Tag: UN Women

106 governments step forward with 191 commitments to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and advance progress for all women and girls

Stuart Mitchell

In the strongest multilateral stand for women and girls in 30 years, 106 governments from all regions have stepped forward with 191 commitments to accelerate progress for all women and girls by 2030. Launched recently by UN Women, the Beijing+30 Priority Actions Dashboard showcases governments’ voluntary commitments to women’s rights and demonstrates that gender equality remains a rallying force for multilateralism. “This act of showing up for the rights of women and girls affirms a powerful truth: gender equality remains a unifying force for the world. And multilateralism is still…

Read More

Half the world, only a quarter of the news: Women appear or are heard in just 26 per cent of all broadcast, radio and print clips

Stuart Mitchell

Women make up half of the global population, yet just a quarter of those who are seen or heard in the news. This statistic has barely changed in the last 15 years, with a mere nine-point change in 30 years. The latest edition of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), produced by the international communication rights organization WACC and supported by UN Women’s ACT to End Violence against Women programme, is the largest and longest-running research study on gender representation in the media. This year’s findings reveal that women account for…

Read More

Four years after Taliban takeover, Afghans overwhelmingly back girls’ education

Stuart Mitchell

Despite the ongoing ban on girls’ secondary education, Afghans across gender and socioeconomic backgrounds almost universally support girls’ right to learn, according to a new UN Women Gender Alert. The alert looks at the current situation for women and girls across ten key areas, including education and employment, safety and mobility, shedding light on the impact of the crystallizing system of restrictions four years after the Taliban takeover. In a nationwide, door-to-door survey of more than 2,000 Afghans, 92 per cent said it was “important” for girls to continue their…

Read More

Jordan sets historic record for women in politics: legal reforms and leadership training drive change

Stuart Mitchell

A new generation of Jordanian women are participating in politics – backed by grassroots advocacy and concrete national reforms, supported by UN Women initiatives. “We want women to say, ‘This is my place’”, declares Yusra Al-Kharisha. “We want women to move into Parliament, into education and political leadership. We want them to say, “My place extends beyond the home.” In the last five years, Jordan has enacted sweeping changes to boost women’s participation as voters, election workers and political candidates. In 2024, women won almost 20 per cent of parliamentary…

Read More

$420 billion annual shortfall blocking gender equality in developing countries

Stuart Mitchell

Developing countries are falling short by an estimated USD 420 billion a year in the funding needed to achieve gender equality under the Sustainable Development Goals. At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla, Spain, UN Women welcomed the adoption by consensus of the Compromiso de Sevilla, which reaffirms Member States’ shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. Despite a difficult global context, the agreement signals a step forward in recognizing the essential role of gender equality in financing strategies. FfD4 is a critical opportunity to…

Read More