UN Women – News https://www.unwomen.org/en Latest news from UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. en Empowering women during humanitarian crises https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/op-ed/2026/05/empowering-women-during-humanitarian-crises As conflicts grow more protracted, climate shocks intensify, and aid budgets shrink, gender equality cannot be treated as optional. Women’s leadership and rights must be central to effective humanitarian action. UN Women UN Women 396e828e-f77a-499c-b9d8-965c214d168a UN Women Afghanistan statement on Decree No. 18 issued by the de facto authorities https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/05/un-women-afghanistan-statement-on-decree-no-18-issued-by-the-de-facto-authorities As Afghanistan approaches five years since the Taliban takeover, this latest Decree, published by the de facto Ministry of Justice on 14 May 2026, sets out the conditions for separation from a spouse, raising serious concerns around child marriage and women’s consent. UN Women UN Women 3160f9f6-d4e6-4a7c-afc3-3215dcf5919c For 50 years, women have been overrepresented in Ebola deaths – UN Women fears the current outbreak will follow the same pattern https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/05/for-50-years-women-have-been-overrepresented-in-ebola-deaths-un-women-fears-the-current-outbreak-will-follow-the-same-pattern Statement by UN Women delivered by Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UN Women UN Women 63275255-1fe5-4227-8cb4-8f1fe07b3eb6 What is life like for women working in Gaza? Doctors, teachers and journalists speak out https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/04/what-is-life-like-for-women-working-in-gaza-doctors-teachers-and-journalists-speak-out First-hand accounts from women in Gaza about helping people through war, displacement and humanitarian crisis. UN Women UN Women 49019488-5eb1-4279-a379-1afe558b1193 From homes to shelter halls: Lebanese women bearing the burden of displacement alone https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/05/from-homes-to-shelter-halls-lebanese-women-bearing-the-burden-of-displacement-alone After 45 days of hostilities, a ceasefire announced on 16 April – which was extended for an additional 3 weeks - offered brief hope for displaced families in Lebanon. Some returned, only to find destruction, lack of services, and ongoing insecurity. While communities have been affected, women bear a disproportionate burden. As of 4 May 2026, the total casualties reached 2,679. UN Women UN Women eb2e7133-ad9f-4e0a-a8b3-04978bbcdbe9 ‘The goal is silence’: Women journalists report increasing violence online https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/05/the-goal-is-silence-women-journalists-report-increasing-violence-online Journalists open up about the lack of accountability and the toll of online violence – on themselves and on the freedom of the press. UN Women UN Women 2b688d9f-3748-4b83-8a5e-89733b65a810 In Latin America, we’re not just recognizing care work – we’re rebuilding economies around it https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2025/06/in-latin-america-were-not-just-recognizing-care-work-were-rebuilding-economies-around-it Discover how Latin America is leading a care revolution by recognising and valuing the care work that women and girls shoulder. UN Women UN Women 82054009-a20c-4cd4-953e-c302af96f98c Who are the women and girls behind Gaza war’s horrific casualty toll? https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/04/who-are-the-women-and-girls-behind-gaza-wars-horrific-casualty-toll Palestinian girl describes the moment that airstrikes killed her mother and siblings in Gaza: “I felt nothing. I went completely numb” UN Women UN Women 3179d39d-c670-4142-b348-34b299afd44c UN Women statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/05/un-women-statement-on-the-international-day-against-homophobia-biphobia-and-transphobia On the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (17 May), under the 2026 theme, “At the heart of democracy,” UN Women affirms that democracies are strongest when they are inclusive, representative, and accountable—upholding the equality, dignity, protection, and full participation of LGBTIQ+ people in all areas of life. UN Women UN Women a5afd3e8-d8ab-4772-a080-e3735b8ee0c3 Building a more resilient digital future through women’s leadership in cybersecurity https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2026/05/building-a-more-resilient-digital-future-through-womens-leadership-in-cybersecurity The Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity Award is recognizing excellence in strengthening women’s participation, leadership and impact in cybersecurity. UN Women UN Women fa043ac8-f32b-4e1a-8722-5e692d45a700 War in Ukraine becomes deadlier for women and girls, more than 1,500 days after full-scale invasion https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/05/war-in-ukraine-becomes-deadlier-for-women-and-girls-more-than-1500-days-after-full-scale-invasion Remarks delivered by Sabine Friezer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva UN Women UN Women 32571018-415b-4c6e-995e-fef4f53130b8 Ongoing killing and displacement of women and girls in Lebanon under a fragile ceasefire https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/05/ongoing-killing-and-displacement-of-women-and-girls-in-lebanon-under-a-fragile-ceasefire Remarks by Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director for Arab States – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva UN Women UN Women dca5c8fc-887d-482e-9e8f-e5bee3a843ac Nearly three out of four women journalists face digital abuse globally: How digital violence threatens press freedom in Africa https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2025/12/how-digital-violence-threatens-press-freedom-in-africa As online abuse against journalists intensifies globally, understanding how women reporters navigate these hostile digital environments and what can be done to protect them has become critical to defending press freedom itself. UN Women UN Women e9a01acf-8c21-4eb8-b976-eb004b7be79f For ALL Women and Girls: Sushmita S. Preetha on elevating and protecting women journalists https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/interview/2025/04/for-all-women-and-girls-sushmita-s-preetha-elevating-and-protecting-women-journalists #ForAllWomenandGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Sushmita S. Preetha, senior journalist at "The Daily Star" in Dhaka, Bangladesh, speaks about feminist resistance in journalism. UN Women UN Women 891f539f-8595-46f7-9c6e-32c9e6e25809 What it means to be a woman in Gaza today https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2025/09/what-it-means-to-be-a-woman-in-gaza-today Famine was declared in Gaza City on 22 August 2025 by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis – a first for the Middle East region. Mothers cannot feed their newborns; girls go to sleep hungry; families are burying children who are starving to death; and aid workers themselves are going without food. Last year, 7 in 10 women dying in conflict globally were killed in Gaza. UN Women UN Women 2bfe0c0c-be58-4536-9081-10c4fc221bce Where is the humanity, when more than 38,000 women and girls in Gaza have been killed? https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/04/where-is-the-humanity-when-more-than-38000-women-and-girls-in-gaza-have-been-killed Remarks by Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva UN Women UN Women 00ae48f8-a169-453e-b45a-4cbc7c9af9bd UN Women gravely concerned by military strikes against Iran and escalation across the Middle East https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/03/un-women-gravely-concerned-by-military-strikes-against-iran-and-escalation-across-the-middle-east Women and girls everywhere have the right to live in safety and in peace, free from violence and discrimination. UN Women UN Women cd8c8764-8f00-4f34-8e64-5ad468ed4e2f UN Women Executive Board to convene annual session 2026 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2026/05/un-women-executive-board-to-convene-annual-session-2026 The UN Women Executive Board will convene for its annual session from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 June 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York (ECOSOC Chamber). UN Women UN Women 28a25b98-dc43-49c7-a372-5d909746d5da Reports to police of online violence against women journalists double since 2020, with one in four experiencing related anxiety and/or depression https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/04/reports-to-police-of-online-violence-against-women-journalists-double-since-2020-with-one-in-four-experiencing-related-anxiety-andor-depression Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, UN Women, The Nerve, and partners share a new report about the growing and increasingly sophisticated forms of online violence faced by women in public life. UN Women UN Women 58249624-78d4-4b1f-a349-4196931d3ed0 Reports to police of online violence against women journalists double since 2020, with one in four experiencing related anxiety and/or depression https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/04/reports-to-police-of-online-violence-against-women-journalists-double-since-2020-with-one-in-four-experiencing-related-anxiety-andor-depression Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, UN Women, The Nerve, and partners share a new report about the growing and increasingly sophisticated forms of online violence faced by women in public life. UN Women UN Women 58249624-78d4-4b1f-a349-4196931d3ed0 ‘It feels like the whole world is complicit’: What displacement feels like for women in Lebanon conflict https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/04/it-feels-like-the-whole-world-is-complicit-what-displacement-feels-like-for-women-in-lebanon-conflict Escalating conflict in Lebanon has forced hundreds of thousands of women and girls to flee their homes. Two women from South Lebanon share the impact of war on women in Lebanon. UN Women UN Women 9cf1d4c9-13fd-4459-bb01-bd6250e314c3 Lebanon conflict drives mental health crisis for displaced women: ‘We hear, see and feel pain constantly’ https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/04/lebanon-conflict-drives-mental-health-crisis-for-displaced-women-we-hear-see-and-feel-pain-constantly Escalating conflict in Lebanon has forced hundreds of thousands of women and girls to flee their homes, and women are on the frontlines of the response UN Women UN Women 497b9c4c-dd0f-43cb-ade5-91fbea2faf80 Displaced women return home in Lebanon: ‘I saw destruction everywhere’ https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/04/displaced-women-return-home-in-lebanon-i-saw-destruction-everywhere Across Lebanon, women and girls navigate continued displacement, loss, and returns home – often multiple times – as uncertainty remains part of daily life UN Women UN Women 288842d1-7788-486b-b81c-146e5c5f795b Sudan's war on women: The number of people in need of sexual violence support quadruples as abuse of women and girls becomes the blueprint of war, three years on https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/04/sudans-war-on-women-the-number-of-people-in-need-of-sexual-violence-support-quadruples-as-abuse-of-women-and-girls-becomes-the-blueprint-of-war-three-years-on Sexual violence continues to surge across Sudan, with the number of women and girls requiring support after experiencing gender-based violence nearly doubling in two years and quadrupling since the start of the war three years ago, according to a new Gender Alert: The Impact of the War in Sudan on Women and Girls, published today by UN Women. UN Women UN Women 0a2d2d6e-1bc5-447d-ba58-ef5e27806074 More than 100 women and girls displaced every hour in South Sudan, some going days without food https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/04/more-than-100-women-and-girls-displaced-every-hour-in-south-sudan-some-going-days-without-food Statement by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, following her five-day mission in South Sudan, calling for peace and the 35 per cent quota for women’s representation in government to be upheld, as violence, displacement and food insecurity escalate. UN Women UN Women 229fe513-8b86-48fd-a23d-5c28c08dd078 Remarks by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on Sudan’s war on women and girls, as conflict enters fourth year https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/04/remarks-by-anna-mutavati-un-women-regional-director-for-east-and-southern-africa-on-sudans-war-on-women-and-girls-as-conflict-enters-fourth-year This is a summary of what was said by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa – to whom quoted text may be attributed - at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva UN Women UN Women d0a2ec65-bc21-460e-9e4c-cbf235e134e0 More than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025 – UN Women https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/04/more-than-38000-women-and-girls-were-killed-in-gaza-between-october-2023-and-december-2025-un-women Six months after the ceasefire, and as regional developments shift global attention, UN Women warns that women and girls in Gaza remain at critical risk. UN Women UN Women 64c36b5f-a5f6-41c2-b6d5-c5544b40a373 Speech: Game-changing rewards: Women as empowered agents of stability, accountability, and peace https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/speech/2026/04/speech-game-changing-rewards-women-as-empowered-agents-of-stability-accountability-and-peace Remarks by UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the briefing of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Great Lakes region, 15 April 2026, UN headquarters. UN Women UN Women 640f7791-07c0-4ba8-8ee4-ab57b5bc4aa9 More than 250 women killed in Lebanon over past seven weeks https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/04/more-than-250-women-killed-in-lebanon-over-past-seven-weeks The mounting death toll of women and girls in Lebanon is horrific and underscores a profound failure to protect civilians in line with international humanitarian law. UN Women UN Women 72b0ab58-8a2a-4184-9c8b-fb0858f8038a UN Women statement on the impact of the recent military escalation in the Middle East on women and girls https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/04/un-women-statement-on-the-impact-of-the-recent-military-escalation-in-the-middle-east-on-women-and-girls UN Women echoes the UN Secretary-General’s welcome of the announcement of a two-week ceasefire by the United States and Iran and his alarm at the wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon, with reports indicating that hundreds of people have been killed and injured this week alone, including women and girls. UN Women continues its calls for a lasting and just peace in the region - one that upholds the rights, safety and dignity of all women and girls. UN Women UN Women 8530310d-16cb-4014-addc-68995e49ad0e UN Women Executive Board visits Bolivia: Advancing women’s rights and strengthening alliances https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/04/un-women-executive-board-visits-bolivia-advancing-womens-rights-and-strengthening-alliances From 24 to 31 March, the Executive Board of UN Women made an official visit to Bolivia to gain insights into the impact of programmes and deepen its understanding of the challenges around women’s rights. UN Women UN Women ec26ccf2-0c4d-4b22-bf7c-7e0d26a6037a From learning to leading: Unlocking the power of girls in ICT https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/03/from-learning-to-leading-unlocking-the-power-of-girls-in-ict Ahead of International Girls in ICT Day, two students share how the African Girls Can Code Initiative is empowering young women to transform the tech sector. UN Women UN Women 1e73790c-baa9-4664-8ceb-52f10367a133 What it is like to survive female genital mutilation (FGM) https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2026/01/what-it-is-like-to-survive-female-genital-mutilation-fgm Learn what life after FGM looks like and why legal bans on the practice alone are not delivering justice for women and girls. UN Women UN Women 798b0891-ca34-4839-9ec2-e269b5f1cbe7 Speech: Progress to celebrate, progress unrealized – A call for reinvigorated collective action https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/speech/2024/09/speech-progress-to-celebrate-progress-unrealized-a-call-for-reinvigorated-collective-action Remarks by UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the launch of the report, “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2024”, 21 September 2024, UN headquarters. UN Women UN Women 3e39f36b-ab76-489b-bd9e-b11cf38849d6 Op-ed: The cost of motherhood and the gender pay gap https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/op-ed/2026/03/op-ed-the-cost-of-motherhood-and-the-gender-pay-gap Motherhood still comes with a pay penalty, and women continue to be paid less for work of equal value – not by accident, but by design. UN Women UN Women 7556fee2-1e25-41db-8487-bcdf13c43c29 Women, climate change, and the search for accountability https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/op-ed/2026/03/women-climate-change-and-the-search-for-accountability As climate litigation gathers force, women are helping to redefine what accountability looks like – and exposing how far climate policy still is from delivering gender justice. UN Women UN Women 08422b71-238c-458d-912a-3726aacc84ab Press Briefing by UN Women on the situation for women and girls in Lebanon https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/03/press-briefing-by-un-women-on-the-situation-for-women-and-girls-in-lebanon Remarks by Gielan El Messiri UN Women Representative in Lebanon at the Palais des Nations in Geneva UN Women UN Women 418aeeb4-df83-46eb-9e42-a41b848f4598 Press briefing by UN Women on the impact of recent hostilities, Decree No. 12 and the widening justice gap for women and girls in Afghanistan https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2026/03/press-briefing-by-un-women-on-afghanistan Remarks by UN Women Afghanistan Special Representative, Susan Ferguson, at UN Headquarters in New York, speaking from Kabul. UN Women UN Women 70e27f4e-da38-4b98-980a-4ce517daabc1 Op-ed: Building women’s resilience to climate-driven poverty and food insecurity https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/op-ed/2024/03/op-ed-building-womens-resilience-to-climate-driven-poverty-and-food-insecurity Climate change means millions more women and girls risk having insufficient food and resources to meet their basic needs. As women bear the brunt of climate impacts, so they must have equity in decision-making on climate solutions. UN Women UN Women e1b0048c-4fbb-40a4-a832-d1b713e86fb6 Speech: The headwinds are strong, but our shared resolve to advance women’s rights is stronger https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/speech/2026/03/speech-the-headwinds-are-strong-but-our-shared-resolve-to-advance-womens-rights-is-stronger Closing remarks by Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director at the Commission on the Status of Women at its Seventieth Session, UN Headquarters, 19 March 2026. UN Women UN Women 63011a3d-a6ea-40ab-9647-91213ba8bf7c Youth leaders call for transformative justice reforms at CSW70 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/03/youth-leaders-call-for-transformative-justice-reforms-at-csw70 Young people from around the world joined Member States and United Nations leaders for an interactive dialogue on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. UN Women UN Women 68fa8446-5717-430b-a03c-e4ca727d0c7e Only 1 in 7 countries is led by a woman as global political power remains dominated by men https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/03/only-1-in-7-countries-is-led-by-a-woman-as-global-political-power-remains-dominated-by-men New Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – UN Women data show women remain far from equal political power, holding just 22.4 per cent of cabinet posts and 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide. UN Women UN Women 421d4bcc-5b17-4f5a-bd46-d443ad370c3c Justice must work for all women and girls, and for every generation – At CSW70, young leaders and women’s rights advocates tackle the justice gap across the life course https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/03/justice-must-work-for-all-women-and-girls-and-for-every-generation-at-csw70-young-leaders-and-womens-rights-advocates-tackle-the-justice-gap-across-the-life-course At CSW70, adolescent girls, young feminists, older women advocates and policymakers came together to identify intergenerational solutions to one of the most persistent barriers hindering the advancement of gender equality — access to justice for women and girls at every stage of life. UN Women UN Women e2c7f633-5c13-4b29-b2b2-0defbad4723b World leaders at CSW70 put ending violence against women and girls at the top of the agenda https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/03/world-leaders-at-csw70-put-ending-violence-against-women-and-girls-at-the-top-of-the-agenda At the first-ever annual High-level Meeting on Violence Against Women and Girls held during the Commission on the Status of Women, more than 100 countries in the presence of a large number of civil society organizations gathered to share what works – and demand the political will, funding, and accountability to make it happen. UN Women UN Women 1667f8f9-049f-4801-9f77-b0f2051e0f33 Durable impact and delivery at the centre of efforts to end violence against women and girls https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/03/durable-impact-and-delivery-at-the-centre-of-efforts-to-end-violence-against-women-and-girls The "Five Years On" Group of Friends meeting convened at CSW70 to mobilize support, strengthen cooperation and share solutions. UN Women UN Women fe7d5f3b-f456-4500-ab3b-d474a94e1a97 UN Women Executive Director’s message for World Water Day https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2026/03/un-women-executive-directors-message-for-world-water-day A message from UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous for World Water Day, 22 March 2026. UN Women UN Women 92c38fe6-5005-425d-b216-ae62aa103321 Only 1 in 7 countries is led by a woman as global political power remains dominated by men https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2026/03/only-1-in-7-countries-is-led-by-a-woman-as-global-political-power-remains-dominated-by-men New Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – UN Women data show women remain far from equal political power, holding just 22.4 per cent of cabinet posts and 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide. UN Women UN Women 421d4bcc-5b17-4f5a-bd46-d443ad370c3c Malala Yousafzai’s remarks on International Women’s Day 2026 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/speech/2026/03/malala-yousafzai-iwd2026 The Co-founder and Executive Chair of Malala Fund and Nobel Peace Prize laureate delivered her address at the official UN Commemoration of IWD 2026 at the UN Headquarters in New York. UN Women UN Women 0af41f5f-ca7c-4a87-afed-74d0607f312d Remarks by UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp following her visit to Gaza https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-briefing/2025/11/remarks-by-un-women-chief-of-humanitarian-action-sofia-calltorp-following-her-visit-to-gaza Remarks by UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, following her visit to Gaza in November 2025 UN Women UN Women b66a2dd6-353e-4169-9378-95d44a8877a4 Advancing justice in every context: CSW70 event spotlights women’s access to justice in conflicts https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2026/03/advancing-justice-in-every-context-csw70 High-level event spotlights international cooperation to bridge the justice gap, including the UNDP-UN Women Gender Justice Platform. UN Women UN Women 293afbd8-e865-42fe-a2d7-52c84343b668