Around the world and through the decades, we have all shared in the global struggle for gender equality.

The world has made unprecedented advances, but no country has achieved gender equality. Legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from having the same choice of jobs as men. Less than 25% of parliamentarians are women. One in three women experiences gender-based violence. International Women’s Day, 8 March, is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women. This year’s theme, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights, is aligned with UN Women’s campaign marking the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Let’s make 2020 count for women and girls everywhere!

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Global Issues:
Gender Equality

“You know, what am I doing every day for human beings, particularly those who are in, you know, a much more challenging situation, we need to support their courage, their resilience, their need to survive...and their rights.”

With her background in human rights law, Georgette Gagnon was once said to represent the conscience of war. Currently serving as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, she has been devastated by the sweeping loss of rights for women and girls there.

“You used to see across the country hundreds of girls going to school... Now, of course, you don't see that, and it's heartbreaking. It's such a huge loss for the entire society,” she says.

Afghanistan has one of the highest numbers of people in need of humanitarian support, and drastic cuts to humanitarian assistance affect access to critical care for millions. In this episode, Georgette Gagnon shares her hopes and fears for a country close to her heart, and reflects on a career serving in some of the world’s toughest places, from Syria to Sudan and Libya.

Photo: ©UN photo/UNAMA/Tahmina Osta

The Gender Transformative Mechanism (GTM) is an initiative by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) aimed at enhancing the impact of government-funded projects by promoting gender equality and women's empowerment alongside climate resilience. It provides financial support and technical assistance to help governments harness the potential of rural women. By 2030, it aims to empower over 20 million rural people across 20 countries.

What is life like for women and girls in Afghanistan today? UN Women’s 2024 Afghanistan Gender Index explores the data and helps you understand what the world must do to stand with Afghan women.

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and potential. Yet, persistent inequalities in rights, opportunities, and representation continue to hold them back. Achieving gender equality by 2030 will require an additional $360 billion annually. The UN is working with countries to advance rights, end violence, and ensure women’s full participation in all spheres of life. This urgent challenge is at the heart of the Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (Mexico City, August 12–15), where leaders and advocates will unite to drive lasting change across the region.

In conflicts across the globe, sexual violence – including rape, abuse, coercion and trafficking – is increasingly being wielded as a weapon to terrorize women and girls, often leading to devastating physical and psychological trauma. At least 20,000 women and men were raped or abused during the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jasna (name changed) is one of these survivors. She has gained stability and healing through Snaga Žene, an NGO offering psychological, legal, social, and economic support, including access to a greenhouse to cultivate and sell vegetables.

Members of the Green Valley Women’s Association take part in Vanuatu’s International Day of Rural Women celebrations in the village of Emua. Emua is one of five market sites on Efate Island that are part of UN Women’s Markets for Change programme. After it was devastated by Cyclone Pam in March 2015, it was one of the first markets to be up and running again. Over a decade, the programme operating in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, has demonstrated how local markets can become engines of women’s empowerment and economic growth, not just places to buy and sell goods. 

Fifteen years ago, UN Women was created with a bold mission: to become the United Nation’s powerhouse for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Active in more than 80 countries, UN Women has become a driving force, leading campaigns, reshaping laws, and rallying people everywhere to stand up for the rights, equality, and empowerment of the world’s 4 billion women and girls.

In the West African country of Guinea-Bissau, more than 400,000 girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation. Despite decades of effort, the prevalence of the harmful practice has remained. Now, communities are coming together to change that. In the Gabu region, in the eastern part of the country, 24 rural communities recently united in a show of solidarity and hope, gathering to advocate for the right of women and girls to live free from harm – and to sign a declaration of intent to end the practice for good. Here, a look inside the powerful event.

With over 5.5 billion people online - nearly all of them active on social media - digital platforms have become the main arena for public debate.

But a steady rise in misogynistic content online is fuelling a toxic environment that not only silences women and girls but also reinforces harmful gender norms, the UN Agency for gender equality, UN Women, warns.

Experts say that addressing this trend requires more than just protecting girls. It also means building a world where boys are free from the pressures of toxic masculinity and restrictive gender expectations.

UN Women’s Kalliopi Mingeirou, who leads the effort to end violence against women and girls, outlined to UN News’s Ana Carmo the alarming spread of online misogyny – and what can be done to stop it.

Women remain underrepresented in legislatures worldwide, limiting their influence on policymaking. UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) work to advance women’s political participation through leadership training, inclusive laws, and collaboration. The IPU’s Forum of Women Parliamentarians empowers female MPs, promotes male allyship, and backs the 2025 theme: “Achieving gender equality, action by action.” Founded in 1889, the IPU promotes conflict resolution through dialogue and supports democratic institution-building in post-conflict nations. 

Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, yet many face bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Studies show that over 50% of female seafarers, and significant number of male seafarers, have experienced harassment at sea that threatens their safety, mental wellbeing and career progression. On 25 June, the global maritime community comes together to celebrate the Day of the Seafarer. This year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) launched the campaign 'My Harassment-Free Ship', a bold initiative to promote a culture of respect and zero tolerance for bullying and harassment at sea.

Despite global commitments to gender equality, women remain significantly underrepresented in diplomacy and political leadership, with recent trends showing troubling regression. The Human Rights Council and UN Women both highlight systemic barriers, including discrimination, gender stereotypes, and political violence, which continue to exclude women from high-level decision-making.  Bold action is needed - from implementing quotas and leadership appointments to mentorship and anti-harassment measures - to achieve meaningful, equal representation and uphold the promises of the Beijing Platform and Sustainable Development Goals.