UN Gender Focus

UN chief: Saudi Arabian women’s right to drive “an important first step”

UN officials have welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to lift a ban prohibiting women from driving. The announcement was made on Tuesday and will come into effect in July 2018. In New York, Saudi Arabia’s UN ambassador broke the news to the General Assembly during a ceremony marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, observed annually on 26 September.

Gender equality a “driver” in fighting violence against women and girls

Only female contingent commander in South Sudan heads new hospital project in Bentiu

The innovation and technology sector holds “huge opportunities for women,” said to become more tangible with a new alliance aimed at advancing women and girls in the field.

That’s the assessment of Fiona Bayat-Renoux, leader of innovation at UN Women, which on Thursday launched the Global Innovation Coalition for Change (GICC).

The coalition is comprised of 22 partners from private sector, non-profit and academic institutions that will work together over a two-year period.

Appeal for justice for Iraqi rape survivors

Experts call for more action to protect LGBTI defenders in Honduras

Barbershop Conference: Changing the conversation around gender equality

This week we're bringing you a special programme to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, which runs until 7 August.

Breastfeeding protects both babies and their mothers from an array of diseases and helps boost their health long-term.

But despite the benefits of breastfeeding for babies and mothers, no country in the world fully meets recommended standards for the practice.

UN deputy chief underscores women’s role in peace, security in Africa

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be possible without investing more in women.

That’s the view of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who led a high-level group of women leaders to two African countries this month.