About us

The US National Committee for UNIFEM (UNIFEM-USNC) is one of 18 national committees that support the mission of UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women, part of UN Women). Chartered in 1983, UNIFEM-USNC is committed to expanding support and raising funds within the United States for UNIFEM. Through the help of our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, local chapters and members, we help support UNIFEM projects that span 100 countries around the globe.

UNIFEM (part of UN Women) is the women’s fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women's rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies to foster women’s empowerment.  UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to acheiving development and to building just societies.

Established in 1976, UNIFEM has touched the lives of women and girls around the world.  UNIFEM maintains strong ties to both women's organizations and governments, linking them with the UN system to join national and international political action, and to create momentum for change.

UNIFEM focuses its activities on one overarching goal: to support the implementation at the national level of existing international commitments to advance gender equality.  In support of this goal, UNIFEM works in the following thematic areas:

• Enhancing women's economic security and rights,
• Ending violence against women,
• Reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women and girls, and
• Advancing gender justice in democratic governance in stable and fragile states.

Active in all regions and at different levels, UNIFEM works with countries to formulate and implement laws and policies to eliminate gender discrimination and promote gender equality in such areas as land and inheritance rights, decent work for women and ending violence against women. UNIFEM also aims to transform institutions to make them more accountable to gender equality and women's rights, to strengthen the capacity and voice of women's rights advocates, and to change harmful and discriminatory practices in society.

Click here to support our efforts today!