Highlights
This booklet presents a curated collection of profiles highlighting Palestinian women leaders across Gaza and the West Bank. Through personal stories, reflections and quotes, it sheds light on women’s leadership in humanitarian and crisis contexts, community resilience, livelihoods, social cohesion, public participation, innovation and inclusion.
Care is essential to human well-being, gender equality and sustainable development. It includes the activities -paid and unpaid- that respond to people’s physical, psychological and social needs throughout the life cycle, including childcare, support to the elderly, to persons with disabilities and people living with illness, as well as household work that sustains families and communities.
Aimed at engaging men and boys in unpaid care work, challenging social norms and stereotypes, and promoting a more equal distribution of care responsibilities and women’s economic empowerment.
Throughout the 16 Days, UN Women works with partners across the Arab States to advance prevention, protection and accountability, and to highlight every woman and girl’s right to participate safely - online and offline.
This October marks 25 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark commitment that placed women’s leadership and participation at the heart of peace and security efforts global, regional, and national.
🔖 Statements
The scale of destruction and suffering after three years of war in Gaza can be measured in the lives of women and girls
9 October 2026 | REMARKS
UN Women statement on the impact of the recent military escalation in the Middle East on women and girls
10 April 2026 | STATEMENT
Press Briefing by UN Women on the situation for women and girls in Lebanon
27 March 2026 | PRESS BRIEFING
Latest news
Twitter block
Tweets by @unwomenarabicWomen’s participation in peace & security must carry the power to shape decisions. At a high-level roundtable convened by the UAE & UN Women, our Regional Director Dr. Moez called for commitments backed by resources, accountability & the leadership of women peacebuilders. ↓
— UN Women Arabic (@unwomenarabic) September 28, 2026
We have started an emergency fund raising to support UN Women's projects for the benefit of women, girls and their families. Please donate today to protect and support women and their families in the Gaza crisis.
🔖 Update!
Dr. Moez Doraid, Regional Director for the Arab States
UN Women is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Moez Doraid (Egypt) as Regional Director for the Arab States, effective 1 October 2025, following his service as interim Regional Director since 1 July 2024. more
Featured publications
Surging Women’s Employment Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa Region
The Surging Women's Employment Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa (SWEI) brings together governments, the private sector, financial institutions, media and UN agencies to collectively address persistently low women's labour force participation in the Arab States... More
Left to carry households alone: War and the rise of women-headed households in Gaza
A new UN Women analysis indicates a sharp increase in women who have become the primary heads of their households, taking on responsibility for supporting and sustaining their households. More
Featured video
During his visit to Lebanon, UN Women Regional Director for the Arab States, Dr. Moez Doraid, met with government officials, local authorities, partners, women-led organizations and women affected by the crisis to hear about their priorities and the critical role women are playing in humanitarian response and recovery.
Featured video
We conducted a social experiment at Gezira Youth Center as part of the #CheerOutLoud campaign to get people's thoughts about this question and to raise awareness about online violence faced by women, especially female athletes in various sports.