Uganda celebrates International Women’s Day

Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019

Caption Text This year, International Women’s Day was celebrated under the global theme: “ Think Equal, Build Smart, and Innovate for Change”. This theme focuses on creating a paradigm shift for transforming mind sets to the goal of gender equality as well as identifying new ways of advancing the women’s agenda at all levels. In Uganda the national commemoration events were held in Bungangabu district and presided over by H.E. the President of the Republic of...

IWD Celebrations in Burundi: Women at the center of innovative social protection programmes

Date: Monday, March 11, 2019

Caption Text On March 08, 2019, Burundi celebrated the International Women's Day.  The ceremonies took place in the province of Gitega, political capital under the high pa of H.E. Denise NKURUNZIZA, the First Lady of the Country.  In her special address, the First Lady thanked the Government of Burundi for the programs already initiated to ensure the social protection of the population including free health care for pregnant women and children under five years of age and school...

Statement: “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change”

Date: Monday, March 4, 2019

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day, “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change” puts innovation at the centre of efforts to reflect the needs and viewpoints of women and girls and to resolve barriers to public services and opportunities.

In the words of Nawal Allaoui: 'My innovation entails turning fish waste into luxury leather'

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019

Her innovation focuses on recycling fish waste into leather products by using sustainable and environmentally friendly processes, hence reducing up to 95% of the quantities of water used in the leather industry. Producing about 1000 fish skin pieces per month, she has consequently created a niche for herself, as her 100 % natural-based using plants like henna.

UN Women and UWOPA leadership push for enactment of the pending gender sensitive Bills

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019

The Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) Executive members visited UN Women to discuss on how the two organization can work together and also strategize on how to advocate for the enactment and passing of the pending gender sensitive bills. The Bills include, the Sexual Offences Bill 2015, Succession Amendment Bill 2018, Marriage and Divorce Bill, and Employment Amendment Bill.

Inspire girls and women to take up leadership positions

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Country Representative (Blue suit), having a discussion with PSFU Executive Director, Mr. Gideon Badagawa, Ms. Anna Mutavati from UN Women and Mr. Riccardo Ridolfi of Equatorial power. Photo:UN Women/Aidah Nanyonjo “We have to inspire young girls and women to take up their positions in terms of how they harness their potential for economic empowerment,” Mr. Gideon Badagawa, the Executive Director for the Private Sector Foundation Uganda said...

From where I stand: I fled my home, now I want to build a business

Date: Monday, February 18, 2019

Bawa Gana Abba Kaw is a 42-year-old internally displaced person who fled her home in 2015 Bawa Gana Abba Kaw is a 42-year-old internally displaced person who fled her home in 2015 because of the actions of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) in  North East Nigeria. Gana is among the 300 women trained on Improved Parboiling Technology (IPT) with UN Women support.  One Monday evening, at around 4pm in 2015,  everybody in our community was running away because NSAGs were coming...

Improving livelihoods of women in North East Nigeria

Date: Monday, February 18, 2019

Starter kit for IPT The excitement in the room could be felt miles away, as 300 women gathered in Maiduguri to receive Improved Parboiling Technology (IPT) kits to enhance the quality and quantity of rice that is been locally produced by women. Bintu Bani, 40, an internally displaced woman who now  lives in Old Maiduguri with her 10 children, left her home Dikwa four years ago due to the Non-State Armed Group (NSAG) insurgency. She is among those who have benefitted from a...

Take five with Tchonko Becky Bessong: “With my voice, I can impact the masses”

Date: Friday, February 15, 2019

Tchonko Becky Bessong is a popular radio presenter with CRTV, Cameroon’s public radio and television broadcasting company. Over 20,000 Cameroonians tune in to her weeklyprogramme ‘Calling the women’. UN Women works with journalists throughout the country, as part of its efforts to train media professionals in gender-sensitive reporting, funded by the Government of Sweden(SEED Fund).

Over 250 Cameroonian Youths engage to promote peace and national unity

Date: Friday, February 15, 2019

Over 250 youth parliamentarians and representative of the National Youth Council (NYC) have engaged to promote social cohesion, peace, respect of state institutions and laws in view of national unity and sustainable development in Cameroon.

More Resources and Partnerships Essential to Ending Child Marriage and FGM

Date: Monday, February 11, 2019

UN Women in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the African Union Commission hosted an African head of states and traditional and cultural Leaders dialogue for renewal of commitment to end child marriage and FGM in Africa. The side event of the AU heads of state summit sought to secure and renew commitments of Heads of State and Government and Traditional and Cultural Leaders to embracing and incorporating transformational approaches that effectively address...

UN Secretary-General to African girl coders: It needs a movement of girls to bring more women in science and technology

Date: Monday, February 11, 2019

African Girls Can Code Initiative (2018-22) is a joint programme by UN Women and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and funded by the Government of Denmark, aiming to nurture young girls to develop interest in coding and facilitate their career choices in ICT. In September 2018, the programme brought together 88 girls aged 17 – 20 from 32 African countries at the first coding camp

Tanzania wants women’s access to justice improved to strengthen protection

Date: Friday, February 8, 2019

“There is need to ensure that for every Tanzania woman and girl, justice is acceptable, affordable and delivered on time. If you look at the situation in most rural areas in general, you will realise that many women and girls are not aware of the steps they can take, especially when the perpetrator of violence is a loved one.”

International Day of Zero tolerance to FGM: translating policy into concrete actions at the grassroots to end FGM in Senegal

Date: Friday, February 8, 2019

The Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of Woman, Family and Gender, marked this important day with an event that brought together UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF, the Ministries of Health, Justice, Education and Youth, and also civil society and youth organizations.

Take action to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Thanks to the collective action of governments, civil society, communities and individuals, female genital mutilation is in decline. But we are not aiming for fewer cases of this practice. We are insisting on zero.

'Violence against women is a shame'

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019

The programme worth USD 28 million (SEK 250 million) aims at combating Gender Based Violence and improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of men, women, girls, boys in Uganda. The programme will be implemented by UN Women and UNFPA in partnership with the Government of Uganda with funding from the Embassy of Sweden.

Nigerian Women Leaders call for more involvement of women to promote peaceful elections

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Women Leaders in Nigeria converged in Abuja this week to call for greater involvement of women to promote peaceful elections, as the country prepares for General Elections on 16 February 2018.

UN Women and MINPROFF unveiled the manual and national action plan to support effective women participation in politics and decision making in Cameroon

Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2019

UN Women and the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF) has unveiled the ‘manual for political education of women’ and the ‘national action plan in favor of women’s participation in decision making positions’.

Fight against FGM takes centre stage in Tanzania

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Thanks to the Female Genital Mutilation Elimination (FGM) project (Tokomeza Ukeketaji) supported through the Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (managed by UN Women), a total of 96 traditional elders and six cutters in Serengeti abandoned the practice in 2018

International Women’s Day 2019: Think equal, build smart, innovate for change

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2019

The theme for International Women’s Day 2019, which will take place on 8 March, is “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”.