United Nations Volunteers: International Women's Day 2009: UNV and gender

Poster of the cinema forum about violence against women celebrated in La Paz in November 2008. (UNV)

Combating women trafficking

La Paz, Bolivia: "In Bolivia, many women do not know what people trafficking really means," says Sara Rodríguez-Argüelles, a UNV volunteer working with UNIFEM. But her work helps prevent women from finding out the hard way.

"Prevention is the key because, although trafficking is categorized as a crime in Bolivia, it is extremely difficult for someone to be arrested for it." Read

More about: Children Gender Human rights MDG 3: Gender equality MDGs

Countries: Bolivia

Other languages: en español

Essential to solving the problem of SGBV is involving men as well as women. In her SGBV work, Sarah Stella Suffer-Okuni (here seen working with the Ugandan Army) ensured that men were involved in SGBV prevention and response programmes. This meant finding male trainers and role models in communities to engage in male-to male focus group discussions on SGBV. The UNV volunteer was further involved in establishing SGBV male peer groups who contributed to the SGBV reporting and referral mechanism. Other men's empowerment programmes she worked on included skills training in carpentry, building, mechanics, animal rearing and crop production. The idea was to address the general problem of poverty and vulnerability - which often results in violence against women by disempowered men.

Serving the women of Uganda

Kampala, Uganda: Empowering women and sensitizing communities to the threat of Gender-Based Violence is a long process. But UNV volunteer Sarah Stella Suffer-Okuni has made an undoubted impact. Read

More about: Gender Poverty

Countries: Uganda

'Impluviums' like this one collect rainwater closer to where people live. (UNV)

Easing the burden

Miragoane, Haiti: "Water is a very serious problem here in Haiti," says UNV volunteer Civil Affairs Officer Alexandra Simpson, "and it is one that especially touches the lives of women." Many women walk for hours to collect water but Ms. Simpson is helping to ease the burden. Read

More about: Gender Human rights

Countries: Haiti United Kingdom

Other languages: en français en español

Therese Sankara (right) is one of many women who have managed to increase her income due to the advice of national volunteer Andréa Ramde (left). (K. Gossé/UNV)

Seeding women's empowerment

La Toden, Burkina Faso: Women's associations in Burkina Faso are benefitting from a UNV-supported national volunteer programme. One microcredit project has helped a group of rural women double their incomes. Read

More about: Gender Private sector

Countries: Burkina Faso

Other languages: en français

UNV volunteer Ola Saleh works to ensure that vulnerable women feel more comfortable reporting domestic violence. (UNV)

Gaining the trust of Iraqi women

Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic: Women seeking asylum abroad should not suffer from violence in their own communities. UNV volunteers in Syria work with Iraqi refugee volunteers to help ensure women's rights are respected. Read

More about: Civil society Gender Refugees & displaced people

Countries: Syrian Arab Republic

The VSLA project helps Liberian women pull their financial resources together. (UNV)

Cashing in on volunteer enterprise

Totota, Liberia: With UNV support, women volunteers in Liberia are teaming up to build their businesses. The project helps communities pull their financial resources together and involves lending pools drawn from accumulated profits. Read

More about: Gender Private sector

Countries: Liberia

The Government of Nepal initiated the FCHV programme in 1988 and around 50,000 local women are involved. (UNV)

Enabling women health volunteers in Nepal

Lalitpur, Nepal: Thousands of female volunteers who roam the Nepali countryside providing health education and primary health care rely on UNV expertise and financial support to help this major volunteering programme run smoothly. Read

More about: Gender Health

Countries: Korea, Republic of Nepal

UNV volunteer Shoa’a Al Tawalbeh (right) lists one of her achievements as opening a programme for volunteers from the local community to help out at the Intel Clubhouse in Jordan's e-Village. (UNV)

Volunteering at UNIFEM's e-Village

Lib and Mleih, Jordan: Jordanian women are empowering each other via a unique Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project, driven largely by national UNV volunteers. Read

More about: Gender ICT

Countries: Jordan

The TRC was established in 2003 to investigate human rights violations in Liberia since 1979. Its objective is "to promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation". (S. McQuade/UNV)

Hearing every story

Monrovia, Liberia: For peace to succeed, people affected by war need to come to terms with what happened to them. As a survivor of conflict herself, UNV volunteer Joyce Kamara has a special empathy. Read

More about: Children Gender Human rights

Countries: Liberia Sierra Leone

Luigi Fogliani and Paolo Faberi visit the crops in one of the communities, together with several indigenous women of the 'Nueva Vida' Association. (UNV)

Traditional tubers and innovative marmalades in Ecuador

Chimborazo, Ecuador: Ecuadorian women looking to improve their livelihoods and food security have benefited from the business expertise of Italian volunteers working with the United Nations Volunteers programme. Read

More about: Agriculture Focus on food Gender MDG 3: Gender equality MDG 7: Environmental sustainability MDGs

Countries: Ecuador

Other languages: en español

About us What we do How to volunteer News & resources Volunteer Voices Partners		The women of UNV The women keeping ONUCI on the road 03 March 2009 The motorbike volunteer opening people's eyes 03 March 2009 Bringing Viet Nam together on gender 02 March 2009 Three women: three UNV assignments 02 March 2009 Inspiration in Indonesia 02 March 2009 Manic Mondays in Cambodian commerce 02 March 2009 Challenging the Afghan divide 01 March 2009 Looking after the UNV family in Afghanistan 01 March 2009 Positive and thankful in South Sudan 18 February 2009
You are here: Home > Current highlight > International Women's Day 2009: UNV and gender
World Health Day	Our work for women Bonn, Germany - International Women's Day 2009: International Women's Day is marked this year under the theme 'Women and Men: United to End Violence against Women'. To end violence against women, voluntary action is imperative. As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his message for International Women's Day: "Changing mindsets and the habits of generations is not easy. It must involve all of us – individuals, organizations and governments." UNV works with partners around the world to help end violence against women, supporting the empowerment of women and their communities and thus contributing to their escape from fear and coercion. Read more below about how UNV is working on these issues, and click here to read about the UN Volunteers setting an example for women everywhere. Other languages: en français en español Combating women trafficking La Paz, Bolivia: "In Bolivia, many women do not know what people trafficking really means," says Sara Rodríguez-Argüelles, a UNV volunteer working with UNIFEM. But her work helps prevent women from finding out the hard way. "Prevention is the key because, although trafficking is categorized as a crime in Bolivia, it is extremely difficult for someone to be arrested for it." Read More about: Children Gender Human rights MDG 3: Gender equality MDGs Countries: Bolivia Other languages: en español Serving the women of Uganda Kampala, Uganda: Empowering women and sensitizing communities to the threat of Gender-Based Violence is a long process. But UNV volunteer Sarah Stella Suffer-Okuni has made an undoubted impact. Read More about: Gender Poverty Countries: Uganda Easing the burden Miragoane, Haiti: "Water is a very serious problem here in Haiti," says UNV volunteer Civil Affairs Officer Alexandra Simpson, "and it is one that especially touches the lives of women." Many women walk for hours to collect water but Ms. Simpson is helping to ease the burden. Read More about: Gender Human rights Countries: Haiti United Kingdom Other languages: en français en español Seeding women's empowerment La Toden, Burkina Faso: Women's associations in Burkina Faso are benefitting from a UNV-supported national volunteer programme. One microcredit project has helped a group of rural women double their incomes. Read More about: Gender Private sector Countries: Burkina Faso Other languages: en français Gaining the trust of Iraqi women Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic: Women seeking asylum abroad should not suffer from violence in their own communities. UNV volunteers in Syria work with Iraqi refugee volunteers to help ensure women's rights are respected. Read More about: Civil society Gender Refugees & displaced people Countries: Syrian Arab Republic Cashing in on volunteer enterprise Totota, Liberia: With UNV support, women volunteers in Liberia are teaming up to build their businesses. The project helps communities pull their financial resources together and involves lending pools drawn from accumulated profits. Read More about: Gender Private sector Countries: Liberia Enabling women health volunteers in Nepal Lalitpur, Nepal: Thousands of female volunteers who roam the Nepali countryside providing health education and primary health care rely on UNV expertise and financial support to help this major volunteering programme run smoothly. Read More about: Gender Health Countries: Korea, Republic of Nepal Volunteering at UNIFEM's e-Village Lib and Mleih, Jordan: Jordanian women are empowering each other via a unique Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project, driven largely by national UNV volunteers. Read More about: Gender ICT Countries: Jordan Hearing every story Monrovia, Liberia: For peace to succeed, people affected by war need to come to terms with what happened to them. As a survivor of conflict herself, UNV volunteer Joyce Kamara has a special empathy. Read More about: Children Gender Human rights Countries: Liberia Sierra Leone Traditional tubers and innovative marmalades in Ecuador Chimborazo, Ecuador: Ecuadorian women looking to improve their livelihoods and food security have benefited from the business expertise of Italian volunteers working with the United Nations Volunteers programme. Read More about: Agriculture Focus on food Gender MDG 3: Gender equality MDG 7: Environmental sustainability MDGs Countries: Ecuador Other languages: en español Print page

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