UN Women Bangladesh

10/06/2026

Women remain at the centre of climate impacts, yet still on the margins of . This was the key message from a roundtable on “Advancing the COP30 Gender Action Plan through a Feminist Climate Justice Lens”, jointly organised by The Daily Star and UN Women.

Speakers highlighted that while Bangladesh’s climate policies increasingly recognise , gaps in , , , and financing continue to limit real change on the ground.

As Ms. Kazi Rabeya Ame, Programme Analyst, UN Women Bangladesh, stated, “Climate change was not gender-neutral, as women and girls faced disproportionate impacts due to unequal access to resources, land, technology and decision-making.”

Read more: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/women-still-left-out-climate-decisions-4194866

Bangladesh’s climate policies recognise gender concerns, but weak implementation, poor coordination, limited data and inadequate financing continue to keep women and marginalised communities away from climate decision-making processes that directly affect their lives, speakers said at a roundtable...

08/06/2026

🚨 Strengthening Safe Campuses in Bangladesh

UN Women and University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) are launching a joint initiative aimed at preventing sexual and gender-based violence in five selected public and private universities.

With the generous support from European Union in Bangladesh, UN Women's “Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Public Spaces, Workplaces and Higher Education Institutions in Bangladesh,” project will support the implementation of High Court directives on sexual harassment prevention and promote safe, inclusive campus environments.

Read more: https://tbsgraduates.net/campus/un-women-ugc-to-launch-joint-initiative-against-gender-based-violence-in-universities/?fbclid=IwdGRzaASSUeBjbGNrBJJRh2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHnwQ83nTc1JlIaB7dplwhE25jrfafs_fmJ3VTEek9K3502AJ87dil4P58wfx_aem_OKknEQBShzJvAHhAnsAN9g&sfnsn=mo

The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) and UN Women Bangladesh have agreed to launch joint initiatives to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in higher education institutions, focusing on five selected public and private universities. The decision was taken at a meeting between UG...

07/06/2026

Women farmers are feeding communities, driving rural economies, and strengthening food systems every day, yet many continue to face structural barriers to equal opportunity.

A powerful joint Op-Ed by FAOBangladesh, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme, and UN Women highlights the essential role of women farmers in food security, rural development, and resilient food systems.

With the UN General Assembly declaring 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the message is clear: recognition must now translate into action, ensuring women farmers have equal access to all facilities.

Read the joint op-ed to learn more: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/will-2026-be-the-turning-point-women-farmers-bangladesh-4191516



UN Women Asia and the Pacific UN Women FAOBangladesh World Food Programme International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Even when women cultivate land, their influence over decisions about what crops to plant, how to market produce, or how to invest income remains limited.

03/06/2026

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has been elected the president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. UN Women extends its warm congratulations to the Honorable Foreign Minister and to the Government of Bangladesh.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh

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27/05/2026

Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful Eid!

20/05/2026

"I'll give my only daughter every kind of opportunity – bicycling, football, and education. For as long as I am alive, I'll give her every kind of opportunity to empower herself." – Rohingya mother and community leader.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director (DED) Ms. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda visited Cox's Bazar, accompanied by Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Ms. Christine Arab, and the UN Women Bangladesh team.

The delegation visited a UN Women-supported Multipurpose Women's Centre in the Rohingya refugee camps, operated by ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB), which provides a one-stop hub for integrated protection, learning, livelihoods, and basic health and WASH support for women and girls. Services are provided by AAB and through partnerships with RRRC, camp management, humanitarian organizations, and local actors.

The DED met with Rohingya women leaders from five camps, who shared their aspirations and hopes for their children. They emphasized the importance of safety, education, livelihood opportunities, and respect for the rights, leadership, and participation of Rohingya women and girls, stressing that meaningful progress and a sustainable future for the community cannot be achieved without them.

"Coming here as a leader, meeting you as Rohingya women leaders – I am very happy. We are here to listen to you so that we can find ways of supporting each other, to improve our lives in the camps, but also our dreams for the future. We are sisters," shared Ms. Gumbonzvanda.

The meeting concluded with women leaders singing together – a moment of collective solidarity and a reminder that women's voices carry hope and vision.

The DED met with male volunteers working within their communities to promote gender equal norms and prevent gender-based violence. As one young volunteer affirmed: "We all have the right to live free from harassment, free from violence — to live a life with dignity."

Nine years into the Rohingya crisis, UN Women remains committed to ensuring that women and girls lead, participate in, and benefit from the humanitarian response.

UN Women Asia and the Pacific

20/05/2026

UN Women Regional Director Ms. Christine Arab met with Camp-in-Charge Ms. Suraya Akter Sweety in Cox’s Bazar to discuss the growing challenges facing women and girls in the camps and host communities, and the ongoing partnerships of UN Women and the Government of Bangladesh in these areas.

With women and children making up 78% of the population, the conversation focused on specific challenges facing women and girls, including protection risks and the measures instituted in the camps to address protection needs, the over-arching impact of harmful social norms, and limited livelihood opportunities.

Key priorities discussed included engaging men and boys, expanding resilience-building initiatives, promoting education for adolescent girls, supporting women’s participation and decision-making, and strengthening protection for women and girls.

The meeting reaffirmed the need to invest in the safety, resilience, and leadership of women and girls across the Rohingya Response.

UN Women Asia and the Pacific

18/05/2026

“Without funding, women with disabilities cannot be effectively mobilized. Barriers like transportation, security, and limited leadership opportunities restrict their participation. They must be included in all sectors.” - Salma Mahbub, General Secretary, B-Scan.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda accompanied by Ms. Christine Arab, UN Women Asia and the Pacific Regional Director and the UN Women Bangladesh team met with the UN Women Civil Society Group and CSO partners in Dhaka. The meeting took stock of the growing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights, including the increasing risks faced by women’s rights defenders and shrinking civic space, globally.

The discussion emphasized:

✅The importance of strengthening intergenerational and intersectional solidarity within the women’s movement, while rethinking collective strategies to sustain advocacy and movement-building for gender equality;
✅The crucial need for men’s engagement. Civil society leaders stressed the need for greater youth engagement, recognition of intersectional identities, property rights, and access to decent work.
✅The group also highlighted challenges faced by women with disabilities, gender diverse groups, returnee women migrant workers, and indigenous communities.
✅Expanding behavioural change initiatives, addressing digital violence, gaps in access to justice and reforming discriminatory laws was reiterated.

Reaffirming UN Women’s commitment as a strategic partner, the engagement highlighted continued collaboration with civil society and the women’s movement to advance , strengthen coordinated advocacy, and ensure no woman or girl is left behind.

18/05/2026

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda accompanied by Ms. Christine Arab, UN Women Asia and the Pacific Regional Director and the UN Women Bangladesh team met with development partners in Dhaka today. The dialogue was facilitated by the United Nations in Bangladesh Resident Coordinator ad interim, Ms. Carol Flore-Smereczniak.

The discussion focused on amplifying coordinated action to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh amid a shifting policy and financing landscape. Key gender equality issues discussed included

✅Promoting women’s meaningful political participation, representation and leadership
✅Addressing the culture of impunity to end violence against women and girls and ending child marriage.

Enabling space for civil society engagement, strengthening institutional accountability, access to quality services and transforming discriminatory social norms will deliver lasting change were raised as common areas of partnership.

The meeting emphasized the need for sustained and flexible financing for gender equality across the peace, development, and humanitarian continuum, including in the Rohingya response, where women’s safety, dignity, and leadership remain central.

Reaffirming UN Women’s role as a strategic partner, the engagement underscored a shared commitment to reduce inequalities, protect rights, and empower women and girls across Bangladesh.

Australian High Commission, Bangladesh High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh UK in Bangladesh Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh German Embassy Dhaka Ambassade de France au Bangladesh - French Embassy in Dhaka Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh European Union in Bangladesh Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh

17/05/2026

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Ms. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda accompanied by Ms. Christine Arab, UN Women Asia Pacific Regional Director met with H.E. Mr. A. M. M. Nasir Uddin, Chief Election Commissioner, Commissioner Ms. Begum Tahmida Ahmed and Senior Secretary Mr. Akhtar Ahmed of the Election Commission. UNDP electoral experts also participated.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening gender mainstreaming across electoral systems and processes, including preparations for the upcoming local government elections in partnership with UN Women and UNDP. Discussions focused on advancing women’s political participation, representation, and leadership, as well as strengthening the implementation of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) to promote greater parity in political decision-making.

The conversation highlighted the importance of preventing and responding to violence against women in politics, including online harassment, to ensure safe and inclusive participation across the electoral cycle.

The engagement underscored ongoing collaboration on the Gender Equality Strategy for the Bangladesh Election Commission to strengthen institutional systems and gender-responsive electoral governance.

Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer
UN Women Asia and the Pacific Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat