Government of Norway
Government of Norway
05/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/13/2026 04:19
Norway supports the fight for women’s rights with nearly NOK 700 million
In 2026, Norway will provide substantial support to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women for their work to strengthen women's rights globally.
"In many parts of the world, we are seeing serious setbacks for women's rights. We must act when girls and women lose access to safe abortion, modern contraception and safe childbirth, when violence against women increases, and when rape is increasingly used as a weapon of war and conflict. That is why Norway is using its political and financial leverage to support UNFPA and UN Women," says Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust .
Continued support at a high level
In 2026, Norway will provide NOK 589.6 million to UNFPA and NOK 100.3 million to UN Women. This means that funding is maintained at the same level as in 2024 and 2025.
The two UN organisations are among Norway's most important partners on gender equality and rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls.
The support enables UNFPA and UN Women to respond to the many crises in which women and girls are affected, such as the conflicts in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan. (Source: UN)
In practical terms, this includes providing protection and health services to survivors of violence in crises and preventing child marriage and female genital mutilation. In 2024, this work reached hundreds of thousands of women and girls. It also includes support to countries developing national action plans on women, peace and security in order to prevent conflict and build more inclusive societies.
What the figures tell us about women's health globally
Women's health worldwide is in a critical situation, and very many still lack access to basic health care and protection:
"Where rights and democracy are weakened, the risk of conflict and crisis increases. Strengthening the UN as a key arena for developing and defending norms on gender equality, inclusion and health is therefore a clear priority for Norway," says Aukrust.
Facts
UN Women
UN Women is the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. The organisation is an important partner for Norway in countering the strong and growing pressure on women's rights and gender equality. A core part of its work is supporting the implementation of gender equality commitments at country level and coordinating the UN system's efforts on women's rights and gender equality. UN Women also plays an important role in developing and implementing global and regional normative frameworks for women's rights and gender equality.
UNFPA
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is Norway's most important multilateral partner on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The organisation's work is crucial to ensuring that girls and women are able to live full and healthy lives. This includes delivering services such as maternal health care, family planning, comprehensive sexuality education, and efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation and child and forced marriage. UNFPA's work, its normative role and its rights-based approach are controversial in many countries and therefore face significant opposition.
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