Mural artivism: Breaking the walls of gender inequality

As part of the Generation Equality campaign, seven distinguished local artists – from Albania, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Turkey, and the curator of the initiative from the United States of America – are starting a conversation on gender equality through mural art in Europe and Central Asia. By decorating walls, artivists seek to figuratively break down the walls of inequality! Collectively, these change-makers of all ages and genders can tackle the unfinished business of…

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Roma activist Galyna Yurchenko on effects of COVID-19

Date: Thursday, 9 April 2020

Roma activist Galyna Yurchenko elaborates on the challenges the Roma community is facing now: lack of employment opportunities as the country is under quarantine; lack of basic supply of water and food in the remote areas and children missing out on education due to lack of access to information and communication technologies.

Positive Women’s Regional Coordinator in Odessa, Oksana Pchelnikova, on effects of COVID-19

Date: Thursday, 9 April 2020

Civil society organization, Positive Women’s Regional Coordinator Oksana Pchelnikova points out the problems facing women living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few women have access to the HIV/AIDS centers to receive the antiretroviral therapy (ART), they need. As they stay home and take care of children, their economic circumstances worsen and face more violence. She emphasizes that their mental health is vulnerable, which may even lead to showing suicidal tendencies, as some of…

Head of the NGO "Leader" Valentyna Dobrydina on effects of COVID-19

Date: Thursday, 9 April 2020

A woman with disability, Head of the NGO “Leader” and representative of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities in Chernivtsi region, Valentyna Dobrydina emphasizes the issues rural women with disabilities encounter during the quarantine, such as inaccessible medical clinics and hospitals, lack of medical diagnostic equipment and infectious disease sections. She also highlights the need for women with disabilities to be involved in the decision-making processes in COVID-19 response…

“Kalys” comics: Stories of “bride kidnapping” in Kyrgyzstan

Date: Tuesday, 7 April 2020

This comic book tells real stories of three teenage girls who were kidnapped for forced marriage. The video is aimed to support girls and their parents and raise awareness on preventing kidnapping for forced marriage, a practice known as “ala kachuu”. Stories cover local traditions, police responsiveness and preparedness to minimize the negative consequences for girls and their families. Video was developed by implementing partner HelpAge International, in the framework of the Across…

“Kalys” comics: Stories of “bride kidnapping” in Kyrgyzstan

Date: Wednesday, 1 April 2020

This comic book tells real stories of three teenage girls who were kidnapped for forced marriage. The video is aimed to support girls and their parents and raise awareness on preventing kidnapping for forced marriage, a practice known as “ala kachuu”. Stories cover local traditions, police responsiveness and preparedness to minimize the negative consequences for girls and their families. Video was developed by implementing partner HelpAge International, in the framework of the Across…

Women councilors in Samsun, Turkey got together for gender sensitive municipal services

Date: Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Councilors from different political parties in Samsun, Turkey gathered at the local gender equality workshop to discuss the problems of women and propose solutions. The workshop is organized within the “Gender equality in political leadership and participation in Turkey” project, funded by Sweden through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).Samsun’da toplumsal cinsiyete duyarlı belediye hizmetleri için kadın belediye meclis üyeleri bir aradaSamsun’da farklı siyasi…

Women councilors in Muğla, Turkey got together for gender sensitive municipal services

Date: Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Councilors from different political parties in Muğla, Turkey gathered at the local gender equality workshop to discuss the problems of women and propose solutions. The workshop is organized within the “Gender equality in political leadership and participation in Turkey” project, funded by Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).Muğla’da toplumsal cinsiyete duyarlı belediye hizmetleri için kadın belediye meclis üyeleri bir aradaMuğla’da farklı siyasi…

UN Women Ukraine and Ukrainian Institute award women artists with an historical award

Date: Wednesday, 25 March 2020

UN Women Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute presented an independent Women in Arts 2020 Award to highlight the achievements of women working in the cultural sphere and acknowledge their contributions and inspire new achievements. Here are the winners:• Visual Arts – Lada Nakonechna• Music – Alyona Savranenko (alyona alyona)• Theatre and Film – Natalia Vorozhbyt• Literature – Oksana Zabuzhko• Cultural Management – Julia Sinkevych• Cultural Journalism, Criticism and Research – Daria Badior.…

Gender-sensitive refugee response in Turkey

Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Women and girls are affected differently by humanitarian crises and migration than men and boys, and thus gender-sensitive services play a crucial role in the response. Gender-sensitive refugee response addresses the different needs of women, men, girls, and boys. In this regard, “Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women, Girls and Host Communities in Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey Project” is implemented by UN Women and funded by the European Union. In Turkey, the project is co-financed by…

Veronica Fonova: Becoming a feminist and leading Kazakhstan’s first feminist march

Date: Friday, 6 March 2020

Veronica Fonova, a 27-year-old web designer from Kazakhstan, became a women’s rights activist after realizing that even in feminist groups the main speakers are still men. She created the women-only group KazFem, a platform for feminist activism in Kazakhstan, and led the first feminist march in her country. Her story is part of the “25 Women” series UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia produced for the Generation Equality campaign, marking the 25th year anniversary of the…

Promoting Equality: Women in Defense and Armed Forces

Date: Friday, 6 March 2020

This animation has been produced by the Ministry of Defence in the Republic of North Macedonia and UN Women to support our joint initiatives in the are of tackling gender stereotypes and advancing gender equality in the defense sector.

Zero tolerance for violence against women

Date: Thursday, 5 March 2020

On International Women’s Day, the European Union, UN Women and hundreds of women’s rights organizations in the Western Balkans and Turkey are celebrating their partnership to end discrimination and violence against women.

Mrika Nikҫi: The world’s youngest woman to climb the seven highest peaks in seven continents

Date: Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Mrika Nikҫi is the youngest woman in the world to climb the seven peaks in all seven continents. In December 2018, Mrika climbed Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica. Then in February 2019, Mrika summited South American Aconcagua. After that, Mrika climbed three summits: Mount Everest, then Mount McKinley, Denali and then Elbrus. Together with her family, Mrika founded an NGO, Mrika Seven Summits, to promote responsible and sustainable tourism. Her story is part of the “25 Women”…

Gupse Özay: A woman comedian fights stereotypes in Turkish films

Date: Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Gupse Özay, 35, is a comedian, actress, screenwriter and film director in Istanbul, Turkey. While comedy and film have long been male dominated, she followed her passion and wrote, played and directed her own movies, which have been viewed by millions in her country. Her story is part of the “25 Women” series UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia produced for the Generation Equality campaign, marking the 25th year anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action.

HIV should not tear apart families and the future of people

Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2020

According to the statistics, majority of women living with HIV learn about their status at regular medical checks during pregnancy in Tajikistan. For women living with HIV, stigma and misinformation should not dominate the conversation and prevent them from accessing much needed healthcare and getting the support from their family members. This video shows us that, in times of difficulty, understanding and compassion from loved ones can make a world of difference.

HIV cannot break the bond between people

Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2020

People living with HIV often experience stigma and discrimination in Tajikistan. Finding out one’s HIV positive status can be difficult to cope with, and often, it comes with pain, shame, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. This is the time when support from family and loved ones is crucial. Yet, it is not rare to see that family members show resistance and denial, instead of empathy and love. This video shows that it does not have to be like that.

Anastasiia Yeva Domani: How a transgender woman in Ukraine fought for her rights

Date: Monday, 10 February 2020

Anastasiia Yeva Domani is a transgender woman from Ukraine who became an activist for transgender rights after fighting for her own right to transition with dignity. Her story is part of the “25 Women” series UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia produced for the Generation Equality campaign, marking the 25th year anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action.

Women across borders demand an end to gender-based violence

Date: Friday, 7 February 2020

During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UN Women Turkey, in partnership with Refugee Support Center (Mülteci Destek Derneği – MUDEM), brought together Turkish, Syrian, Russian, Korean, Ukrainian and Indonesian women in İzmir, Turkey to orange the city and end violence against women. Women from different cultures blew their whistles and waved their orange scarves to demand an equal future free from violence. The event was organized within the framework of “Strengthening…

Nona Noniashvili: A young entrepreneur in Georgia who helps a conflict-affected community grow

Date: Thursday, 6 February 2020

Nona Noniashvili is one of the founders of the Enkeni Apple Chips Company. Nona, together with her two fellow classmates, were seeing dried fruit as a perfect product to make in a country famous for its apples. So, they decided to try their hand at building their own fruit dryer and starting a company that produced apple chips. Their choice on where to produce the chips is what really makes Enkeni unique – in conflict-affected Ditsi Village, located on a contested boundary line between…

Alina Andronache: Vlogging for Gender Equality in Moldova

Date: Thursday, 6 February 2020

Alina Andronache is an activist and vlogger for women’s rights and gender equality from the Republic of Moldova. She aims to set an example that, as a wife and mother, she doesn’t have to fit into limiting conventions dictated by society. This led her to create the “Vlog of a Feminist Mother”, where she challenges Moldovan society with the stereotypes she has confronted in motherhood. Her story is part of the “25 Women” series UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia produced for…