UN Women

UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women)

UN Women is the United Nations organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls worldwide. Established in 2010 and now celebrating 15 years, it is the lead UN entity on gender equality, active in over 100 countries and delivering for four billion women and girls globally.

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In India, UN Women's country office is based in New Delhi and works under a Strategic Note for 2023–2027. It partners with national and state governments, civil society organisations, the private sector, and other UN agencies to advance gender equality across economic, political, and social spheres.

Key programmes include:

Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB): UN Women supports the Government of India in integrating gender perspectives into national and state budgets. In 2024, India's gender budget crossed 1% of GDP for the first time, totalling approximately USD 38 billion, a 37.3% increase from the previous year, with UN Women's advocacy contributing to this milestone.

Women's Economic Empowerment: From tea gardens in Assam to textile clusters in Rajasthan, UN Women works to increase women's participation in labour markets, support skilling and entrepreneurship, and promote women's inclusion in emerging sectors including clean energy, STEM, and the care economy.

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls: UN Women runs programmes addressing gender-based violence, including digital violence, and supports survivors in accessing justice and recovery services. It has engaged national campaigns and celebrity advocates as part of its 16 Days of Activism work.

Gender-Responsive Governance: UN Women supports women's political leadership through programmes promoting women's representation in elected bodies. The organisation actively engaged India's G20 presidency, contributing to the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, which committed to advancing gender equality across education, entrepreneurship, digital technology, and workplace safety.

Feminist Youth Leadership Programme (FYLP): Stemming from the 2021 Generation Equality Forum, FYLP builds feminist youth leadership in India through a ground-up approach combining knowledge, pedagogy, and community engagement.

UN Women India is a credible, globally-backed partner for organisations working at the intersection of gender, development, and policy. Roles here are suited to professionals who want their work to directly shape systems, shift norms, and advance rights at scale.