‘STEM education’, which teaches students the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math has become more important than ever in recent years. As well as developing core technological skills, STEM helps students improve their problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, communication and teamwork. These types of classes are especially important for girls, as it gives them the confidence, skills and tools to thrive in a field which is still dominated by men. UNICEF has teamed up with UNDP in Armenia to help bridge this divide and support more young women and girls establish their own startups.
As female leaders Isabel, Leticia and Rosibel are role models for other young women willing to challenge the cultural norms which used to restrict them to caregiving and domestic roles.
The Ukraine crisis may pose a threat to food security and living standards in Africa, but it could also provide incentives to boost intra-African trade. Those were the key messages from Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), during a recent online presentation to over 100 UN officials from all over the continent. Many UN Resident Coordinators chimed in with observations from the field.
Madam Maa Zenai stands proudly at the entrance to her brand-new shed. Inside is the small herd of cattle that has changed her life, thanks to a project that employed a ground-breaking partnership between IFAD and UN Women to empower rural women in China.
Our UN teams are on the ground, working with governments and key stakeholders to bolster countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping ensure a smooth recovery. They tackle a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis—from climate action to gender equality and food security—and utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General on Monday called on countries in Asia and the Pacific to speed up the shift from fossil fuels to new, low-carbon development models, in a just and inclusive way.
The virtual platform Mujeres Emplea connects women with job offers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the public and private sectors. It also provides free training tools and promotes a listing of current offerings of child and adult care services.
A transgender woman in Haiti has said she does not want to die in a man's body, and hopes to leave her native country to fulfill her dream of transitioning from being a man to a woman. Semi Alisha Fermond works with transgender people at Kay Trans Ayiti (the Creole name for Trans House Haiti) and is an activist with the UNDP and UNAIDS-supported organization ACIFVH (Community Action for the Integration of Vulnerable Haitians.
The Dominican Republic receives, for the first time, the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund of the United Nations (Joint SDG Fund), of a non-reimbursable nature, with the purpose of supporting the design and implementation of the Care Communities pilot as part of the National Care Policy carried out by the current Government administration.
