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The missing half: The urgent need for more women’s representation in the media

Women make up half of the world’s population but receive only 26 per cent of media coverage, according to the latest UN-backed Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) report, the world’s largest study on gender representation in news media.  “When women are missing, democracy is incomplete,” said Kirsi Madi, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director with the […]

New report exposes pervasive gender inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa’s agrifood systems, despite women powering half the agrifood workforce

FAO, NRI and AWARD present new data on the status of women in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa n sub-Saharan Africa, approximately three out of four working women (76 percent) are employed in agrifood systems, and women make up 49 percent of the agrifood systems workforce. Within agrifood systems, women’s employment in off-farm segments – […]

Central African Republic ratifies the Maputo Protocol, becoming the 46th African Union Member State to commit to advancing women’s rights

This milestone reflects a clear intent to enhance the country’s legal protections, enact and fully implement laws and policies to uphold human rights, and forge a future where women and girls can live safely NAIROBI, Kenya, August 26, 2025/APO Group/ —  In a commendable move to advance gender equality, the Central African Republic (CAR) has […]

One in four still lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation

Despite progress over the past decade, billions worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, leaving them vulnerable to disease and social exclusion, according to a UN report released on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 . The report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and children’s agency (UNICEF) issued as World Water Week gets […]

Security Council hears about rising conflict-related sexual violence amid falling resources

Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, briefed the Security Council’s open debate on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) on Tuesday August 19, 2025 presenting the Secretary-General’s annual report and stressing the need to support survivors in conflict zones where services are increasingly inaccessible.  The crisis of CRSV is deepening, reflecting the widening scope […]

UN warns of steep rise in sexual violence during conflict

Sexual violence in conflict zones rose sharply in 2024, increasing by a quarter compared to the previous year, the UN reported on Thursday August 14, 2025. More than 4,600 survivors endured abuses used as weapons of war, torture, terrorism and political repression. According to the annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, both […]

Speech: Let us stand with the women of the Sahel in recognition of their power to shape a better future

Remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on the Sahel at UN Headquarters, 7 August 2025. [As delivered.] Let me begin by commending Panama for ensuring that this discussion spotlights the rights and realities of women and girls in The Sahel—where […]

UN officials warn of starvation amid ‘gender emergency’ in war-torn Sudan

Hungry civilians are reportedly eating animal feed as women and girls face a “gender emergency” in war-torn Sudan, UN officials said on Thursday August 7,2025. Particularly hard hit is El Fasher, where hunger is growing, with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warning of a deteriorating situation that is putting even more […]

Erasure or empowerment? In Africa’s Sahel, women confront a stark choice

In Africa’s Sahel region, deepening violence and poverty – driven by displacement, hunger and terrorism – are stripping women and girls of their right to safety, education and a viable future. Risks to women and girls across this vast region are severe and systemic, as political instability, environmental collapse and a declining international presence take […]