UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Photo: Kea Taylor.
Progress and Equality for All – Foreword by the Executive Director
This has been a year of reform and renewal. While some divides in opinion have sharpened, the hunger for gender equality and women’s empowerment has never been greater, with vigorous public debate, social mobilization and awareness-raising to transform social norms and strengthen accountability for the implementation of commitments. Persisting high levels of violence against women, economic exclusion and other systemic inequalities are of deep concern, galvanizing old and new partnerships in the drive for lasting solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Read the Executive Director’s foreword ►
In Nepal, Chandra Kala Thapa celebrates new earning power gained by switching to high-value crops on her small farm. Photo: UN Women/Narendra Shrestha.
Our shared purpose: Gender equality in our lifetime
UN Women connects people, issues and ideas behind one shared purpose: making gender equality a reality in our lifetime. Working and thinking together propels global action that reaches women and girls the world over, going far beyond what any single organization could ever hope to do alone.
Read more about “Our shared purpose” ►
Read more about our 2018 results ►
Making a difference in women’s lives
Women gathered at one of the oldest Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia to share experiences in fostering peace in their communities. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.
Women leading the way
It’s a longstanding global agreement: women have the right to participate and lead in political institutions. Recognizing that right, more countries than ever before have moved towards gender parity in parliaments, local governments and political parties, as has the United Nations in its upper echelons. Yet to fully realize this right in our lifetime, much remains to be done. UN Women collaborates with legislatures, electoral management bodies, women’s networks and other United Nations entities to end stereotypes that keep women out of leadership roles, increase the number of women leaders, and build their skills and capacities. We help countries plan and budget based on gender equality principles, measure progress through better gender data and guarantee equality under the law.
Read more about “Women leading the way” ►
The Fund for Gender Equality ►
Investments that deliver: Making every woman and girl count ►
Tukuri Marie Chantal is an active member of a cooperative in Cameroon preparing to access expanded markets and economic opportunities linked to a new road. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.
Empowerment through economies
Decent work and social protection are fundamental to realizing women’s rights and well-being, and boosting the productivity of economies at large. Yet women still occupy a disproportionate share of poor-quality jobs, endure a longstanding gender pay gap, and shoulder an unfair burden of unpaid domestic and care work. Drawing together diverse partnerships, from grass-roots women’s groups to international development banks, UN Women helps connect more women to economic opportunities and assets. Our efforts concentrate foremost on reaching women at the furthest and least protected margins, such as domestic workers and smallholder farmers. On a broader scale, through evolving national policy-making and global norm-setting, we challenge the patterns in economies that continue to perpetuate women’s exclusion.
Read more about “Empowerment through economies” ►
Commission on the Status of Women 2019 ►
Investments that deliver: Building the case for the “care economy” ►
A group of young women graffiti artists painted orange murals in Guatemala City to support UN Women and the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign. Photo: UN Women/Carlos Rivera.
Living free from violence
Every woman and girl has the right to a life free from violence, yet all over the world, gender-based violence remains the most common violation of women’s human rights. UN Women has long realized the power of urging all sections of society to stand up and say “no more” – to harassment, domestic battery, sexual violence or any other form of abuse. Our programmes and advocacy involve women’s organizations, the private sector, schools, media, and groups of youth and men. Together, we are establishing comprehensive essential services, and robust legal protections and practices grounded in nationally and internationally agreed standards. Outreach campaigns unite an ever-growing number of people to speak out for a violence-free world.
Read more about “Living free from violence” ►
UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women ►
Investments that deliver: Extending essential services for safety, healing and justice ►
Madina Moussa lost everything fleeing conflict in Syria. But she has found new purpose as a protection specialist who assists and empowers other women and girls in refugee camps in Iraq. Photo: UN Women/Said Elmobasher.
Responding to crises, building peace and resilience
Through a series of UN Security Council resolutions, the international community now has a well-defined global agenda for women, peace and security. Towards deepening its implementation, UN Women opens doors for women to participate in peace processes, define peace on their terms and claim justice, including for sexual violence during war. Where crisis strikes, whether sparked by conflict or natural disasters, UN Women is transforming the United Nations humanitarian system so that response and recovery efforts move from being gender-blind to gender-focused. New services act on women’s distinct needs, such as for health care and skills training. Partnerships with women’s organizations and national authorities also factor gender perspectives into plans to anticipate and manage disaster risks and recovery.
Read more about “Responding to crises” ►
Investments that deliver: Making the LEAP in humanitarian action ►
Working together for change
Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment, leaving no one behind, depends on collective commitment and action. UN Women makes links with governments, businesses, civil society and other partners with the power to accelerate change and realize equality in our lifetime.
Read more about “Working together for change” ►
Investments that deliver: Innovating with blockchain gets cash to women refugees ►
From the top, left to right: Indian Olympic boxer Mary Kom shared her journey in sports at the #WeSeeEqual Summit, co-hosted by P&G and UN Women in Mumbai (Photo: UN Women/Sarabjeet Dhillon). UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway at the Commission on the Status of Women (Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown). Marchers carried a HeForShe sign during International Women’s Day in Kyrgyzstan (Photo: UN Women/Meriza Emilbekova). Participants in the African Girls Can Code initiative showed off new skills at an African Union summit (Photo: UN Women/Kennedy Okoth). The Equal Pay International Coalition Pledging Event mobilized funds to achieve equal pay for work of equal value (Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown). As part of the HerStory initiative, young volunteers gathered in Alexandria, Egypt to edit Arabic Wikipedia articles so they highlight women and their achievements (Photo: UN Women/Emad Karim).
2018 financial statements
Each year, there are millions of stories of women and girls who have found meaningful opportunities for leadership, empowerment and protection through UN Women’s programmes. When women claim their equal human rights, they move their societies—and the world—towards gender equality.
None of these advances are possible without the generous support of UN Women’s many funding partners. They exemplify commitment to UN Women’s purpose—to achieve gender equality in our lifetime—and in 2018 provided the highest ever level of financial contributions.
Read more about UN Women’s finances ►
Statement of financial performance
expressed in thousands of USD
For the year ended on 31 December 2018
| Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE | ||||||
| Contributions | ||||||
| Regular resources | 149,031 | |||||
| Other resources | 235,264 | |||||
| Assessed resources | 8,032 | |||||
| Investment income | 9,624 | |||||
| Other revenue | 2,160 |
|||||
| Revenue: exchange transactions | 607 | |||||
| TOTAL REVENUE | 404,718 |
|||||
| TOTAL EXPENSES | 380,260 |
|||||
| SURPLUS (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR | 24,458 | |||||
Notes:
- These statements have been prepared on an accrual basis, in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Under the accrual basis of accounting, revenues and expenses are recognized in the financial statements in the period to which they relate.
- Assessed contributions are issued as an annual allotment from the United Nations regular budget, and are assessed and approved for a two-year budget period. The amount of these contributions is then apportioned between the two years.
Where we are
