Announcing the Pledge at a Security Council open debate on women, peace and security, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that women’s rights are being eroded while they are being denied an equal voice in decision making. She cited the worsening crises in Gaza, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Yemen, stressing “it...
Right now, the reality is grim: in 2023, the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled compared to the previous year, and the number of UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence increased by 50 per cent. Meanwhile, the proportion of international aid committed to supporting gender equality in conflict-affected...
These were just some of the chilling observations and testimony from Afghan women, together with supporters from around the world, who convened at UN Headquarters on Monday to discuss inclusion and women’s rights going forward. “Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to include women in all matters concerning Afghanistan’s future...
Addressing the Council’s annual debate on resolution 1325, he appealed for countries to “urgently bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality” through concrete action in the areas of participation, financing and leadership. “Of 18 peace agreements reached last year, only one was signed or witnessed by a representative of a...
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, made the appeal in a statement marking two years since the Taliban regained control of the country. ‘Gender apartheid’ “Through over 50 edicts, orders and restrictions, the Taliban have left no aspect of women’s lives untouched, no freedom spared. They have created a...
The tournament is expected to be watched by more than two billion people – the largest audience for a single women’s sport in history – offering an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements in all sports and advocate for gender equality more generally. Women players continue to struggle with fewer professional...
The Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, warned that technology enabled easy sharing of sensitive health data of adolescents, migrants and people whose sexual orientation or health status was subject to discrimination. “Accessibility of information through digital tools should not impair the right to have personal health data...
The Afghanistan Socio-Economic Outlook 2023, released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), provides an overview of the fallout resulting from the takeover of Afghanistan by its present-day de facto rulers, the Taliban, in August 2021. Immediately after the Taliban assumed power, the Afghan economy collapsed, accelerating Afghanistan’s decade-long slide into...
In its 2023 State of World Population report, UNFPA said that while reaching the milestone of eight billion people on Earth was a reminder of “our unprecedented gains”, concerns over the number were “causing anxiety, and driving more governments to try to influence fertility rates.” However, the agency notes that...
At current rates, it will take almost another three centuries to bring about equality for women and girls. Hobbled by persistent inequalities, about 383 million women and girls live in extreme poverty, and every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family. These...
Ms. Gbeho said she has welcomed the Federal Government’s continued commitment to implementing the women, peace, and security agenda, as demonstrated by the launch of a new national action plan on Security Council resolution 1325. The landmark document, adopted more than 20 years ago, reaffirms women’s role in peacebuilding and...
Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General for UN political, peacebuilding and peace operations, Khaled Khiari, spend four days on a fact-finding mission in Afghanistan, to engage with Taliban leaders, and “underscore UN solidarity with the Afghan people”, according to a press release...