This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a global commitment to a world where women and girls live free from discrimination, violence, and inequality. Today, businesses worldwide are recognizing that gender equality is not only a matter of rights, but a powerful economic lever.
“How can we ensure that the shift to a green economy is not only environmentally sound, but also socially sound – with gender equality at its core?” – Anna Falth, Global Head, WEPs Secretariat
On May 7, 2025, UN Women and the UN Global Compact co-hosted the second WEPs 101 webinar of the year, offering companies practical guidance on engaging with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Designed for both new and existing signatories, the session emphasized the WEPs as a globally recognized framework for advancing gender equality across the workplace, marketplace and community.
Despite ongoing challenges, Ukrainian companies have demonstrated resilience and leadership in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Across Ukraine, women continue to shape the local economy as entrepreneurs.
Did you know that the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) is turning 15 years in 2025? Established in 2010, WEPs has been guiding the private sector to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment throughout their business ecosystems. The WEPs community has grown to over 11,000 signatories in more than 160 countries.
To mark the International Women’s Day in March 2025, 114 exchanges and central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs) around the world participated in the eleventh annual 'Ring the Bell for Gender Equality' to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.
The February 2025 WEPs Deep-dive series session explored how businesses can advance gender equality in global value chains. Despite women’s critical role in value chains, systemic inequalities—such as wage gaps, discrimination and limited leadership opportunities—persist.
2025 WEPs Deep-dives Series: The Unspoken Topics
The 10th session of the WEPs Deep-Dive Series and the first of 2025 focused on how discussing often-overlooked workplace challenges—such as hormonal cycles, fertility journeys, pregnancy loss and parenthood—can promote psychological safety and enhance leadership.
The ninth session of the 2024 WEPs Deep-Dive Series on Private Sector Tackles Violence Against Women Heads On began with insightful remarks by Adriana Quinones, Head of Human Rights and Development at UN Women, and Vera Rios, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Consultant at UN Women in Geneva. The speakers emphasized the critical role of companies to challenge harmful social norms, behaviours and stereotypes that perpetuate gender inequality and contribute to gender-based violence.
