United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

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About Company

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is a specialized UN agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Here’s a comprehensive overview:

🔹 Background and Establishment

  • Established: July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly.

  • Began operations: January 2011.

  • Mandate: To accelerate progress on meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide.

  • Created by: Merging four previously distinct parts of the UN system:

    • Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)

    • International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)

    • Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)

    • United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

🔹 Mission and Objectives

UN Women’s key goals are to:

  1. Eliminate discrimination against women and girls.

  2. Empower women.

  3. Achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security.

🔹 Key Functions

  1. Support inter-governmental bodies (e.g., the Commission on the Status of Women) in their formulation of policies and global standards.

  2. Help UN member states implement standards through technical and financial support.

  3. Lead and coordinate the UN system’s efforts on gender equality.

  4. Hold the UN system accountable for its commitments on gender equality.

🔹 Leadership

  • Executive Director: As of 2025, the Executive Director is Sima Sami Bahous (since 2021).

  • She brings experience in diplomacy, development, and advocacy for women’s rights.

🔹 Core Areas of Work

UN Women focuses on several strategic priority areas:

  1. Leadership and political participation

  2. Economic empowerment

  3. Ending violence against women and girls

  4. Peace and security and humanitarian action

  5. Governance and national planning

  6. Gender-responsive budgeting and financing

  7. Climate change and disaster risk reduction (emerging focus)

🔹 Global Reach and Impact

  • Active in over 90 countries.

  • Works with governments, civil society, the private sector, and other UN agencies.

  • Provides funding, policy advice, research, advocacy, and capacity building.

🔹 Flagship Reports and Campaigns

  • Flagship Reports:

    • Progress of the World’s Women

    • Turning Promises into Action: Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

  • Global Campaigns:

    • HeForShe – a solidarity campaign inviting men and boys to advocate for gender equality.

    • Orange the World – part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

🔹 Funding

UN Women is voluntarily funded by UN Member States and other partners (governments, private sector, foundations). It also receives funding through donor contributions and thematic funds.