Stories
Take five: “Don’t focus on yourself as the leader, but look at others and improve their lives.”
Friday, December 3, 2021
Barbara Tanne is the president of Bougainville Women’s Federation (BWF) in Bougainville island in eastern Papua New Guinea. The federation is implementing a UN Women project to build the leadership skills of young women. In a late 2019 referendum, the people of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly for independence. [Q] How are gender stereotypes affecting young women in taking leadership positions in PNG? [A] People have held strong negative views about women’s leadership, that “women cannot be leaders, women can’t be the fore runners.”
UN Women helps market vendors in Papua New Guinea rebound from the pandemic
Friday, December 3, 2021
Lilian Laki is a tailor in Wewak market in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, and her family’s dreams are a step closer to reality thanks to a little help from UN Women. Laki is one of the 311 women vendors who benefited from UN Women’s Markets, Economic Recovery and Inclusion programme. The programme provided the women with training in textile designing and sewing, baking and food handling, and linked them to micro-banks for savings and affordable finance.
From where I stand: “Do not wait for others to hand you your rights”
Friday, December 3, 2021
Sharada Bista is the founder and chair of Disability Rights Promotion Forum in Nepal. She is from Doti District, in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal. Her drive to fight for those rights comes from growing up in the far west of the country with a physical disability herself. "My lived experience as a woman with a disability is what drove me to become a disability rights activist. I grew up watching society discriminate, insult, and shut away people with disabilities. Determined to overcome these injustices, I knew that a community was only as strong as its members who are furthest behind,"
“Learn as much as you can, listen as much as you can, read as much as you can”
Friday, December 3, 2021
I first really become aware of feminism and women’s empowerment was the Emma Watson speech at the HeForShe campaign in 2014, when I was 16. That speech had a big impact on me and to girls and women everywhere. I also grew up in a very matriarchal family, my mother was the boss, my grandmother was the boss, my brother is a bit terrified of me sometimes, I think. But I guess I didn’t realise that until I saw that speech. So, I started reading more, educating myself, and as I read I encountered gender-based violence (GBV).
“I think as an individual I want to work towards creating safe spaces for everyone”
Friday, December 3, 2021
I am a survivor of sexual violence and sexual harassment. It took me a couple of months only after therapy where I spoke about it to my closest friends and told them how much it had affected me. Saying so, I am truly blessed to have a good social support system around me.
“I have the power to do more, to learn more, and I have the ability to affect my community.”
Friday, December 3, 2021
Ever since I was a kid, I have seen many types of gender-based violence. It broke my heart seeing the people around me suffer because of the abuse they were subjected to. I learnt that violence comes in many forms; physical, psychological, financial, sexual, verbal and many more.
“I believe growth in our society can only begin by listening to each other”
Friday, December 3, 2021
2016 was the year I embraced who I am, it was the year I joined the equality for all movement, and it was the year I asked myself who am I? My name is Thida Kuy, I am Cambodian, I am the Co-Founder of Loveisdiversity and I am a LGBTQ+ activist.
ASEAN agrees to speed up efforts to stem violence against women
Thursday, December 2, 2021
The review was done by the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children and the ASEAN Committee on Women under the leadership of Thailand, through a partnership with UN Women and support from ASEAN Secretariat. The review report highlighted significant progress at the regional level, including the production of ASEAN data collection guidelines on violence against women, campaigns to raise awareness about violence against women, and guidelines for front-line service providers on ending such violence including the administration of justice.
“I believe in the power of storytelling and sharing experiences”
Thursday, December 2, 2021
My name is Sinoun Poev. I am 26 years old and I am from Cambodia. Currently I'm a project coordinator of Collective Action to Support Women's Right with Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT), a local NGO in Cambodia. This project aims to link the community and civil society to government by increasing women and youth participation and leadership in decision making processes in Cambodia.
Launch: Gender-Based Violence Counsellor Training Package for the Pacific
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
(L-R) Mr Paul Wilson , Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji; Ms Shamima Ali , Coordinator, Fiji Women’s Crisis Center; and Ms Sandra Bernklau , Representative for UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, launch the Gender-Based Violence Counsellor Training Package for the Pacific in Suva, Fiji. Photo: Fiji Women’s Crisis Center/ Nasik Swami Suva, Fiji – 29 November marked the culmination of progressing decades of work towards standardising approaches to...