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Joaquina Rodriguês: A sense of pride, “Yes I can!”
07.03.2024

Joaquina Rodriguês: A sense of pride, “Yes I can!”

Success Story

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Tayyaba Arshi: An unwavering commitment to inspire us
07.03.2024

Tayyaba Arshi: An unwavering commitment to inspire us

The fulfillment of making a difference

Rutendo Bamhare, UN Volunteer with UNICEF, Zimbabwe
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Rutendo Bamhare is a national UN Volunteer Communications Specialist for UNICEF in Zimbabwe. After serving in her volunteer assignment for two years, Rutendo reflects on what drives her to continue to be an inspiration in action for young people in Zimbabwe.
 

It's summer and in the sweltering heat of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, we sought refuge in a tranquil, shaded area. I was about to take an interview. A conversation with a young community member. The interview quickly turned into a heart-to-heart. Nineteen-year-old, Debbie Chinochema, looked me in the eye, smiled intermittently, before sharing her journey. It was a story of surviving stigma to becoming a community champion, and then evolving into a strong voice for adolescents living with HIV.

Invest in a woman, empower a community

UN Volunteers with UN Women, Iraq
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Investing in women, giving them a seat at the table and the opportunities to be in important decision-making roles offers multiple benefits for communities at large. This imperative resonates strongly with the work of UN Volunteers serving with UN Women in Iraq.

UN Volunteers Hawzhin Hussein, Noor Alhasany, Hajer Al-Sallami, and Ramia Al-Hakeem promote women's empowerment for a more inclusive and equitable society in Iraq.

Throughout the country, including in the Kurdistan region, they coordinate projects and manage initiatives aimed at empowering women across various sectors. Projects include education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and political participation for women.

Hawzhin, Noor, Hajer and Ramia emphasize that society cannot progress till dedicated investments are made in women-centric initiatives. 

Everyone needs to take action for gender equality

UN Volunteers with UNFPA, UN Women, UNDRR
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UN Volunteers serve alongside United Nations agencies on initiatives for gender equality and women's empowerment.  The story of Héloïse Versavel, Kerem Okan and Patricia Pella from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States demonstrates that collective action is crucial in promoting the rights of women and girls.

Through concerted efforts in Central Asia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aims to expand the opportunities for women and girls, promote positive social norms by engaging men and establish comprehensive systems and mechanisms for women and adolescents.

Héloïse Versavel, UN Volunteer Gender-Based Violence Specialist supports UNFPA in Kazakhstan. She has a background in Human Rights Law. 

Narrowing the gender divide

UN Volunteers in the Arab States
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International Women's Day spotlights Sustainable Development Goal 5 focusing on gender equality. With the world facing crisis on multiple fronts, narrowing the gender divide becomes all the more important for creating prosperous, inclusive, and equitable societies. This is a story of three UN Volunteers supporting gender equality efforts in Jordan and Lebanon. 

Katrin Hermanek is an international UN Youth Volunteer fully funded by Switzerland. She serves as a Gender Equality Programme Analyst with UN Women in Lebanon. Her grassroots-level community service helps identify needs of women and girls. In coming up with solutions, a major emphasis is to ensure women get a decision-making role in their communities.

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Uzoamaka Anita Asiegbu
23.02.2024

Empowering Diversity: Uzoamaka's Impact on Gender and Inclusion in Nigeria

Addressing intersections of gender and disabilities

Vibhu Sharma, UN Volunteer Communications Specialist for Disability Inclusion
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Every year, International Women's Day recognizes and honours women’s rights and their achievements while also amplifying that societies cannot progress without achieving gender equality. Rightfully so, this year's theme centers on: “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”. 

Although Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 for gender equality and International Women’s Day, instilling the spirit of the goal, do not explicitly focus on women with disabilities, they consistently focus on the empowerment of all women and leaving no one behind. 

How do we ensure that we empower all women across the board?

For that, it’s important to first look the entire picture.  

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