A new Oxfam report has shown an undeniable increase in gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic around the world which many governments are not doing enough to tackle. The report, The Ignored Pandemic: The Dual Crisis of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and COVID-19, reviewed the number of calls made by survivors to domestic violence hotlines in...

• COVID-19 exposed persistent inequalities for women in the African workforce. • These inequalities are underpinned by a gendered division of labour that is hard to shift. • Investing in women’s human capital will allow them to break free of traditional roles. COVID-19 has shown the urgent need to reimagine our world – and more...

Somalia’s parliament has sparked outrage by replacing long-awaited legislation to protect women and girls from violence with a new bill permitting child and forced marriage. The east African nation has high rates of child marriage and violence against women, including rape and female genital mutilation (FGM). The United Nations says 45% of women are married...

Girls worldwide believe gender-based violence is the biggest barrier that holds them back, according to our global survey. A total of 1147 girls were consulted by Plan International, and 350 of those, aged 14 to 19, from 12 countries, took part in qualitative interviews. These formed the basis  of the Girls’ Platform for Action research...

Dr. Christine Sadia is a gender and public health expert with over 30 years’ experience advising governments on health and gender issues, such as psychosocial needs of women in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and HIV programming during the Indonesia tsunami. UN Women is supporting Dr. Sadia in her current role as a Gender...

Kenya’s Senate is considering a reproductive healthcare bill, which seeks to address reproductive health gaps. This is the second time the bill has come before the senate. It has, once again, drawn fire from religious groups, some politicians and civil society lobbies opposed to its proposals. Anthony Ajayi and Meggie Mwoka unpack the bill and...

We’re in the midst of climate crisis – it’s not theoretical anymore. And though some of the world’s finest minds are working hard on strategies to stave off the worst effects of the looming disaster, they often overlook a powerful climate solution: gender equality. Women  make up nearly half of the agricultural labor force in...

Women and girls in Africa are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Although preliminary evidence from China, Italy, and New York shows that men are at higher risk of contraction and death from the disease—more than 58 percent of COVID-19 patients were men, and they had an...