From 12-14 June 2024, UN Women Rwanda and the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) collaborated to host a three-day training session in Musanze district, aimed at empowering media practitioners to take a proactive role in combating gender-based violence (GBV). The training, which attracted approximately 50 participants including chief editors, journalists, and social media influencers focused significantly on online GBV due to its rising prevalence and often inadequate and inappropriate media coverage.

Asumpta Aputu, a 33-year-old South Sudanese refugee in Bidibidi camp of northwestern Uganda, never had an opportunity for formal education at an early age.

In Rwanda, Ndagijimana Felix is one of the men engage pioneers that benefited from the UN Women and UNABU trainings on GBV prevention, and the rights and inclusion of people living with disabilities. His wife Clementine was afflicted by a degenerative disease at an early age that took away the functionality of one of her legs. Married in 2014, they have three children, and through UN Women support, the couple received different trainings and start-up capital which enabled them to pursue income generating activities to support themselves and their family. Coming from a life of hardship and violence, they now live peacefully and lead a much more comfortable social and economic life.

December the 1st 2023. In the context of the 16 days of activism, The Belgium Embassy and UN Women, in partnership with ARES and the University of Kinshasa, have organised a workshop on the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) for the women researchers of the University of Kinshasa.

Sweden, a valued and long-standing partner of UN Women, has supported projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many years. With an unwavering dedication to gender equality and women's empowerment, they have a clear vision for the years to come: to continue providing UN Women flexibility with their funds, so that projects can be implemented in the areas that need it most. UN Women DRC sat down with Henric Råsbrant, Swedish Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2019, to talk about this long-standing partnership and, evidently, the topic of this year's 16 Days of Activism. His message: the 16 days are a time to remember that we must UNITE and invest our time and efforts to continually fight against gender-based violence, and break the silence on this subject.

Yvonne Makendo is a mobile unit seller and seamstress from Bukavu, currently living in Goma. A single mother of two, she juggles two jobs with one clear objective in mind: helping other people living with disabilities overcome society’s stereotypes and prejudice. In 2021, the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Goma forced Yvonne’s family to flee, subsequently losing their home in the disaster. UN Women, as part of the Humanitarian Action project financed by Japan, provided vulnerable and disabled women affected by the eruption with trainings and funds to restart their economic activity. With UN Women’s support, Yvonne was able to restart her first, and start her second business, and is now working to empower other women like her.

Across the globe, an unnerving stereotype and socially accepted belief prevails. Through no action or fault of their own, women and girls across all ages, upbringings and environments find themselves plagued with a discriminatory burden passed down across generations for the sole reason that they are born female. This is the burden of unpaid care work.

In a significant milestone for women entrepreneurs owning small businesses in the Erongo region in Namibia, 57 resilient entrepreneurs celebrated their graduation from the Accelerating Women Owned Micro Enterprises (AWOME) program on 22 June 2023. In total, 79 women completed the program’s Improve Your Business training, though they were not all able to attend the celebration. Now in its second phase, the initiative aims to empower women running small businesses in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Coordinated by UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office and funded by the DeBeers Group, the program in Namibia is implemented by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare (MGEPESW).

In the village of Kuakua, Kongo Central, the production of cassava flour goes far beyond an economic activity; from allowing them to send their children to school, to helping them escape rape and sexual exploitation, what may seem like a mere ingredient is the base for these women’s empowerment. Last year, in November 2022, UN Women visited the village of Kuakua, in Kongo Central, to better understand the work that Agrikcom, a beneficiary of the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme, was doing in the territory. Now, in June 2023, the team had the chance to talk with these women again, follow the production process of their cassava flour, and learn how their lives have changed thanks to economic and social empowerment.

90 journalists from community radios reinforced their capacities on gender inclusion in the media, as well as the importance of listening clubs, during 5 day workshops that took place in the cities of Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Matadi and Goma, in the DRC, throughout June 2023.

UN Women’s key international partners in Sudan also figured prominently in the agenda.  The Regional Director also met with development partners, including representatives from the Swedish Embassy, Norwegian Embassy, German Embassy and USAID. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss how UN Women and development partners can best serve women and girls in Sudan. Dr. Houinato thanked development partners for their strong commitment to advancing women's rights in the country, as well as their assistance to the UN Women Sudan team. Sweden, the EU and Germany are among UN Women’s top funding and policy partners, globally and in Sudan. In particular, Sweden, as the main donor, contributed 3.5 mln USD to fund UN Women's work in Sudan in 2019-2022.

Maxensia Takirambule tested positive to HIV 24 years ago. Since the diagnosis, she faced social stigma, unemployment and disability. Today she is a champion and advocate for HIV awareness and prevention through her organisation Lungujja Community Health Caring (LUCOHECO), which is leading the effort to support women and girls living with or at risk of HIV in Lubaga Division, in Kampala, Uganda.

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.

Carine Kaku is an activist committed to the defense of human rights, particularly those of women and girls, and a partner of UN Women DRC. She is the director of DYNAFEC RDC, the National Dynamics of Women Candidates, a non-profit women's organization created to encourage women's political participation and fight for the promotion and protection of women's rights and the consolidation of peace. Carine joined UN Women DRC to talk about the importance of the 16 Days of Activism, ending SGBV and the role women's political participation plays in it.

Between the ages of seven and nine years old, Anne was raped countless times by a cousin, a tenant in her compound and by a female family friend. Ten years later, a close friend removed her sanitary pad and raped her again. From that moment on, Anne decided to speak out and empower women and girls through her organization Hope for a Better Tomorrow. Through the campaign #RapeMyFightOurFight she calls for a collective response to the rape culture in Africa.

Destine Mulubwa is a vegetable grower at Kapulwa Village in Haut-Katanga. Mother to 13 children, two of whom died at early age, she dreams of owning a big home to have them all stay. Nevertheless, a lack of economic opportunities for women and the prominence of gender-based violence in the region made it difficult to be independent. When the NGO of the village, Sud-Ouest Developpment, received funding from UN Women in 2016 through the project “Strengthening the economic power of women in rural and peri-urban areas in the province of Haut-Katanga", Destine started seeing positive changes in her community.

Traditional and religious leaders of Africa met in Addis Ababa, from 3 to 4 November, in preparation of the African Union “2nd Men's Conference on Positive Masculinity”, to confirm their commitment in taking bold actions to end child marriage, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices in Africa. At the end of the meeting, African leaders agreed to follow the newly launched “Partnership Guidelines” with key recommendations to traditional and faith leaders to respond to gender-based violence in Africa.

Lily Anek Okumu, a refugee woman living in Pagirinya Settlement in Adjumani district, broke barriers when she competed against four male candidates for the highest office in refugee administration and management leadership. “Competing for this position made me feel that I am representing many women that fear to express themselves”, Anek says. “Most women don’t know they have a right to leadership and decision making”. Though she came in third, Anek’s run helped empower other women in Pagirinya Settlement to actively participate in leadership at all fronts.

Uganda stock exchange and many businesses have demonstrated support for efforts to give women more opportunities and leadership in the private sector.

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.