Sexual and reproductive health is not only vital for the social well-being of a girl child but also for her physical and mental health. Most people from rural areas lack information on how to take proper care of themselves. For example, during my first menstruation, I was so naive that I fumbled through the basic steps of maintaining good hygiene. This was because I had no prior knowledge of what it was about. Not just menstruation—terms like safe sex, HIV prevention, mental health, and sexually transmitted infections were also very foreign to us. 

Chinenye Anekwe is a UN Volunteer Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) India Office since August 2024. She is a 2018 fellow of GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GRÓ GEST). 

Luis is a UN Volunteer Law Enforcement Expert with UNODC in Liberia. He supports the work of Liberian officers to fight drug trafficking and organized crime. He trained some 900 officers in skills such as investigations and intelligence analyses.

Angela was also one of the campaign volunteers who participated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Roundtable discussion that centered on the survey, conducted by the United Nations Office of Partnerships (UNOP). Women were asked questions about how they see the future, their priorities, fears and hopes, and how global leaders can listen to them and support them to address issues, challenges and opportunities of the future.

Georgina Edwards, UN Volunteer Innovation Analyst with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in South Africa After finishing my graduate degree, I interned with UN-Habitat and that set the stage for my UN career.  Transitioning to a UN Volunteer assignment in 2021 was a turning point, allowing me to step into my dream role as an Innovation Analyst with UNFPA.

Leyla started her volunteering journey with UNDP as a Project Clerk. She provides administrative support, maintains project documents, and assists communication across many levels. "I am keen to contribute to a culture of inclusivity within the team and ensure that women's voices are heard and valued at every stage of the project." Leyla shares.

Xiaerbati was part of a team that provided vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities to women from rural areas in Qinghai Province. These opportunities made it easy to access renewable energy, boosting agricultural productivity and mitigating climate change. “Volunteerism plays a pivotal role in fostering long-term economic empowerment of women by creating sustainable support systems and fostering community resilience,” says Xiaerbati.

There are 290 million child brides in South Asia — the highest in the world, accounting for 45 percent of the global data.  Since 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have implemented a Global Programme to End Child Marriage in 12 of the highest prevalence countries — including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

In 2007, I came to the United Nations Volunteers Headquarters in Bonn. I was a Senior Programme Specialist for the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and CIS (APEC) responsible for UN Volunteer management, joint programming, and humanitarian support. This was one of the most rewarding and inspiring assignments of my UN career because I interacted with and directly supported hundreds of (mostly) young women and men worldwide who demonstrated passion and commitment to serve others less fortunate through volunteering with field-based UN agencies.

Karuna began her volunteer assignment in November 2022. She helps build the resilience of personnel and says, “My goal is to significantly impact the lives of those affected by various crises. Through personalized counseling sessions, I help individuals and groups manage their mental health and effectively cope with their challenges.”  I take pride in positively impacting Afghan women which has given me new perspectives and insights that continually help me to grow as an individual." -- Karuna Kunwar, UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor with UNAMA.