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Around the world and through the decades, we have all shared in the global struggle for gender equality.

The world has made unprecedented advances, but no country has achieved gender equality. Legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from having the same choice of jobs as men. Less than 25% of parliamentarians are women. One in three women experiences gender-based violence. International Women’s Day, 8 March, is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women. This year’s theme, , is aligned with ’s campaign marking the of the . Let’s make 2020 count for women and girls everywhere!

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Global Issues:
Gender Equality

After months of being repeatedly displaced around Gaza, Malak, 22, faced an uncertain three hour drive to reach the hospital when she went into labor.

Salma Akter Aduri’s family, potato farmers from Rangpur, Bangladesh, struggled to sell their cash crops at a profitable price. Facing dire circumstances, it looked like they would be forced to either give up their land or take high-interest loans from moneylenders, they joined the Birahim Farmer’s Cooperative, which received support through the Missing Middle Initiative. This initiative, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () and funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program ( worked with farmers to improve access to finance, markets, technology, and information.

Salma Akter Aduri’s family, potato farmers from Rangpur, Bangladesh, struggled to sell their cash crops at a profitable price. Facing dire circumstances, it looked like they would be forced to either give up their land or take high-interest loans from moneylenders, they joined the Birahim Farmer’s Cooperative, which received support through the Missing Middle Initiative. This initiative, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () and funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program ( worked with farmers to improve access to finance, markets, technology, and information.

At the in East Jerusalem, young people interact with Q-Robot, which looks like a toy but teaches students about digital safety and addresses topics such as bullying and social media. The facility develops creative apps for digital literacy and well-being. The centre offers recreational and vocational activities to Palestinian youth in the West Bank, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (). Similar initiatives are also supported in Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia.

In the face of severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban, Afghan women continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and courage. sheds light on their reality.

Women’s rights remain threatened over two decades after the  highlighted the issue. On 7 August, the Council will address “Women ̽����ѡ and Security” () amid the accelerated drawdown of peace operations, focusing on implementing the WPS agenda and ensuring gender equality during and after the reduction and termination of . Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and a civil society representative are expected to brief the Council.

Hear Esther* tell her terrifying story and see how UNFPA—the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency—is supporting the care she's receiving.

Claudelina Ortellado Portillo gave birth for the first time at age 39 in the Katuete Public Health Centre in Paraguay. Ms. Ortellado told , she credits the psychological support she received during the pre and postnatal periods in helping her navigate the emotional tides of pregnancy. Childbirth can take a heavy emotional and physical toll and requires respectful, responsive care – an approach that emphasizes women's dignity, their emotional state, beliefs, consent and autonomy. Respectful maternity care also means discouraging over-medicalization and protecting women from obstetric abuse and violence. Women must be assured the right to their chosen birth plan and able to access all available information in order to participate fully in decision making over their own labour process – including choices, such as the position to give birth in.

The game is changing. For the first time in history, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will see an equal number of men and women competing. This 50:50 representation of athletes makes the Summer Games the first to reach gender equality. With an expected global audience of 3 billion, this year’s Games have been deliberately scheduled to make possible more balanced coverage of all events, putting all athletes in the spotlight. The Games will also feature more women’s and mixed events, offering more opportunities for women to win medals. .

Hundreds of women and girls fleeing conflict in the Bandiagara region of Mali have found shelter at this displacement camp in Sokoura.

Women's sports are rapidly growing in popularity and influence, with record-breaking achievements and increasing gender parity, yet significant gaps in coverage, leadership, and pay still need to be addressed.

When Natacha Sangwa wanted to learn computer coding, people in her life asked, ‘do you really think you'll be able to handle it?’ Coding needs time and focus that they believed girls lacked. After all, men hold most of the tech jobs. “I was motivated to prove them wrong by learning how to code and pursuing a career in tech,” said Sangwa, who participated in the first coding camp organized under the African Girls Can Code Initiative last year in Rwanda. Sangwa feels that platforms like the African Girls Can Code initiative and Siemens EmpowerHer programme can inspire and encourage more girls to join ICT careers.