"On International Women's Day, we celebrate women and girls around the world, and we applaud all they have achieved in the fight for equality." — António Guterres

"Gender equality in science is vital for building a better future for all. Unfortunately, women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases that prevent them from pursuing careers in science." — António Guterres

"Female genital mutilation is an egregious violation of fundamental human rights that causes lifelong harm to the physical and mental health of women and girls." — António Guterres

"Women and girls can lead us to a fairer future. On this International Day of the Girl Child, let us amplify girls’ voices, and recommit to working together to build a world where every girl can lead and thrive." — António Guterres

“Through education, we shall become architects of change, building a nation where every girl’s potential can thrive.” Read inspiring testimonies of girls in Afghanistan calling for their right to education. #AfghanGirlsVoices

Around the world, progress on women’s rights is vanishing before our eyes. The latest forecasts estimate that on our current track, it will take another 300 years to reach full gender equality.

Today’s cascading crises, from the war in Ukraine to the climate emergency, affect women and girls first and worst. And as part of the global pushback against democracy, women’s rights over their bodies and autonomy over their lives are being questioned and denied.

"On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of women and girls across all walks of life, in all corners of the world.

But we also recognize the enormous obstacles they face — from structural injustices, marginalization, and violence, to cascading crises that affect them first and worst, to the denial of their personal autonomy and rights over their bodies and lives." — António Guterres

"On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we highlight a simple equation: More women and girls in science equals better science. Women and girls bring diversity to research, expand the pool of science professionals, and provide fresh perspectives to science and technology, benefiting everyone." — António Guterres

Barring girls and young women from classrooms in Afghanistan could wipe out huge gains made in education and create “a lost generation”, the UN’s educational and cultural organization, UNESCO, has warned. “No country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education. Education is a universal human right that must be respected,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay. 

With the film ‘Freedom Fields’ and the inspiring story of three women and their football team in post-revolution Libya, Ciné-ONU Vienna dedicated its monthly film screening in December to Human Rights Day and the empowerment of women and girls through sports.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. 

This month’s Ciné-ONU Vienna screened “I Am Belmaya”, a documentary that features the inspiring story of Belmaya Nepali, the Co-Director of the film, who stood up to her husband and society and reclaimed her voice through filmmaking.