Through the Spotlight Initiative 2.0, supported by the European Union and UN Women Liberia and implemented by Youth Crime Watch of Liberia (YCWL), new opportunities are being created for some of the most vulnerable women and girls in Liberia. Between 20-26 May 2026, Youth Crime Watch Liberia convened stakeholder engagement meetings in Lofa, Nimba, and Montserrado Counties. The meetings brought together representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, local government authorities, civil society organizations, community leaders, religious leaders, representatives of persons with disabilities, SGBV survivors, girls at risk, former Zoes, practicing Zoes, and women's groups.

When Magdalene joined the UN Women Sierra Leone ChangeMaker Internship Programme in 2024, she was eager to learn, contribute, and make a difference. What she did not realize at the time was that the opportunity would become a life-changing stepping stone, shaping not only her professional career but also the lives of many women and children in Sierra Leone. Assigned to the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Unit and stationed at the One Stop Centre in Port Loko District, Magdalene quickly distinguished herself through her dedication, professionalism, and compassion for survivors of gender-based violence. From the outset, she demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting vulnerable women and children, approaching her work with empathy, determination, and a genuine desire to serve.

For many women in Mali, time is a scarce resource. Between household chores, meal preparation, food processing, and caring for children, older people, or sick family members, a large part of each day is devoted to essential but unpaid work. These are hours that cannot be spent on education, income-generating activities, or participation in public life. In Sicoro-Sourakabougou, a community in the District of Bamako, this reality is beginning to change. Thanks to solar-powered millet mills, women spend less time processing cereals, one of the most demanding tasks in their daily lives. Combined with training in cooperative management, food processing, and equipment maintenance, these investments are enabling women to expand their economic activities, strengthen their autonomy, and participate more actively in community life, particularly through the community health centre.

A delegation from the Women's Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL), in partnership with UN Women Liberia, is embarking on a South-South Peer Learning Mission to India under the project "Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development," funded by the IBSA Fund (India, Brazil, South Africa) through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and implemented by UN Women Liberia and the WLCL. The mission runs from 10 to 16 August 2026 in New Delhi. The delegation will engage directly with Indian counterparts on women's political leadership, gender-responsive governance, and sustainable development. The delegation comprises 12 members of the National Legislature, 9 Members of the House of Representatives and 3 Senators, together with 3 Secretariat staff and a staff member from UN Women Liberia. The delegation includes both women and men legislators and will be hosted by UN Women India.

Women leaders in Bundibugyo District are strengthening community preparedness and response to public health emergencies following a gender-responsive Ebola preparedness initiative supported by UN Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and other partners. More than 60 women leaders from Women’s Rights Organizations and Women-Led Organizations were trained on Ebola prevention, early detection, referral pathways, GBV prevention and the gender dimensions of emergencies. Among them, Ebola survivor Biira Enid mobilized and trained 55 women who now serve as community resource persons, sharing accurate information, addressing misinformation and linking families to health services. The initiative has strengthened women’s leadership in emergency response, helping build resilient communities that protect the rights, dignity and wellbeing of women and girls during health crises.

Spotlight Initiative 2.0, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented through the Government of Liberia and UN Women, in partnership with the HOPE (Helping Our People Excel) Consortium and Youth Crime Watch of Liberia reached another significant milestone with the successful validation of the Second Chance Education (SCE) Training Module. The validation workshop brought together representatives of the Government of Liberia, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, and technical experts to review and strengthen the training package, which is designed to equip women and girls with literacy, life skills, vocational and entrepreneurship skills, and pathways to economic empowerment.

Last week, stakeholders from government institutions, civil society organizations, traditional leadership structures, Peace Huts, development partners, and women's networks convened at the Ministry of Local Government for the National Dialogue on Women's Leadership in Local Governance and Peacebuilding. The dialogue, organized by the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) and Sister Aid Liberia with technical support from UN Women under the Government of Ireland-funded programme, provided a platform to review progress, identify persistent barriers, and strengthen commitments to advancing women's participation in leadership and peacebuilding across Liberia.

Yambio, South Sudan, 15 July 2026 – The Government of South Sudan, together with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN Women South Sudan Country Office, officially launched the “Supporting Women's Peacebuilding Efforts in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal States” on 8 July 2026 aimed at empowering women and young people to become drivers of peace, social cohesion and resilience across South Sudan. Supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), with complementary parallel financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project represents the second partnership of its kind globally between the PBF and AfDB. Together, they will strengthen local leadership, expand economic opportunities and create safe spaces for dialogue and community action in conflict-affected areas.

Uganda’s Judiciary is strengthening gender-responsive justice through the national roll-out of Gender-Responsive Adjudication (GRA) training for judicial officers, supported by UN Women, the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Gender Justice Platform. The latest phase, organised by the International Association of Women Judges – Uganda Chapter (IAWJ-UC), equipped 42 Chief Magistrates with skills to recognise and address gender bias, stereotypes and barriers affecting access to justice. Building on earlier capacity-building efforts since 2022, the initiative has now reached 160 newly appointed and promoted judicial officers across Uganda’s regions, while expanding a network of judicial champions committed to embedding gender-responsive principles in court practice. Through practical case studies, simulations and peer learning, the programme is advancing a justice system that is fair, inclusive and responsive to the realities of all court users.

For years, Sidi Haidara believed female genital mutilation (FGM) was simply part of life. Like many people in his community in central Mali, he saw it as a tradition passed down through generations—one that should be preserved. Today, he walks from village to village with a very different message: no tradition should come at the expense of a girl's health, rights or future.

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda will participate in a High-Level Advocacy Mission on the Ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU-CEVAWG), led by the African Union Commission (AUC) Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD) and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (SRRWA), in partnership with the Pan-African Women's Organization (PAWO). The mission, taking place from 29–31 July 2026, aims to mobilize political leadership and strengthen commitments towards the adoption, ratification, domestication and implementation of the AU-CEVAWG across the continent. The visit will conclude with the commemoration of Pan-African Women’s Day in a high-level breakfast to be held on 31 July 2026 under the theme: “Women’s Action for Safe Sanitation, Peaceful Communities and Better Livelihoods.”

Through the Digital for Women’s Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) Project, implemented by UN Women with funding support from the Orange Foundation, rural women, particularly women farmers are learning digital and financial literacy skills to safely participate in Liberia’s growing digital economy.

The Government of Kenya, through the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action under the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, UN Women Kenya and partners concluded a two-day National Consultative Forum on the implementation of the Presidential Technical Working Group (TWG) Recommendations on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including Femicide, with a renewed commitment to translate recommendations into measurable, coordinated and adequately financed action.

The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) Phase IV equipped 120 adolescent girls from Wanyange Girls' Secondary School in Jinja and Kyebambe Girls' Secondary School in Fort Portal with practical coding and digital skills to prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Held from 13–22 May 2026, the intensive coding camps were implemented by UN Women, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in partnership with the Government of Uganda. Through hands-on training in programming, robotics, web development, and digital innovation, the girls strengthened their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and confidence to pursue opportunities in the digital economy. The initiative also challenged gender stereotypes that limit girls' participation in technology while promoting digital inclusion and innovation. AGCCI continues to advance gender equality by empowering girls with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the technology sector and contribute to Africa's digital transformation.

From 14–16 July 2026, women parliamentarians, Ministers of Gender and civil society leaders gathered in Accra to launch the West Africa Female Parliamentarians Movement on Ending VAWG. Organized by the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF) and UN Women West and Central Africa, the conference was held under the ACT to End VAWG programme, supported by the European Union, UN Women and the UN Trust Fund.

Across rural villages in Kisumu County, a quiet digital revolution is taking shape. Young people who once viewed technology as a distant opportunity are now harnessing digital skills to build businesses, create jobs, champion safer online spaces and transform their communities. Through the Digital Platforms Kenya programme (DigiKen), youth are proving that access to digital knowledge can unlock economic opportunity regardless of where one lives.

Through DigiKen, UN Women is supporting the advancement of an inclusive, gender-responsive and sustainable digital economy in Kenya. Implemented in partnership UNEP, UNESCO and UNCDF through the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and digital innovation hubs like Zone 01 Kisumu LakeHub, the programme equips young women and men with digital, entrepreneurial and innovation skills while promoting online safety, digital rights and women's participation in the digital economy.

Khartoum/Nairobi/Geneva, 24 July 2026 – UN Women is gravely concerned by the emerging pattern of violence against women and girls in El Obeid, Sudan, where drone attacks during the day and sexual violence at night have left no safe window for women and girls to collect water – mirroring the atrocities documented in El Fasher last year. Access to food, healthcare, and other essential services is also severely limited, particularly in displacement sites.

Young people across Liberia are gaining greater access and undertsanding of the country’s National Youth Policy (2025–2029) following the completion of regional dialogues aimed at strengthening youth understanding, ownership and participation in its implementation. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with UN Women, UNFPA and OHCHR, completed dialogues in Monrovia, Buchanan, Gbarnga and Zwedru, with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

Evelyn Auma, a mother of eight from Bulidha Sub-county in Bugiri District, transformed her life from subsistence farming and charcoal burning to successful fish farming through the UN Women-supported Women Economic Empowerment Bugiri (WEEB) project. After receiving training in climate-smart aquaculture, financial literacy, and business development, she established a sustainable aquaculture enterprise that improved her family's income, food security, and nutrition. Evelyn is among more than 1,400 women who have entered the traditionally male-dominated aquaculture sector through the initiative. Between 2020 and 2026, the project produced 819.77 metric tonnes of fish and generated over USD 1.6 million in fish sales revenue, demonstrating how investing in women's economic empowerment can transform lives, strengthen communities, and promote sustainable livelihoods.