Sima Sami Bahous
Executive Director
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Sima Sami Bahous became UN Women’s third Executive Director on 30 September 2021. A champion for women and girls, gender equality, and youth empowerment, as well as a keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation, and inclusive governance, Ms. Bahous brings to the position more than 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots, national, regional, and international levels, coupled with expertise in advancing women’s empowerment and rights, addressing discrimination and violence, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Full bio
Alia El-YASSIR
Regional Director (2023-present)
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Alia El-Yassir was appointed as the new Regional Director for UN Women Asia and the Pacific as well as UN Women Representative to the Kingdom of Thailand in September 2023. Previously, she served as UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and UN Women Representative to the Republic of Türkiye (2018-2023). Full bio