About UN Women

Established in 2010, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (“UN Women”) is the global champion for women and girls.

UN Women supports UN Member States in setting global standards for achieving gender equality, working with governments and civil society in enhancing laws and regulations and creating policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly have an impact on women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities:

  • Governance and participation in public life: All women are able to fully and equally participate in decision-making, and women and girls can benefit from gender-responsive laws, policies, budgets, services and accountable institutions.
  • Women’s economic empowerment: Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy.
  • Ending violence against women and girls: All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence.
  • Women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction: Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action

UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. UN Women works towards positioning gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.

Anne Hathaway. Photo: Asserted from Anne Hathaway's video [Unlocking the full potential of women in the economy]
Anne Hathaway. Photo: Asserted from Anne Hathaway's video

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Women’s participation and equal power are fundamental to progress for everyone. I’m sure you are aware of the evidence, which shows conclusively that equality between women and men makes us all safer, happier, more prosperous, and more successful. And yet, the reality in which we find ourselves is that at the current rate of progress, it may take another 300 years to achieve gender equality. I hope we all agree that these three centuries are too long.

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— UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Anne Hathaway’s Speech for the B20/G20 Indonesia Summit on 14 November 2022