Unicef Gender Plan : Shared by Niloufar Pourzand

By Lauren Rumble

Associate Director Gender Equality for UNICEF

As the seasons shift, and autumn leaves fall here on the streets of New York, I am so proud to share UNICEF's new Gender Equality Action Plan. Presented to our Executive Board earlier this month, this new Plan sets out a bold vision for promoting gender equality and advancing the rights, voices and leadership of girls and women. Dozens of Member States spoke out in support.

Here's to a new season and a new vision; committing UNICEF's >15,000 staff to programs that:
🏥 end anemia and malnutrition for girls and women
🫰 empower frontline community health workers to reduce maternal mortality and bring girls faster, better health services - including for adolescent mothers
🩸 support menstrual health and hygiene services and financing
🎶 bring mental health support closer to the girls and boys that need it
💱 increase social protection coverage for girls and women, including childcare
🎒 reduce gender gaps in education and skills, including digital and financial skills
🌿 empower girls as leaders in climate action and build green skills
🩷 help keep every girl and woman safe from violence, child marriage and FGM
....and ultimately make girls and women's priorities more visible in budgets, financing packages and policies. 💰

At a time of political uncertainties, financial constraints and structural reforms, we stand firm for gender equality and child rights.

Thank you to all our partners who stand with us.

Click here for the  UNICEF Gender Equality Action Plan, 2026–2029

Summary

The UNICEF Gender Equality Action Plan, 2026–2029 lays out UNICEF’s roadmap for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all girls and women, aligned with its Strategic Plan for the same period. 

It emphasizes three priority themes: achieving positive change with adolescent girls, integrating gender equality into policies and systems, and cementing organizational progress. 

The plan highlights six pathways for action, including mobilizing resources for adolescent girls, amplifying girls’ leadership, addressing gender in humanitarian crises, engaging boys and men, leveraging digital innovation, and building strategic partnerships. 

Programmatic priorities span health, education, poverty reduction, protection from violence, and resilience to climate risks. UNICEF commits to strengthened accountability, evidence generation, financing benchmarks, and partnerships, while also fostering safe and equitable workplaces. The plan underscores that investing in adolescent girls yields transformative benefits for societies and pledges annual monitoring with a final evaluation in 2029.