About us

UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women’s rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster women's empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just societies.

Established in 1976, UNIFEM has touched the lives of women and girls around the world. UNIFEM maintains strong ties to both women’s organizations and governments, linking them with the UN system to join national and international political action, and to create momentum for change.

UNIFEM focuses its activities on one overarching goal: to support the implementation at the national level of existing international commitments to advance gender equality. In support of this goal, UNIFEM works in the following thematic areas:

Active in all regions and at different levels, UNIFEM works with countries to formulate and implement laws and policies to eliminate discrimination and promote gender equality in such areas as land and inheritance rights, decent work for women, and ending violence against women. UNIFEM also aims to transform institutions to make them more accountable to gender equality and women’s rights, to strengthen the capacity and voice of women’s rights advocates, and to change harmful and discriminatory practices in society.

Two international agreements frame UNIFEM's work:

The spirit of these agreements has been affirmed by the Millennium Declaration and the eight Millennium Development Goals for 2015, combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and gender inequality, and building partnerships for development.

UN Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 on women, peace and security, and SCR 1820 (2008) on sexual violence in conflict are crucial references for UNIFEM’s work in conflict and post-conflict situations.

 

UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia

The UNIFEM East and South East Asia Sub-Regional Office is located in Bangkok, Thailand and works in the following countries: