The high priority accorded to Goal 3 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) “Promote gender equality and empowerment of women” – is an affirmation of the international support for women’s rights and gender equality as core values of development. Through the years, women have progressed in many areas: we now have women presidents, prime ministers, Nobel Prize winners, parliamentarians, community leaders and ever increasing number of women volunteers. But serious challenges persist -- cultural attitudes that debase women, gender violence, laws that favour men, and limited access to healthcare, to name a few.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day (8 March), we bring you a compilation of resources about the role of women volunteers in empowering other women and the challenges they face in promoting gender equality and volunteering.

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MDG 3: Gender equality & women's empowerment