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NASA aerospace engineer Alinda Mashiku was born in New York then moved to Tanzania as a young girl, where she dreamed of becoming an astronaut – but reaching for the stars seemed almost an impossibility. 

Today, as a Program Manager with the US space agency, she helps ensure that satellites avoid collisions in orbit, contributing to the safety and sustainability of pioneering space missions such as the record-breaking Artemis II mission around the moon earlier this month.

According to , women make up only 35 per cent of science, tech, engineering and maths graduates (STEM) – figure that has not changed in the past decade.

In an interview with UN News’s Anold Kayanda from our Swahili team, Ms. Mashiku explains why girls should place no limits on their ambitions to break the STEM glass ceiling, into the stratosphere. 

Across the world, women are reshaping traditional ideas about work and challenging barriers that have long limited their opportunities. This photo story from highlights the experiences of women in countries including Benin, Paraguay, Japan, Uganda, Togo and Germany who are building careers in fields often dominated by men or navigating changing economic realities. From mechanics and electricians to entrepreneurs, engineers and health workers, their stories reflect broader shifts in workforce participation, gender equality and ageing populations. The story explores how education, rights and opportunity are helping women redefine what work—and leadership—can look like.

Women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have endured sexual violence share their stories of survival, recovery and empowerment.

In Gaza, there is no safe place to work – or to live. Women on the frontlines of the response are working under extreme hardship, insecurity and repeated attacks. 

In “Nab’d AlUla,” pass on heritage through Sadu weaving and stone engraving, blending tradition and innovation while empowering future generations to preserve the region’s cultural legacy.

In Benin, a new generation is learning about workplace rights and boundaries through sex education, helping to change workplace culture.

In voodoo ceremonies, in mosques and in churches, religious leaders across Benin are talking about sex. From consent to preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS, UNFPA is helping them provide sexual health education.

The space for women, young people, and marginalized groups to speak openly about their rights is shrinking worldwide, with issues like gender‑based violence, reproductive choice, sexual abuse, and discrimination increasingly treated as taboo. International Women’s Day urges action to dismantle structural barriers to justice, from discriminatory laws to harmful social norms. In Georgia, six women working with ‑supported organizations share their vision for equality and the steps they are taking to advance justice for women and girls.

Former child labourer Hafeeza Mai leads a trade union in Pakistan, empowering women in the cotton sector to claim their rights, demand equal pay and protect their children from child labour.

Across Africa, women innovators are reshaping the future of technology, not only by building businesses, but by designing solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges - from water management to digital rights. With support from UNESCO’s African Women in Tech and AI initiative, they are turning ideas into impact, breaking barriers and shaping a more inclusive digital future. As International Women’s Day highlights the importance of rights, justice and action, remind us that equality in innovation must be sustained year-round.

For institutions to be effective, accessible and truly responsive to people’s needs, they must reflect the societies they serve. When more women sit on the bench, entire societies benefit. 

As global debates on food, equity and resilience accelerate, one story highlights who must be at the center. This episode of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Work We Do podcast highlights why women and youth are essential to transforming agrifood systems.

Lauren Phillips, FAO’s Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration, discusses findings from FAO flagship reports on women’s central roles, persistent gaps in land, finance and opportunities, and why progress remains uneven. The conversation explores the International Year of the Woman Farmer, youth participation amid high global youth unemployment, and the financing gap. It makes the case for investing in women and youth as drivers of inclusive growth, resilience and food security.

Sonya Kirgizova, a respected farmer in Tajikistan’s Tojikobod region, has become a key leader in efforts to revive traditional crops and strengthen local agriculture. As more men migrate for work, women like Sonya now manage farms but often lack resources. Sonya partnered with the to train women in gardening, greenhouses and beekeeping, and helped establish community seed banks that store climate‑resilient seeds. Women are now accessing seeds, earning income, reviving local varieties and seeing themselves as producers and decision‑makers.

International Women’s Day 2026 arrives as justice systems falter under conflict and repression, leaving women with . Across most countries, women face higher barriers to justice—denied lawyers, priced out of services, dismissed, or blamed when reporting abuses. For hundreds of millions near conflict zones, justice is absent entirely. When justice fails, women pay. Real justice means enforceable rights, believing survivors, accessible legal aid, and support after violations. UN Women urges collective action to build and fund justice systems that deliver equality. 

Across fragile regions, women restore forests, manage scarce resources, and rebuild livelihoods, showing how climate resilience and peace grow stronger when communities empower women.