Stories
Asia-Pacific Youths Eager to Help Tackle Society’s Most Pressing Problems
Monday, September 27, 2021
This was clear in the passionate voices heard in the Youth Activism Accelerator group discussions that the Generation Equality campaign organized on July 13-15. “Adolescents and youth are ready to lead and ready to take the challenge to make change in the world,” said Chamathya Fernando, Generation Equality Youth Task Force member and coordinator. “Young people want to be co-creators, co-leaders and co-owners and be equal partners in setting the agenda.”
UN Women addressing the needs of women and girls in emergencies in Myanmar
Monday, September 27, 2021
Women and girls have unique roles in resilience building, disaster response and recovery and local humanitarian actors have been crucial in supporting response and recovery efforts in their communities. Photo UN Women/Khun Ring Naw Moh Moh Than has an ambition to become a teacher one day, however, there have been several disruptions in this journey as armed conflict forced her and her family to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Kayin State when she was in secondary school...
UN Women China video and exhibition urge people to do their fair share of care and domestic work
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
From cooking and cleaning to taking care of children and the elderly, household care work is the backbone of thriving families, communities and economies. Yet many cultures traditionally have regarded men as the breadwinners and women as the caregivers, with unpaid care work their “natural responsibility”. In China, women spend around 2.5 times as much time as men on unpaid care work.
From where I stand: “I wanted my daughters to know who makes the decisions at home”
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
"I was forcefully married off at the age of 16 to a man who only knew violence. The miserable household held my parent-in-laws, brother and sister-in-law, and my unemployed husband. Within three months of my marriage, I realized that my husband had no affinity to get himself a job, and that is when the abuse began. It was always for dowry, to fund his failed ventures one after the other while the rest of the household fell deeper into the grasp of poverty."
I am Generation Equality: Neha Singh, financial leader, believes in equal pay
Friday, September 17, 2021
We have seen the evidence time and again that when women are given equal opportunities, they don't just change their own lives, they improve the lives of their families and the next generation.
UN Women helping to boost the role of Sri Lanka’s women in solving waste management problems
Friday, September 17, 2021
“Through this project, we are working with women to ensure their voices are heard and that they are fully involved in making decisions that impact them, their households and communities,” said Ramaaya Salgado, Country Focal Point at UN Women Sri Lanka. “Solid waste management was iden-tified as the main community issue that this project addresses, but we are building their capacities so that this whole-of-community approach can be replicated in addressing other conflicts and community issues as well.”
It’s Against God’s and the Nation’s Laws - Sister Doreen Calls for a Stop to Gender-Based Violence
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Sister Doreen Awaiasi, Coordinator of the Malaita Christian Care Centre in Solomon Islands. Photo: UN Women/Jacqui Berrell If you love God, how can you abuse your wife, your children? “God’s love is about respect and all being equal in God’s eyes,” the gently spoken Sister Doreen Awaiasi said. Sister Doreen, as she is simply known, has supported thousands of women and children survivors of domestic violence, raised funds to build two safe homes,...
From where I stand: “We have to work together to prevent the violence and strengthen peace”
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Otimau Mariano, 39, from Kiribati. Photo: UN Women/Jacqui Berrell There are so many men using their wife like punching bags, and it’s become normal, even if you stop them, the man will fight back with you, but this project reminds us of what should be normal. Since I joined this project, I have experienced a lot of change within myself. This project has helped me realise I want peace. This change was a result of the Strengthening Peaceful Villages training. In the training, I...
In the words of Alisi Dari: “I needed to change myself first before I could change the community”
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
I knock on people’s doors. If they want me to come in, I go in. We introduce ourselves, and we pray. If they don’t want me to go in, I invite them to meet me in churches or community halls. It can be hard to get men to come. It can be hard to have men and women together because men blame women for causing violence. We community activists, use the [adapted Raising Voices’ SASA! Faith] tool to have discussions.
From where I stand: “I really want to support women”
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Teretia Tokam, Coordinator of the Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre (KWCSC). Photo courtesy of Tara Chetty/Pacific Women Support Unit I think [often] about my journey so far and all my experiences bringing me to this point where I coordinate the Centre. Some experiences have been really tough, and they broke me down, but they also made me strong and able to give a voice to women and be supportive to women who are being abused. There was one experience that was a turning...