Aliya Chynybaeva is the CEO of Halyk Bank Kyrgyzstan and a board member of the International Business Council of Kyrgyzstan. During the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region held on March 13-14, 2024, Aliya Chynybaeva participated in a peer-learning roundtable on building effective partnerships for digital transformation. Supported by the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, she emphasized that empowering women in the digital world is crucial for inclusive societal development.

Laura Vaigorova is a 28 year-old entrepreneur, women’s rights activist from Kazakhstan and the founder of the “Stopharass.kz”, an online platform aiming to combat violence against women in public spaces. On the occasion of International Girls in ICT Day, hear from Laura why technology is crucial in addressing gender-based violence and empowering women in the digital era as well as useful tips for women entrepreneurs for women entrepreneurs in the ICT field.

Beyza Doğuç, a 27-year-old musician, feminist, writer and IT specialist working on AI-related projects from Türkiye, leverages AI to overcome gender biases and advocate for gender equality. Beyza believes that recognizing AI gender bias not as a bug but as a reflection of our society can help us use these insights to better understand and address our biases.

Delila Veladžić, a 27-year-old young woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina, joins UN Women’s “Imagine” campaign believing that youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be empowered to challenge societal norms and advocate for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Medinë Dauti, a 24-year-old advocate from Gjilan, Kosovo, joined the UN Women’s "Imagine" campaign believing in the power of collective action to empower youth and drive positive change in communities.

David Cuka, a 31-year-old trailblazer from Tirana, Albania, joined the UN Women's "Imagine" campaign aiming to raise awareness and challenge cultural stereotypes and gender-based discrimination in Albania and the Western Balkans.

Fatos Grubi is a 30-year-old activist, translator, writer, and journalist from Skopje, North Macedonia, joined UN Women’s "Imagine" campaign believing in the impact this initiative can have in raising awareness and challenging local gender-based stereotypes in North Macedonia and Western Balkans.

Violence against women is a human rights violation that takes place every single day around the world. Globally, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner. While domestic violence and abuse are sometimes hidden, if we know the signs of an abusive relationship, we may be able to recognize it better and seek or offer help.

The Government of Japan and UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (EACRO) have launched a project aimed at empowering Ukrainian refugee women and girls and promote gender accountability of the refugee responses in Slovakia, Poland and Georgia. The one-year multi-country project on "strengthen the resilience of the most-vulnerable Ukrainian refugee women and girls in hosting countries" aims to provide the most vulnerable and at-risk women and girls refugees from Ukraine with socio-economic, protection and educational support, and strengthen their longer-term resilience and self-sufficiency.

The Government of Japan and UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) have launched a project aimed at empowering Ukrainian refugee women and girls and promote gender accountability of the refugee responses in Slovakia, Poland and Georgia. The one-year multi-country project on "strengthen the resilience of the most-vulnerable Ukrainian refugee women and girls in hosting countries" aims to provide the most vulnerable and at-risk women and girls refugees from Ukraine with socio-economic, protection and educational support, and strengthen their longer-term resilience and self-sufficiency.

Supported by the Government of Japan, UN Women has launched a vital initiative supporting Ukrainian refugee women and girls in Slovakia, Poland, and Georgia. With a $565,000 investment, the project will benefit 480 Ukrainian refugee women and girls, impacting representatives from CSOs, state partners, and Women’s Rights Organizations.

Meet Anzhelika Bielova. In 2020, she started the Voice of Romni, an association led by Roma women in Ukraine, to support women’s economic empowerment and leadership. With the war in Ukraine in its second year, the organization is working to improve access to humanitarian aid, cash assistance, and economic recovery of Roma and internally displaced Roma women in Ukraine. On International Roma Day, hear from her.

The Government of Japan and UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (EACRO) have launched a project aimed at empowering Ukrainian refugee women and girls and promote gender accountability of the refugee responses in Slovakia, Poland and Georgia. The one-year multi-country project on "strengthen the resilience of the most-vulnerable Ukrainian refugee women and girls in hosting countries" aims to provide the most vulnerable and at-risk women and girls refugees from Ukraine with socio-economic, protection and educational support, and strengthen their longer-term resilience and self-sufficiency.

29 March, 2024, Dushanbe, Tajikistan - UN Women and the French Embassy in Tajikistan partnered to host an event focusing on protecting survivors of gender-based violence through shelters. The event aimed to raise awareness among governmental authorities, the private sector, development partners, and key stakeholders about the activities and achievements of shelters in Tajikistan.

In a bid to fortify the implementation of Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRB) practices in Türkiye, the third study visit of the "Implementing Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting in Türkiye Project" took place, in Serbia.

Jasminka Young is the co-founder and programme director of the RES Foundation, a leading think tank in the Western Balkans specializing in energy transition. During the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region held on March 13-14, 2024, Jasminka Young participated in a peer-learning roundtable on “Solving the Rubik’s cube of the planetary crisis: lining up policy solutions for climate risks and biodiversity loss.” Supported by the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, she spotlighted the gender perspective on climate risks and biodiversity loss solutions.

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, together with the European Union (EU), started the Phase II of the regional programme “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence”.

Dr. Elisabeth Klatzer is an international expert on gender responsive budgeting and holds a PhD in economics from Vienna University, and a MA in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Currently, with the Implementation of Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting in Turkey project, co-funded by UN Women and the European Union, Klatzer explains why gender-responsive budgeting is a accelerator for progress towards gender equality.

The 2024 meeting of the Advisory Board established within the scope of the "Implementation of Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting in Turkey Project" funded by the European Union and the United Nations, with the Ministry of Family and Social Services as the beneficiary and the Presidency of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget as the co-beneficiary, was held chaired by the Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and with the participation of relevant public institutions.

The first conference of its kind dedicated to women in tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, titled "Women in Tourism: Breaking Barriers, Shaping the Future," was held on 13 March in Sarajevo. The event aimed to promote gender equality and foster the economic empowerment of women within the tourism sector.