Geneva/New York — New data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women reveal limited progress in achieving gender equality in political leadership at the start of 2025, the year which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out the roadmap for gender equality and women’s […]
Gender equality is a critical goal at a time when the demand for rights faces a global backlash, top UN officials told thousands of diplomats, business and civil society delegates gathered at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday March 10, 2025 for the world’s largest annual conference focused on women’s issues. The 69th session […]
At a time of growing backlash against women’s rights, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark call to action on Tuesday March 11, 2025 to civil society representatives gathered for a town hall meeting – part of the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women. “A surge in misogyny, and a furious kickback against equality threaten to slam […]
As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, governments have adopted by consensus a powerful Political Declaration to respect, protect, and champion the rights, equality, and empowerment of women and girls. Image Representatives of UN Member States celebrate the adoption of the resolution titled “Political Declaration on the occasion of thirtieth anniversary […]
Ever since former US First Lady and human rights champion Eleanor Roosevelt inspired the first UN sub-commission on the status of women in the 1940s, thousands of women around the world meet at UN Headquarters in New York every March to take the pulse of the planet and make their voices heard. The annual UN […]
In 1995, the world united behind the Beijing Platform for Action — a revolutionary plan for gender equality that set the stage for change on a massive scale. From laws protecting women from domestic violence to programmes empowering women and girls, the Beijing Platform for Action continues to shape our world and pave the way for a […]
Civilians sheltering in the vast Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region are now “nearly impossible” to reach, the UN’s top aid official in the country warned on Thursday, March 6th, 2025. “I am deeply worried about reports of destruction of homes and livelihoods in North Darfur,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UN Resident and Humanitarian […]
The basic rights of women and girls are facing unprecedented growing threats worldwide, from higher levels of discrimination to weaker legal protections -and less funding for programmes and institutions which support and protect women. UN Women’s latest report Women’s Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing, published ahead of the UN 50th International Women’s Day on […]
A decline in democracy and harmful content spread on social media platforms are helping to drive a backlash against feminism, and the growth of misogynistic and retrograde ideas about the roles of men and women and society. The pushback against gender equality is one of the findings in a major report from UN Women, the […]
As conflict rages across Sudan, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including some infants as young as one, according to the UN children’s agency (UNICEF). Data from gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reveals the scale of the horror: more than 220 reported cases of child rape since the start of 2024. “Children […]
