Filimon Nkungu, a Male Gender Champion from Samaka Village in Singida Region, Tanzania. Photo: UN Women.

In Samaka Village, in the Singida Region of Tanzania, long-standing gender norms have traditionally dictated how families make decisions and who accesses economic opportunities, leaving women with limited influence over their livelihoods and community affairs.

At 43, Martin Mitrovski has spent 16 years working as a preschool educator and challenging social norms in a profession traditionally dominated by women. Photo: Courtesy of the Municipality of Kriva Palanka

HeForShe Universities Webinar panelists: Francesco Merola, Partnerships Analyst, UN Women HeForShe; Dr.

Makgabo has expanded her products from just product to 6 since starting the EntreprenHer trainings in 2021.

“I opened my first school right after completing the training which has grown from 20 children to 59, and I’ve since opened a second branch.

_{From Left to Right: Vesna Jaric, Global Lead, HeForShe Initiative; Dr.}

In the bustling mining towns of Orapa and Letlhakane, 32-year-old Oreneile Archie is building more than a business, she is building a legacy of women’s empowerment through her company, Eve Textiles. Specialising in corporate wear, PPE, and school uniforms, Eve Textiles is proudly women-led, intentionally designed to create opportunities for women in a field where they are often underrepresented.

Madrid, 30 January 2026 — At the “Mujeres liderando la ONU del siglo XXI” conference held in Madrid, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, called for the next United Nations Secretary-General to be a woman, ideally from Latin America and the Caribbean. His remarks reinforced the urgent need to advance gender equality at the highest levels of global leadership.