on programming, digital innovation, and problem-solving skills.

UN Women, with financial support from the Government of Japan, has launched a new humanitarian project aimed at addressing the urgent protection and livelihood needs of 10,000 Congolese refugees and Burundian internally displaced persons (IDPs), the majority of whom are women and girls. With a total budget of USD 266,666, the project is being implemented in a challenging humanitarian context marked by the continued influx of refugees fleeing insecurity in eastern of Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as internal displacement caused by climate-related flooding in Burundi.

As part of its mandate to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, UN Women Burundi, with the financial support of the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), is implementing a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the institutional, organizational and technical capacities of its women-led civil society partners.

Two months after a session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) marked by unprecedented tensions surrounding women’s rights, and the adoption, for the first time in 70 years, of agreed conclusions through a vote, the UN Women Regional Office for West and Central Africa convened ministers responsible for gender affairs across the region for a Friends Raising event dedicated to advancing the implementation of CSW70 commitments.

At a time when conversations around governance reform and inclusive leadership are becoming increasingly urgent, senior public service leaders across Nigeria are taking decisive steps to strengthen gender-responsive governance. A two-day training on gender-responsive leadership, convened by UN Women Nigeria, Kimpact Development Initiative, and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with support from the Government of Canada, brought together Permanent Secretaries and key government actors to deepen their understanding of inclusive governance and institutional reform.

On the outskirts of Kenema, Mariama Kalokoh-an entrepreneur who never had the opportunity for formal education has become a beacon of inspiration for women and youth alike. Rising with the sun, her hands nurture the soil that has sustained generations. For years, farming meant uncertainty: erratic rains, poor-quality seeds, and limited access to markets. Yet Mariama refused to give up.

Harmful practices such as child marriage, gender-based violence, land disputes, and forced initiation rites perpetuate poverty and silence women’s voices in community leadership. To confront this, the Sustaining Community Women’s Movement for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Response project, led by YONECO with UN Women and WPHF support, trained over 100 women leaders,including chiefs’ wives,in mediation, advocacy, and conflict resolution. These women formed forums where girls and mothers could safely raise concerns, intervening in cases of abuse, forced marriage, and school dropouts. By challenging entrenched norms, they are reshaping justice, amplifying women’s voices, and building sustainable peace.

UN Women and its partners have launched a six-day training in Bangui aimed at improving the collection and use of data on the situation of women and girls in the Central African Republic.

In Maasai communities, women have long faced limited recognition in public and economic life, but new forms of collective power are emerging. Small savings groups, known locally as Village Community Banks (VICOBA), are doing more than expanding incomes. They are reshaping who participates in decisions, who controls resources, and who leads.

South Sudan is facing an escalating humanitarian emergency where women and girls are bearing the heaviest burden. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 100 women and girls have been displaced every hour, as violence intensifies across the country. Nearly 60 per cent of the 375,825 people displaced this year—over 223,000—are women and girls, highlighting the disproportionate impact of conflict on their lives. In hotspots such as Jonglei State, displacement has reached alarming levels, while communities face repeated attacks, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of basic services. Women and girls are not only losing their homes, but also their safety, dignity, and access to essential care with the crisis compounded by a severe hunger emergency.

The fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria reached another significant milestone on March 18, 2026, as stakeholders from the private sector, development community, and advocacy space convened at the headquarters of Providus Bank Plc in Lagos for the inaugural Board meeting of the Empower Her GBV Initiative.

Kinshasa, le 12 mai 2026 — Le Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) et ONU Femmes appellent à une large mobilisation du leadership féminin à toutes les étapes du processus du deuxième Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat (RGPH-2), en vue de produire des données démographiques fiables, désagrégées et inclusives, essentielles à l’élaboration de politiques publiques équitables et fondées sur des données probantes.

UN Women played a prominent and strategic role at the 39th African Union (AU) Summit, advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment across key continental priorities and policy spaces. Led by Deputy Executive Director Dr. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, alongside Regional Directors Anna Mutavati (East and Southern Africa) and Maxime Houinato (West and Central Africa), the UN Women delegation engaged with Heads of State, AU leadership, and regional partners to ensure gender equality remains central to Africa’s development agenda.

In many rural communities in Liberia, violence against women and girls has long remained shrouded in silence, sustained by stigma, fear and deeply rooted social norms that continue to limit the safety, education and opportunities of women and girls.

Nairobi, Kenya, May 7, 2026: This Mother’s Day, countries across Africa will celebrate mothers and the importance of family life. Yet as we honor motherhood and the important role of families, seven countries in Africa continue to be among the 24 globally with nationality laws that deny women the right to confer nationality on their children on an equal basis with men. Additionally, nationality laws in approximately 40% of African countries do not provide women with the same rights as men to confer nationality on a noncitizen spouse.