Norwegian ambassador in Uganda visits LEAP project beneficiaries in Yumbe district.

Enat bank, also known as Women’s bank, a private commercial bank established by Ethiopian women, confirmed its commitment to advance Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment by becoming a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment Principles(WEPs) over a year ago. The bank envisions to maximize and promote female capability in economic inclusion since its establishment over sixteen years ago. According to the bank’s managers, partnering with UN Women and being a signatory have contributed to advance the bank’s performance than ever before. These include from tripling its number of branches country wide with gender departments to becoming the pioneer trusted gender focused financial institution supporting women to access gender-responsive financial and non-financial services as well as to technically support other banks, private sectors and non-governmental organizations engaged in socio-economic empowerment of women at country and regional levels.

A baseline survey conducted by UN Women Rwanda on unpaid care work status among women and men within 8 districts of Rwanda, revealed that a rural woman spent seven hours per day doing unpaid care work, while the urban woman spent six hours and nine minutes as opposed to the man who only spent two hours per day.

UN Women and UNFPA regional offices in East and Southern Africa are collaborating toward growing a movement for positive masculinity and meaningful engagement of men and boys in advancing gender equality and women’s rights.

Audan Lokaala is a part time lecturer, PHD student, a mother, and a wife. She is also vying for the parliamentary seat in Kenya’s Turkana Central constituency. Her political ambition is to become the country’s first Nilote president – an ingenious people from the Nile valley region and one of Kenya’s 47 tribes.

Nairobi, 10 December 2021  – representatives from national governments, regional bodies, international development agencies, and civil society organizations today convened at a high-level forum on the use of gender data and statistics to address violence against women in East and Southern Africa (ESA).

In collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management (MHADM), UN Women and other Ministry partners conducted a one-day validation workshop for the gender analysis of the impact of conflict in South Sudan for an upcoming report. The data from the report will benefit the humanitarian sector and communities it supports.

There’s an urgent need for the world to nurture a generation of leaders who lead with heart. You need leaders with a heart who prioritize people and planet over profits to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

I would like to become a pilot so that I can help to change the current perception that some jobs are for men while others are for women. In my opinion, this creates barriers for girls like me who are interested in working in male-dominated sectors. I would also like to become the first woman pilot in my community and help to inspire other girls to also pursue their dreams.

I speak up for women's rights because someone spoke up for me. Someone else fought tooth and nail to ensure that I have spaces that empower me, as a young woman.

At a side event during the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) convened women leaders across the continent to discuss the importance of women’s leadership in decision-making and key achievements of the AWLN National Chapters. The side event, titled “National Chapters: Driving Women’s Leadership in Africa”, was co-hosted by UN Women, the African Union Commission, the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the 2021 Chair of the African Union, and the Government of Germany.

At a side event during the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) convened women leaders across the continent to discuss the importance of women’s leadership in decision-making and key achievements of the AWLN National Chapters.

Mary Chilima, spouse of Malawi’s Vice President, speaks at a side event on the Spotlight Initiative during the first-ever Annual Africa Gender Equality Conference which marked International Women’s Day in Lilongwe, Malawi. Photo: #AGEC2021 Media “As we hear COVID-19 voices, stories and lived experiences of women and girls from across the continent on how the pandemic has effected them, it is my hope that we will all be propelled to action, both individually and...

The President of the Republic of Burundi General Evariste Ndayishimiye called on men not to hesitate to entrust women with the management of family assets because “women are naturally good managers.   On 8 March, Burundi commemorated International Women’s Day under the theme of Women's leadership as a source of inclusive development with a well-attended ceremony in Gitega. Presiding the ceremony alongside his wife, H.E. Angeline Ndayishimiye ,...

Evelyn Aparo is one of the participants of UN Women’s training of women leaders in local government structures in Northern Uganda aimed at increasing young women’s participation in decision-making and improving their leadership skills. Photo: UN Women/Martin Niinsima. “Where I come from, women who attempt to join politics face many hurdles in many ways and politics is considered dishonorable,” says Evelyn Aparo, a 31-year-old social worker and musician who serves...

Joseph Mujiji is a human rights activist since 1990. He is the founder of the Coalition of Men against Violence against Women (Coalition des hommes contre les violences faites aux femmes, or CHOVIFE) in Burundi.

Solutions to ending gender-based violence and ensure girls and young women realize their dream lie with all of us

Nairobi, Kenya – 04 August 2020 – A recent study using a first-of-its-kind measure of women’s empowerment, the Kenya Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI), shows that only 29 percent of Kenyan women can participate equally and effectively in political, economic, and cultural life — and that their involvement is largely dependent on household circumstances.

On July 2017 the government of Zimbabwe revised and launched the National Gender Policy, which provides a framework for implementation of new provisions of the constitution and subsequent laws and policies adopted. In line with this, on the 23rd of October this year Zimbabwe launched the National Gender Policy Implementation Strategy and Action Plan to increase stakeholders’ commitment to achieving gender equality and women empowerment. It recognizes that sustainable development must be inclusive and people centred, benefiting and involving all people and vulnerable groups.

The ED at the Africa Regional Conference of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges Johannesburg, South Africa - The Under Secretary General and UN Women Executive Director, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has called for the hastening of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the world. During her recent visit to South Africa to mark the Women’s month in South Africa, the ED said that although a review on the progress made since the...