What we do

All human development and human rights issues have gender dimensions. UN Women focuses on priority areas that are fundamental to women’s equality, and that can unlock progress across the board.
Leadership and political participation
Across Europe and Central Asia, women are still under-represented in decision-making, whether it is in elected office, the civil service, the private sector or academia. UN Women works with national governments, civil society and other international actors to promote women’s leadership and political participation in all spheres of life, and address key capacity gaps.
Ending violence against women
Violence against women and girls is widespread in Europe and Central Asia, taking many forms including domestic violence, bride kidnapping, trafficking, early marriage, polygamy and physical abuse. While many countries have strengthened domestic violence and trafficking laws, implementation is limited. UN Women partners with governments, UN agencies and civil society to prevent violence, raise awareness of its causes and consequences as well as ensuring gender-sensitive protection services for survivors.
Intergovernmental support
In intergovernmental forums at the United Nations, Member States come together to debate and seek agreement on global gender equality norms and standards.
Peace and security
In Europe and Central Asia conflict and boundary disputes often exacerbate gender inequality between women and men. Targeted by war tactics, such as sexual violence, women and children often are a majority of displaced and refugee populations. UN Women works to enable women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution, to protect women from discrimination and human rights violations, and to ensure their access to justice. We also promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in humanitarian efforts.
UN system coordination
When different parts of the multilateral system act together, they can deliver greater results—and maximize the use of scarce resources. Within the UN system, UN Women is mandated to lead, promote and coordinate efforts to advance the full realization of women’s rights and opportunities.
National planning and budgeting
National plans and budgets are strategic opportunities for governments to turn their commitments into practical steps for achieving gender equality. Too often they fail to ensure that public services respond to women’s needs and priorities. Implementing commitments to gender equality requires innovative public policy tools like gender-responsive budgeting, which comprehensively assesses gender gaps and identifies actions to close them. UN Women advocates for transparent and adequate public financing for gender equality, including gender-responsive budgets at all levels that channel adequate resources to both women and men.
Economic empowerment
Although women in Europe and Central Asia make enormous contributions in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home, they still face discrimination that leads to a gender pay gap and low labour force participation. Working with a variety of partners and with a special focus on the most excluded and discriminated groups of women, UN Women promotes women’s ability to secure decent jobs, accumulate assets, and influence institutions and public policies determining growth and development.