U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee reflects on several inspiring examples of women overcoming differences and leading movements for peace, gender equality and women’s rights. In 2015, I became Ghana’s first female ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, I reflect on this life-changing experience.

By Hana Salama On 7th March, the Security Council will host an Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), this time looking forward to the agenda’s 25th anniversary. Although women’s participation in peace and political processes has progressed, persistent challenges remain. For example, sexual violence in conflict was first…

By: Maya Kelly Around the world, 222 million crisis-hit children are missing out on essential classroom time. Conflict, displacement and climate disasters are robbing children of the chance to study and unlock their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, scientists, teachers, and more. A 2022 report released by the UN global…

Story by Nataliia Emelianova and Gaëlle Sundelin Up until 15 years ago, a woman who was a victim of rape or abuse would have no one to turn to in Abyei, a disputed area nestled between Sudan and South Sudan. Then came Atoch Dau Deng. Atoch had seen her home…

By: Stephanie Lemesianou | Editor: Urjasi Rudra Working towards peace has become more important but also more complex in a world with proliferating conflicts and deepening divisions. Despite the challenges, peacekeepers and the communities they serve have persevered to find common ground and practical solutions that made lives better and…

By Ambassador Melanne Verveer As we approach Human Rights Day, I think of former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s historic pronouncement — “women’s rights are human rights” — at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. Concluding this landmark event, 189 countries signed on to a Declaration…

Le Maintien de la Paix des Nations Unies a récemment rencontré Mama Koite, activiste et militante pour les droits des femmes et des victimes de violences sexuelles. Alors que les 16 jours d’activisme contre les violences basées sur le genre touchent à leur fin, découvrez son travail et son inspiration…

UN Peacekeeping recently interviewed Mama Koite, a women’s rights activist, and advocate for the rights of survivors of sexual violence. As we mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, learn more about her arduous yet essential work and what keeps her going. “30 years,” she says with a…

By: Sara Qamar When feminist activist Anny Modi was a young girl she was inspired by her father, a politician in the former Republic of Zaire. He “did not distinguish between a girl and a boy. He treated children as equal and pushed us to give the best of ourselves.” …