Stories
- Ending violence against women and girls (150)
- Economic empowerment (143)
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment (127)
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- Leadership and political participation (62)
- COVID-19 (53)
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- Humanitarian action (32)
- Health (31)
- Partnerships (30)
- Gender, culture and society (25)
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Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Dr. Christine Sadia is a gender and public health expert with over 30 years’ experience advising governments on health and gender issues, such as psychosocial needs of women in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and HIV programming during the Indonesia tsunami. UN Women is supporting Dr. Sadia in her current role as a Gender and Public Health Advisor for Kenya’s State Department for Gender Affairs, to advise on the country’s national emergency response for COVID-19.
Call for Participants - Generation Equality Ideathon
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Photo: UN Women / Itayi Usaiwevhu UN Women Zimbabwe is looking for innovative solutions to persistent societal and economic challenges that are disrupting participation of women in decisions that affects their lives . As such UN Women Zimbabwe aims to support an ideathon that is expected to result in viable and workable web-based platform that facilitates access to information as well as the engagement of women and girls with both elected officials as well as decision-making...
Monday, July 20, 2020
Women-led businesses are more vulnerable to closure than those led by men in the era of the novel coronavirus, due to women’s limited access to finance, shifts in consumer behavior, and the increase in women’s household care responsibilities as a result of extended lockdowns. All across the continent, the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking economic havoc and hitting women the hardest, with women-led Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(SMEs) at greater risk of closure as they tend to be smaller and on average, operate in lower profit margin, service-based industries.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Le bureau d’ONU Femmes au Burundi et le Forum National des Femmes ont signé le jeudi 16 juillet 2020, un accord de partenariat visant à renforcer la participation politique des femmes aux prochaines échéances politiques. Prévu pour une durée de 5 mois, le projet cible essentiellement une plus grande participation de femmes candidates collinaires pour ainsi atteindre au moins 20% de femmes candidates.
UN Women and UNDP support vulnerable women in South West and North West Regions of Cameroon
Thursday, July 16, 2020
In Bamenda, on July 16 2020, 21 participants took part in the official launch of the project: “Support for women's socio-economic activities around the value chains induced by COVID-19 in the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon”, initiated jointly by UN Women and UNDP, in the conference room of the Regional Research Delegation of the North-West region in Bamenda.
Liberian Female owned tailoring businesses get a boost
Friday, July 10, 2020
As part of its continuous effort to support the Government of Liberia to prevent the spread of COVID-19, UN Women on Friday 26 June 2020 signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MGCSP) to empower women-owned tailoring businesses affiliated to the Liberia National Tailoring Union to produce 10,000 masks that will be distributed to women, girls and children in Montserrado and Margibi counties in Liberia.
Friday, July 10, 2020
UN Women, the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative of the African Development Bank and ImpactHER will host a virtual high-level panel discussion on empowering women entrepreneurs in the fight against COVID-19.
National Rural Women Structure of Liberia raises awareness on COVID-19
Friday, July 10, 2020
With support from UN Women, the National Rural Women Structure of Liberia is sensitizing women in rural Liberia on measures to prevent themselves and their families from COVID-19. During a recent awareness raising campaign, Mrs. Kebeh Monger, National President of the Rural Women Structure of Liberia, encouraged women to observe health protocols put in place by the Government of Liberia to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
From Where I Stand: As a woman, practicing self-isolation in a home setting is next to impossible
Friday, July 3, 2020
I am a mother of twins aged 1.7 years, and I was breastfeeding yet I had to spend long hours at the Coronavirus Treatment Unit working from 8:00 am till 8:30 – 9:00 pm. Hence, they ended up refusing to breastfeed because I was not breastfeeding regularly. But at least they are eating food which comforted me. With young children, I have to be extremely careful, which is rather difficult considering that when the first case...
Sunday, June 28, 2020
UN Women in partnership with its local implementing partner, TPO have been carrying out Psychosocial support in the quarantine centres as well as the refugee settlement. So far since the COVID-19 period, a total of 2107 refugee and hosts (1560 F and 547 M) have been reached with Psychological first aid, psychoeducation, basic counseling, specialized counseling, recovery follow up and messaging on prevention of SGBV and COVID-19.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Monica Chiwalo is 82 and mostly dependent on her children. She raised four children on her own after the death of her husband. The COVID-19 outbreak in Tanzania has devastated the livelihoods of families that rely on the informal sector and have no safety nets. Elderly women like Chiwalo are especially vulnerable to its health and economic impacts. Their voice and experience must be included in recovery efforts.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The UN Women has partnered with Plan International, Msichana Initiative and the African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN) in a virtual Roundtable Dialogue that sparked the need to keep the momentum of the UN Women Global Campaign: The Generation Equality – Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future during the COVID-19 emergency.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Health Assistance Kenya 1195 (HAK) is a free-to-call helpline for survivors of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) – and its saving lives. The Nairobi-based service is set up to give immediate assistance to the public in the event of SGBV. It operates 24-7 and is taking more calls than ever.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Since 2018, UN Women Kenya in partnership with the Government of Japan has been using a multi-sectoral approach to bring gender equality to Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement and Dadaab Refugee Camp. The “Leadership, Empowerment, Access & Protection in Crisis Response” targets four interconnected areas that develop livelihoods of women and girls; educate men and boys; and contributes to sustainable peace in communities.
UN Women Supports Maasai Women-led Enterprises to Respond to COVID-19 in Tanzania
Friday, June 19, 2020
The Ngorongoro district in Arusha region is a land of craters, sacred forests and mountains, wild animals and the unique Maasai people. It is striking how this noble community has learnt to co-exist with nature, sharing land, wild food, herbs and water with the wild animals that roam freely in this beautiful paradise. This remarkable way of life has endured for many years and attracted thousands of tourists from around the world to Tanzania’s tourism hub, creating business opportunities for the Maasai people.
Friday, June 19, 2020
By 9:00 a.m., the morning sun already feels hot in the Bidibidi settlement for refugees and displaced persons, located in the Yumbe District of Uganda. A steady file of women gathers around a borehole to collect water. They will repeat this chore again in the evening.
UN Women Partners with Private Sector to Improve Hygiene at Safe Markets
Friday, June 19, 2020
In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions in movement, the local vegetable markets provide multiple roles. While they offer convenience in accessing fresh produce, sustain women vendors as their source of livelihoods, they are also a potential source of contamination and spread of the coronavirus.
The impact of COVID-19 on women: Nicole GAKOU, Senegalese female entrepreneur
Friday, June 19, 2020
Nicole Gakou is an engineer in information systems and a business manager. She is also the President of the Union of Women Entrepreneurs of Senegal (UFCE). In this interview with UN Women, she sheds light on the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses led by women. The UFCE includes 500 women distributed in the regions of Dakar, St Louis, Ziguinchor, and Thiès who are active in all sectors of activity. Today, 46% of these women are in agro-food processing (agriculture, livestock and fish farming), 36% in services, and less than 1% work in laboratories of cosmetic industry. Over 90% of UFCE members are in the formal sector and the rest of the members are accompanied to achieve this.
Monday, June 15, 2020
The passing of laws to end child marriage resulted in blocking thousands of child marriages and enabling second chance education for girls. However, these gains made over the years are in jeopardy in the age of COVID-19. In Malawi because of cases brought to court, child marriages were annulled, and girls had the opportunity to return to school. F ewer adolescents experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) compared with older generations. In Ethiopia, for instance, 47 per...
Friday, June 12, 2020
Women are disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19, as more women work in low-paying, insecure and informal jobs, while carrying the bulk of burden on unpaid care work at home. As more countries report infection and lockdown, more domestic violence helplines and shelters across the world are reporting rising calls for help. Confinement is fostering the tension and strain created by security, health, and money worries. In addition, it is increasing isolation...