Across Africa, women innovators are reshaping the future of technology, not only by building businesses, but by designing solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges - from water management to digital rights. With support from UNESCO’s African Women in Tech and AI initiative, they are turning ideas into impact, breaking barriers and shaping a more inclusive digital future. As International Women’s Day highlights the importance of rights, justice and action, stories like these remind us that equality in innovation must be sustained year-round.

In 2025, UNESCO awarded its inaugural Global Citizenship Education Prize to initiatives in Tanzania and Ecuador, recognizing outstanding global education impact.

Through ecotourism and photography, José Pérez reveals Cuba’s hidden biodiversity, connecting visitors with communities and conservation while transforming images into powerful bridges between science, emotion and protection.

Jean‑Michel Jarre narrates how AI is transforming creation and connection, and UNESCO promotes ethical frameworks to ensure technology enhances, not replaces, human creativity.

After Hurricane Melissa disrupted education for over half a million students in eastern Cuba, the “Rebuilding Hope” initiative was launched to restore learning, provide psychosocial support, and strengthen resilience in affected schools.

The Model Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan empowers media institutions to develop comprehensive strategies that ensure operational continuity during emergencies and strengthen community resilience.

UNESCO invites nominations for the 2026 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, honoring up to three individuals or institutions advancing peace.
Deadline: 28 February 2026.

Decades after the Holocaust, antisemitism is rising in Europe and beyond, making education crucial for understanding violent pasts and preventing future atrocities. As Holocaust survivors dwindle, UNESCO is dedicated to advancing Holocaust education through its International Programme on Holocaust Education. Since 2015, it has reached 31 countries, developing teacher training resources and new curricula. Recently, UNESCO organized policy training at Auschwitz-Birkenau for senior policymakers. UNESCO also fights Holocaust denial through its partnership with the World Jewish Congress, providing factual resources, including the AboutHolocaust.org website, and has published guides to help educators counter denial while teaching about the genocide.

Youth under 30 make up over half the world’s population and drive innovation and social change, yet face poverty, inequality and limited access to education and decent work. Their engagement is essential to shape modern education amid rapid technological change. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, youth must be co‑creators of education at all levels. The Youth Declaration on Transforming Education highlights their leadership, and the 2026 International Day of Education (24 January) celebrates their role.

The forests around Mount Kanchenjunga in Nepal boast rich biodiversity, including endangered species like the snow leopard and red panda. Indigenous communities have traditionally used their knowledge for conservation, but challenges such as climate change, poaching, and hydropower projects are threatening this balance. Local resident Purna Kumar Limbu notes that frequent explosives from these projects are driving wildlife away. In response, the UNESCO initiative, Strengthening Community Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation, launched in 2025, aims to enhance global recognition of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and reinforce its importance to the local community.

UNESCO’s program in Oaxaca seeks to integrate living heritage into urban planning and responsible tourism to protect artisans’ livelihoods, community spaces, and the transmission of cultural knowledge.

Photographer Alexis Rosenfeld and the 1 OCEAN team have documented the planet’s largest animal migration at the southern tip of Africa, a vital natural phenomenon now threatened by climate change and industrial drilling.

Everyday life in Uzbekistan’s Pskem Valley is shaped by constant exposure to natural hazards, including landslides and mudflows. Local communities have long relied on local knowledge to live alongside natural hazards. Their stories show how this experience, combined with the scientific and technical support of a UNESCO project, is strengthening preparedness and resilience to landslides and mudflows.

As generative AI advances, women journalists face growing threats including deepfakes, harassment, surveillance, and gendered disinformation. UNESCO is leading a global campaign with major media to expose Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), which aims to silence and discredit women online and offline. Research shows 73% of women journalists have faced online threats, with many experiencing real-world violence as a result. AI has intensified these attacks, making abuse faster and harder to control. Marking the 2025 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, UNESCO calls for stronger protection, accountability, and action to defend women journalists and freedom of expression worldwide.

The 2022-2025 UNESCO report reveals a 10% global decline in freedom of expression since 2012, driven by self-censorship, journalist attacks, economic pressures, and threats to democracy.