Europe and Central Asia

In this interview, Sheeba Harma, the Regional Gender Adviser for UNICEF in Europe and Central Asia, shares insights on women's and girls' rights by answering four key questions. With over 20 years of experience, Sheeba has previously worked as regional adviser in UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and  has spent seven years in Afghanistan…

“What makes you feel safe?” is one of the questions posed to a group of adolescent girls during a discussion about gender inequalities and stereotypes at a support centre in the Czech Republic. For a generation of Ukrainian girls whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the escalation of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the answer to this question…

Equipping women and girls with the competencies needed in emerging and established business areas is critical to closing the existing skills, pay gap and employment gaps. In Uzbekistan, the  digital skills gap between men and women is 24% , and  unemployment impacts women (17.2%) more than men (12.1%) . Digital skills present new opportunities for…

Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis as health workers, caregivers, teachers, community organizers and as some of the most effective leaders in combating the pandemic. The crisis has featured their contributions and the disproportionate burdens carried by women and girls, including those who are refugees and migrants. Gender…

Aisuluu, 42, was abducted and forced to marry when she was just 17 years old while studying to be a teacher in Bishkek the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. Aisuluu, 42, was abducted and forced to marry when she was just 17 years old while studying to be a teacher in Bishkek the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – She enters the room,…

Succeeding in the workforce of tomorrow, Today's generation of girls are preparing to enter a world of work that is being transformed by innovation and automation. Educated and skilled workers are in great demand, but roughly a quarter of young people – most of them female – are currently neither employed nor in education nor training . Of the 1 billion young people – including 600…, Creating opportunities for girls from across the region, Participants learn about robotics, 3D printing and drones at an IT Girls workshop in Bosnia and Herzegovina. IT Girls – in Bosnia and Herzegovina girls learn how to code their way into the future Wanting to address the issue that girls have the same access to technology, but less confidence in pursuing technology careers, UN Women, UNDP and UNICEF…, Girls on the skills they need for success, Three girls from the UPSHIFT programme give their perspective on the skills every girl needs for the future. UPSHIFT helped me overcome the isolation I experienced since the conflict in Eastern Ukraine broke out (I am form Lugansk). Sharing experiences with new people my age helped me learn about communication and teamwork. At the workshops, I…, Breaking down gender stereotypes and empowering girls, Nadia (10) participates in a STEM-focused workshop at the UNICEF-supported summer school of hobbies in Srebrenica (Eastern Bosnia), August 2016. Nadia, 10, participates in a STEM-focused workshop at the UNICEF-supported summer school of hobbies in Srebrenica (Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina), August 2016 In Azerbaijan, the #GirlsCan campaign aims…