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
Millions of people around the world are unable to have the number of children they want – whether they want more, fewer, or none at all. Recently, fertility declines are making headlines, with women all too often blamed for these demographic shifts. Some governments are employing drastic measures to incentivize young people to make fertility decisions in line with national targets. But the real crisis is that the most consequential reproductive decision a human being can make – when, whether and with whom to have a child – is being undermined. Together with YouGov, UNFPA conducted a survey of 14 countries to ask people whether they are having the families they desire. We found that alarmingly high proportions of adults are unable to realize their fertility intentions.
Thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, women remain underrepresented in UN peace operations, yet their leadership is crucial to building lasting global peace and security.
This year's Menstrual Hygiene Day, 28 May, urges collective action to ensure that menstruation does not limit access to education, health, or opportunity. Marked since 2014, Menstrual Hygiene Day, is about the persistent inequalities surrounding menstrual health and hygiene. The Day raises awareness that investments in menstrual health can have transformative impacts on girls’ and women’s lives. Menstruation hygiene support is crucial in humanitarian crises. Activists in Türkiye are fighting for menstrual justice in the aftermath of the severe earthquake there.
According to Estelle Koussoube, a senior economist at the World Bank, and Kehinde Ajayi, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), investing in the economic success of adolescent girls in Africa can transform the continent. To learn more, listen to a new episode of the World Bank's Afronomics podcast.
The journey of Viany Nguemakoue Djouffa — a former domestic worker turned entrepreneur, activist, and community leader - is one of defying expectations, reclaiming dignity, and building networks of support that transcend nationality and circumstance. Djouffa’s story began like many migrant workers’ in Lebanon. She arrived from Cameroon in 2015 seeking work to support her family, entering into Lebanon’s kafala system — a sponsorship-based labour structure that often leaves migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. However, unlike many who remain trapped within the system, Djouffa found a way to carve out her independence. Drawing on her skills as a trained tailor, she launched her own workshop, creating a sustainable livelihood outside the confines of domestic work.
“Girls in ICT for Inclusive Digital Transformation" is the theme of this year's International Girls in ICT Day 2025 (24 April). This global initiative serves as a powerful platform to inspire girls and young women to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as information and communications technology (ICT). The aim is to empower them to become active contributors to the digital society, economy and ecosystem. Let's work together to make a lasting impact. Join us today and help make every day a celebration of #GirlsinICTDay.
Maryam was forced to record a message for her parents while in detention, facing a mock execution for protesting against systemic discrimination against women and girls in Iran. Despite her fear, she expressed determination, saying she would die with purpose. Two and a half years after the protests began, women and girls in Iran still face severe persecution. A recent UN Human Rights report confirms that Iranian authorities are implementing new restrictions on their rights and intensifying crackdowns on supporters of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. The report was recently presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Anandita Philipose, leading UNFPA's work in Lebanon, addresses exploitation, violence, and protection risks, striving to safeguard women's health and dignity.
The Central African Republic is one of the worst places for women, marked with widespread illiteracy, poverty and gender-based violence.
It’s been 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action established a global roadmap for advancing the rights of women and girls. Despite some progress, economic inequalities remain deeply entrenched in societies, exacerbating issues like domestic violence. Insufficient social protections, such as paid parental leave and childcare, along with higher tax rates for female earners, negatively impact women’s lives. The UNDP's Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is a voluntary program in over 100 institutions across 30 countries, aimed at enhancing policy reforms to better address the diverse needs of women.
It will take an estimated 137 years to end extreme poverty for women and 257 years to close the pay gap between women and men. But what if we choose not to wait? In 2025, the world can choose to invest in gender equality so all of society benefits. Instead of waiting centuries, let’s choose to do it now.