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Global Issues:
Writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem denounces violence against women in a speech at UN Headquarters. Utilizing material from the UN Audiovisual Library, this production showcases a major force in the feminist movement taking her message to the global stage.
Olympic champion Alysa Liu challenges stereotypes in women’s sport, championing body positivity, friendship, mental health, equality and the freedom to compete authentically.
Lone mothers across Latin America and the Caribbean face rising poverty and insecure work, highlighting the need for stronger childcare, social protection and child support.
In Querétaro, Mexico, 18 women are turning generations-old crafts into new opportunities through a partnership between UNFPA and Prada Group. Artisans including Lupita, Leticia and Manuela combined traditional weaving, embroidery and doll-making with training in fashion, business, women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health. Their work culminated in a 21-garment collection showcased in Mexico City. Along the way, the women gained confidence, strengthened networks of mutual support and developed ambitions to build their own brands and workshops while keeping their cultural heritage alive.
Five years after girls in Afghanistan were barred from secondary education, UNESCO continues to keep learning opportunities open for girls and women excluded from formal education. Through community-based programmes, UNESCO provides literacy and vocational training, psychosocial support and practical skills that can strengthen livelihoods and resilience. Working with local communities, it helps create safe and accessible learning spaces, build confidence and support women’s future economic participation. UNESCO also continues to advocate for the restoration of girls’ and women’s right to education while expanding alternative pathways for learning.
Five years after the Taliban takeover, Afghan women and girls face increasingly institutionalized exclusion from education, employment and public life. UN Women warns against normalizing these restrictions.
Even during Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dedicated midwives like Francine continue providing life-saving care to mothers and newborns despite the risks.
From Cuba to the World Cup, women are increasingly making their mark as referees.
As women’s sport gains unprecedented recognition, many athletes still face unequal pay, limited opportunities, underrepresentation in leadership, and unsafe environments. Women and girls—especially those with disabilities, migrant backgrounds, or facing intersecting discrimination—continue to overcome systemic barriers both on and off the field. From fair wages and maternity protections to stronger safeguards against violence and greater inclusion in decision-making, achieving true equality requires more than celebrating success. It means ensuring every woman and girl can participate, compete, and thrive with dignity, safety, and equal rights.
Women in Maritime Association (WIMA) Europe launched in Batumi, strengthening women’s leadership, networking and professional development across Europe’s maritime sector, backed by IMO, Denmark and UNDP Georgia.
Beyond cooking, cleaning, or caregiving lies the constant planning, organizing, remembering, and anticipating that keeps households running. This unseen work falls disproportionately on women, shaping their time, careers, health, and well-being. What if true equality isn't just about sharing household chores, but also sharing the responsibility of thinking about them in the first place? In UN Women’s Hand in Hand “social experiment”, couples in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco completed timed care tasks like changing diapers and preparing meals, first competing individually, and then working together.
HE[R]EAL is a global multimedia exhibition that challenges dominant narratives of war-to-peace transitions, offering another perspective: women as survivors, former combatants, family members of armed actors, caregivers, leaders and agents of change.
Despite being displaced herself by the war in Sudan, medical doctor Manasik dedicates herself to ensuring that women and girls who survived gender-based violence can find support.
In Juba, South Sudan, boys are speaking out for their classmates, insisting girls belong in classrooms, not in early marriages that end their futures.