Gender equality and women's empowerment .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform

Addis Ababa Action Plan on Transformative Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
On the second day of the Third Financing for Development Conference, taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 13-16 July 2015, UN Women organized three official high-level side events to highlight the importance of transformative financing on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Secretary-General Reports

E/CN.6/2015/3 - Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the GA
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Press releases

G7 leaders highlight women’s empowerment as a top priority
Leaders commit to reduce the gender gap in workforce participation in their countries by 25 per cent by 2025 and call on companies to apply the UN Women 'Women’s Empowerment Principles'.

Spotlight on SDG 8: The impact of marriage and children on labour market participation

Spotlight on SDG11: Harsh realities: Marginalized women in cities of the developing world

Women and Sustainable Development Goals

Demographic Perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Turns 20

Adding It Up 2014

HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming: Innovative Approaches to Integrated Service Delivery

The World Survey on the role of women in development 2014: Gender equality and sustainable development

Since its creation 70 years ago, the UN has achieved important results in advancing gender equality, from the establishment of the Commission on the Status of Women - the main global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women - through the adoption of various landmark agreements such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

On the occasion of the General Debate of the 66th Session of the General Assembly held in September 2011, United Nations Secretary-General BAN KI-MOON highlighted in his Report “We the Peoples”, the crucial role of gender equality as driver of development progress, recognizing that the potential of women had not been fully realized, owing to, inter alia, persistent social, economic and political inequalities.

Gender inequalities are still deep-rooted in every society. Women suffer from lack of access to decent work and face occupational segregation and gender wage gaps. In many situations, they are denied access to basic education and health care and are victims of violence and discrimination. They are under-represented in political and economic decision-making processes.

With the aim of better addressing these challenges and to identify a single recognized driver to lead and coordinate UN activities on gender equality issues, UN Women was established in 2010.

UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, empowerment of women, and achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The vital role of women and the need for their full and equal participation and leadership in all areas of sustainable development was reaffirmed in the Future We Want (paragraph 236-244), as well as in the Open Working Group Proposal for Sustainable Development Goals. Open Working Group Proposal for Sustainable Development Goals. The proposed Sustainable Development Goal 5 addresses this and reads "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls".