UN Women UK: Working for women's empowerment and gender equality

Progress for Women Is Progress for All

About Us

UN Women is the women's fund at the United Nations. Since 1976 it has provided financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes which foster women's empowerment and gender equality. Today the organisation's work touches the lives of women and girls in more than 100 countries. UN Women also helps to make sure the voices of women are heard at the United Nations.

UN Women has its HQ in New York and works worldwide out of 15 regional and 2 country programme offices. UN Women UK is one of 16 national organisations which offer a global network of support through membership programmes, public education about women's issues and fundraising to support projects.

What does UN Women do?

Human rights and security are at the centre of all UN Women's efforts which focus on four strategic goals:

  1. Reducing women's poverty and exclusion
  2. Ending violence against women
  3. Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls
  4. Supporting women's leadership in governance and post-conflict reconstruction

To pursue these goals UN Women works at different levels. It works with countries to formulate laws and policies which eliminate gender discrimination and promote gender equality in areas such as land and inheritance rights, decent work for women and ending violence against women. It also aims to transform institutions to make them more accountable regarding gender equality, to strengthen the voice of women's rights advocates, and to change harmful and discriminatory practices in society.

Women want a world free from hatred, violence and poverty, a world of equal opportunities and rights, a world that is prosperous and secure for all.
Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, UN Women

Two international agreements frame UN Women's work:

  1. the Beijing Platform for Action resulting from the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995
  2. the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), known as the women's bill of rights

The spirit of these agreements has been affirmed by the Millennium Declaration and the eight Millennium Development Goals for 2015, combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and gender inequality, and building partnerships for development. In addition, Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security is a crucial reference for UN Women's work in support of women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

How you can help:

The projects undertaken by UN Women make a difference to the everyday lives of women around and their families around the world. UN Women needs your support to help fund this work and to raise awareness of the issues affecting women's rights and security.

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Woman using drilling equipment in a workshop
Women baking bread in a makeshift oven

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UN Women UK – United Kingdom National Committee for UN Women

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