UNIFEM, also known as the United Nations Development Fund for Women, is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. Founded in 1976, UNIFEM aims to address gender-based discrimination and inequality, advocating for women's rights, participation, and economic empowerment.
UNIFEM works towards achieving its goals through various efforts such as policy advocacy, capacity building, partnerships, and fund mobilization. It collaborates with governments, civil society organizations, and other United Nations entities to create and implement programs that address critical gender issues worldwide.
The agency focuses on several key areas, including gender-responsive governance, economic empowerment, ending violence against women, and women's human rights. UNIFEM supports initiatives that aim to eliminate gender-based violence, improve women's access to justice, education, and healthcare, and enhance women’s economic opportunities.
Moreover, UNIFEM actively engages and supports women-led organizations and grassroots movements to amplify the voices of women at the local level. It aims to strengthen national and regional institutions and policies that promote gender equality and address gender disparities.
Through its work, UNIFEM contributes to the achievement of internationally agreed goals, including the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. It plays a crucial role in global efforts to advance gender equality and women's rights by providing resources, expertise, and knowledge-sharing platforms to foster positive change at a systemic level.
