Tag: UN Women

Member States agree on International Day of Care and Support: A milestone for gender equality and sustainable societies

Stuart Mitchell

The United Nations General Assembly, through a groundbreaking resolution (A/RES/77/317), has proclaimed an International Day of Care and Support, to be commemorated on 29 October. The resolution calls upon Member States, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the public to observe the international day annually. It acknowledges the disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work on women and girls and highlights the need to address these structural barriers, which hinder women’s empowerment. Member States agree on International Day of Care and Support: A milestone for…

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Less than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and high gender parity

Stuart Mitchell

No country has achieved full gender parity and fewer than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and a small gender gap, according to a new global report launched by UN Women and UNDP at the Women Deliver Conference. The report provides—for the first time—a more comprehensive picture of progress in women and girl’s human development.   The report sees UN Women and UNDP join forces to propose the Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) and the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) as the twin indices…

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Geneva summit garners action to tackle gender discriminatory nationality laws

Stuart Mitchell

Leaders from governments, civil society and United Nations agencies convened in Geneva recently at a Global Summit on Gender Equality in Nationality Laws, calling for expedited action to end gender-based discrimination in nationality laws that deny people the equal right to acquire and confer nationality on their children and spouses.  Convened by the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, and UN Women, the Global Summit heard from Eswatini, Iraq and Kiribati states, which reaffirmed their commitment to achieve gender equality in their nationality laws. …

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Commonwealth Parliamentary Association partners with UN Women to promote gender equality through parliamentary engagement

Stuart Mitchell

Commonwealth Parliamentarians will benefit from a new partnership that will provide training and development programmes on gender equality. A new agreement between the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), with its membership of almost 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network, and UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, aims to ensure that the legal needs of women and girls are better addressed through parliamentary debate and legislation. A joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by…

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In Lebanon, women fight period poverty and taboos to promote menstrual health

Stuart Mitchell

Safe and affordable menstrual hygiene products are essential to ensuring the sexual and reproductive health of women, girls and all people who menstruate. But for those without sufficient economic resources, obtaining access to such products is an ongoing struggle. Known as period poverty, this lack of access—exacerbated by longstanding taboos around menstruation—remains a key barrier to menstrual health around the world. It can also have social and economic consequences, forcing those who can’t afford menstrual hygiene products to stay home from work or school while menstruating.   In Lebanon, where…

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