Fulfilling our promise to girls in East and Southern Africa will give voice to and secure their equal future

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Thirteen-year-old Lydia Mwela from Zambia has observed too many girls in her community becoming pregnant, suffering gender-based violence and testing positive for HIV. She does not wish to end up in a similar situation herself. Through knowledge she is gaining at school, she has become empowered to make her own informed choices and create the future she dreams of for herself. She is learning about healthy relationships, good values, the human rights she is entitled to, and sexual and...

Vulnerable to risks, Vital to recovery: the reason why FAO and UN Women are investing in rural women to achieve sustainable development in Africa

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020

The social and economic toll of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is having devastating effects on rural economies across Africa. It is affecting rural women’s productive, reproductive and income-generating capacities because it tends to reduce their economic opportunities and access to nutritious foods while at the same time increasing their workloads and escalating gender-based violence.

COVID-19 jeopardises progress made towards protecting women and girls from violence and harmful practices

Date: 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...

Fighting the shadow pandemic of violence against women and children during COVID19

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020

Alongside health impacts, the global COVID19 pandemic has brought a loss of liberties. Restrictions in movement have affected people’s jobs and livelihoods. Despite the many hardships being faced, freedom from violence cannot,  under any circumstance,  be surrendered – the right to live free from violence is a basic human right. Yet the most vulnerable members of society including children, women, persons with disabilities, the elderly – are suffering during...

Protection of Women and Girls with Disabilities during COVID-19: A Priority!

Date: Friday, May 8, 2020

Despite the wide adoption of international, regional, and national instruments guaranteeing the rights of women and girls with disabilities, significant gaps remain in their implementation, highlights the UN Women Study on 'Mapping of Discrimination Faced by Women with Disabilities in East & Southern Africa Region'.

Op-ed: Beijing+25 Generational Shift

Date: Monday, August 12, 2019

Almost 25 years ago, over 50,000 women and men from all over the world gathered in Beijing and took a stand to advance the goals of equality, development and peace for all women and girls everywhere. 189 governments committed to taking strategic, bold action in 12 critical areas of concern: poverty, education and training, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and the girl child. A milestone for the...

A Toolbox for Women Entrepreneurs in COMESA

Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The COMESA Free Trade Area agreement will not deliver sustainable economic and social progress unless women are empowered and enabled to navigate the complex procedures involved. This is where the first elements in our toolbox lie for women entrepreneurs – literacy and numeracy, computer skills and legal knowledge.