Onwards and upwards for gender equality in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine

Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021

UN Women launched the second phase of the “Building democratic, peaceful and gender equal society in Ukraine – Phase II” (2021-2024) project in eastern Ukraine, which aims to empower women in playing a leading role in peace and security processes in the region. As part of the launch, UN Women Country Representative for Ukraine, Erika Kvapilova, held key meetings in Zaporizhzhia, a conflict-affected city in eastern Ukraine, with local women’s groups and government partners to discuss progress made towards gender equality and the necessary next steps.

Turkish Women Olympians Make History

Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021

More sports women represented Turkey at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics than any other previous Games, and they took home five of the 13 medals won for the country, sparking much excitement and pride back home. Fifty sportswomen along with 58 sportsmen from Turkey competed in the Tokyo Olympics. Even so, the Tokyo Olympics were not Turkey’s most gender-balanced Games. Sixty-six women athletes joined 48 men at the London Olympics in 2012, which was an impressive milestone achieved in Turkey’s Olympics history.

Op-ed: What does energy poverty mean for women?

Date: Monday, October 18, 2021

Zora Dimitrijevic used to have to use at least two carts of wood to heat her home in the village of Dubona, near Belgrade, but it was still cold. She recently recycled her old stove and used the savings to buy a new one that heats up better, makes coffee faster, creates less smoke and consumes less wood. The new stove has also saved Zora significant physical work and time previously spent on providing heat.

Despite the pandemic, rural women in Kazakhstan launch their own businesses

Date: Friday, October 15, 2021

"We must always move forward," says MeruertAralbaeva, a 30-year-old mother and cashier living in Podgornoye village in the Akmola region, in central Kazakhstan. During the coronavirus pandemic, her husband lost his income for several months, and her family struggled. She was among many in Kazakhstan andworldwide who experienced this kind of hardship in 2020. UN Women assists the Government of the...

Take Five: Gender-responsive budgets contribute to rural women’s recognition as equal members of rural households in Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2021

Gordana Rokvić Knežić is an advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) of Republika Srpska (RS), and an associate professor of agricultural economics and rural development at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Banja Luka. She has been a researcher and consultant in the field of gender-responsive budgeting since 2009, cooperating with UN Women, the MAFWM and the Gender Center of RS. Through her role as a strategic planning advisor in the Ministry, she contributed to the introduction of gender-sensitive measures within the agricultural policy of RS.

Take Five: "Gender-responsive planning is a crucial success factor for improving the situation of rural women"

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2021

Aleksandra Vladisavljevic is a gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and policy expert who has been actively advocating for gender-responsive planning to be included in all sectors to address gender gaps and structural inequality. She spoke to UN Women about the situation of rural women in Serbia and how GRB is a tool to help improve their quality of life. She is working with UN Women in Serbia on institutionalizing the approach under the regional project “Transformative financing for gender equality towards more transparent, inclusive and accountable governance in the Western Balkans”, which is funded by the Government of Sweden (SIDA).

Women agricultural producers in North Macedonia get help to grow their businesses

Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Under a new measure achieved through gender-responsive budgeting, 250 women farmers received financial support to expand their businesses.

In Kosovo, gender-responsive budgeting raises hope for rural women

Date: Monday, October 11, 2021

Women from rural areas have played a crucial role in Kosovo for centuries , cultivating land, securing good food for all, caring for family members, and providing work for other women in the community. International Day of Rural Women is an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of gender-responsive budgeting as a tool to improve  the lives of rural women.  The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the lives of women from rural areas in...

In Serbia, girls are busting gender stereotypes in tech with their innovative ideas

Date: Monday, October 11, 2021

Hundreds of Serbian girls aged 13–14 are innovating with information technology (IT), inspiring more girls to use these tools to solve problems and pursue IT careers, which are generally regarded as a ‘boys club’.  At a young age, girls in Serbia are often told that innovation and technology are inappropriate for girls.  To tear down such stereotypes, UN Women in Serbia is supporting the “Catch the idea” competition, which is organized annually by...

Ana Vizitiv, a young activist promoting Girls in STEM

Date: Friday, October 8, 2021

Ana Vizitiv, 18, is a young girl from the Republic of Moldova, who has been passionate about the hard sciences – science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) – since childhood. She’s participated in numerous hard science olympiads and won the International Regeneron ISEF 2021 Science and Engineering Competition. She actively promotes and encourages girls in STEM to pursue their passion regardless of gender biases.

UN Women assessment reveals the state of gender budgeting in Kosovo

Date: Friday, October 8, 2021

UN Women reveals findings of a recent assessment of the capacities, experience, and needs of local government representatives in applying a gender lens to their budgeting processes. The assessment found that largely women officials apply a gender lens to their budgeting processes even though more men contribute to preparing budgets.

In the words of Slavica Vasić: “Roma women are not willing to report discrimination because they fear being more exposed to it”

Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021

Slavica Vasić is the chair and a founder of BIBIJA Roma Women's Centre in Serbia, a civil society organization that is supporting and empowering Roma women. BIBIJA is among the civil society organizations that are participating in the UN Women project ‘Test it, if you tasted it’, focused on revealing the hidden discrimination against marginalized women.

Official kick-off of new UN Women – EU project aiming to support civil society in Turkey

Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2021

A new three-year project to support the capacity development of and new partnership opportunities for civil society organizations (CSOs) kicks off in an event that brings together the representatives of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, UN Women, civil society, the government, and other stakeholders on 5 October 2021 in Ankara, Turkey.

UN Women puts care economy under the spotlight in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2021

A new coalition to drive greater action on economic rights and justice for women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was launched at a high-level event on 5 October. The new Action Coalition for Economic Justice and Rights will focus on the economy of care.

‘Tent Chats’ empower rural women to address early marriage

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

UN Women invited women and girl seasonal agricultural workers to share their experiences in child, early, and forced marriage, which remains a common practise in their communities.

In the words of Jovanka Dimitrijevic: “Older women often withdraw from society because of discrimination”

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

Jovanka Dimitrijevic, 81, is a retired foreign trade clerk from Belgrade, Serbia’s capital. She participates in the activities of the civil society organization (CSO) Amity, which works for the empowerment of older women and improving their position in society. Amity is among the CSOs that are participating in the UN Women project ‘Test it, if you tasted it’, focused on revealing the hidden discrimination against marginalized women.

Photo gallery: Dads and daughters in Azerbaijan

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

Son preference is still widespread in Azerbaijan, rooted in social norms that attach lower value to girls than to boys. This has led to a highly skewed sex ratio at birth, with 114 boys born for every 100 girls, according to official statistics--one of the highest imbalances in the world. But there are indications that the underlying norms have started to shift, and more and more parents do not care whether they have boys or girls as children. Others take pride in having a daughter.

In Kyrgyzstan, a new a game on household chores encourages players to reflect

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

In the innovate new online game “Who should be responsible for household chores?”, created by the UN Women Country Office in Kyrgyzstan issues of the inequality of unpaid care and domestic work are addressed. According to the latest data (Assessing the lights and shadows of COVID-19: A gender analysis of pandemic-related impacts on women and girls in Europe and Central Asia), women in Central Asia spent 2.5 times more time on unpaid care work than men.

Math olympic medalist Adelina Andrei: It is very important to contribute to the empowerment of women and girls by example

Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2021

In the Republic of Moldova, few girls and women decide to study hard sciences or information technology (IT). The barriers they face at cultural, social or educational levels prevent them from advancing in their careers and becoming experts in fields where they are usually underrepresented.

In the words of: “It takes time for a refugee to understand the world outside their home, but it is possible to feel safe and have hope for the future”

Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Emel Huseyin, 33, fled the war in Syria with her mother and sister in 2014 and moved to Izmir in western Turkey. She overcame severe psychological problems with the help of others and now wants to support those with similar needs. After learning Turkish and getting her life together, she participated in MUDEM Refugee Centre’s (MUDEM-RSC) vocational training. Here she found the strength to help other refugee women through the Home to Home Solidarity Programme, which is funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UN Women in partnership with MUDEM-RSC.