Millennium Development Goals

UN Women is one of a number of United Nations agencies charged with supporting countries in moving forward on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight goals, adopted by the international community in 2000, set targets for 2015 on eradicating poverty, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV and AIDS and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and providing financing for development.

All eight MDGs touch essential aspects of women’s well-being, and in turn, women’s empowerment is critical for achieving the goals. UN Women has engaged in advancing the MDGs through three entry points:

Operational programmes: In all regions and through all its thematic areas, UN Women programmes contribute to the MDGs. UN Women pilots innovative strategies and strengthens the capacity of other UN programmes to support women’s advancement.

Monitoring and analysis: UN Women works with governments and non-governmental organizations to evaluate progress on the MDGs, including through the use of sex-disaggregated data and indicators that fully account for gender gaps. UN Women also contributed to the UN Millennium Project, commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to develop an action plan to achieve the MDGs, by preparing background papers and sharing proven strategies.

Advocacy: Through various partnerships, UN Women has worked to raise awareness and encourage participation in MDG activities, including the national and international advocacy efforts led by the UN Millennium Campaign.

In This Section

• Making Change Happen: Actions Necessary to Accelerate the Achievement of all Millennium Development Goals
• The Unfinished Agenda: Balance Sheet of Progress and Backlogs on Gender Equality
• What Does It Cost? Putting a Price Tag on Gender Equality
• The Tragic Reality of Violence: Facing the Facts of Violence Against Women and the Millennium Development Goals
• New Aid Agenda: Making Aid Effectiveness Work for Gender Equality

You may download the entire resource pack as one file.