Which countries are in UN Women?

There is an important distinction when answering which countries are in UN Women. UN Women is not a membership organization in the same way as a regional political organization. It is a United Nations entity that works with UN Member States and partners around the world on gender equality and women's empowerment.

The UN has 193 Member States, and UN Women works with governments across the UN system. Its programmes are implemented in countries and territories around the world rather than being limited to a small group of member countries. UN Women's own data systems, for example, include all 193 UN Member States for certain global gender-related datasets.

Does every UN country belong to UN Women?

It is more accurate to say that UN Women works with countries throughout the United Nations system rather than saying that countries “belong to” UN Women.

UN Women supports governments in developing and implementing policies, laws and programmes related to gender equality and women's empowerment.

Its work can therefore be found across all regions, including Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean, and the Arab States.

How many countries does UN Women work in?

UN Women's current transparency information states that the organization worked in 135 countries and territories during 2022–2025.

The number should not be confused with the number of UN Member States. UN Women has a global mandate, but the specific countries where it maintains programmes, offices or activities can change depending on funding, national priorities and programme requirements.

What does UN Women do in these countries?

UN Women works with national governments and local partners on a broad range of issues.

Its programmes can include:

Women's political participation
Women's economic empowerment
Ending violence against women
Gender-responsive legislation
Women's participation in peace processes
Gender statistics
Humanitarian assistance
Women's leadership
Climate and gender issues
Social protection
Gender-responsive budgeting

For example, UN Women may provide technical assistance to governments developing legislation related to women's rights or support civil society organizations working to prevent violence against women.

Does UN Women have offices in every country?

No. UN Women does not necessarily maintain a dedicated country office in every country where its work or mandate applies.

Its operations include headquarters, regional structures, multi-country offices and country offices, depending on the organization's operational model.

UN Women's current global results show activities across a large number of countries and territories, demonstrating that its work extends far beyond the locations where it has a permanent physical office.

Is UN Women present in the United States?

Yes. UN Women's headquarters is located in New York, United States, and the organization works with the United Nations system and international partners there.

However, headquarters location should not be interpreted as meaning that the United States is the only or primary “member” of UN Women.

What countries can work with UN Women?

Essentially, governments across the UN system can engage with UN Women on gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization also works with civil society, women's organizations, private-sector partners, academia and other international institutions.

Therefore, when someone asks “Which countries are in UN Women?”, the most accurate explanation is that UN Women does not have a separate country-membership list comparable to an alliance or regional organization. It is a UN entity with a global mandate that works with countries and partners worldwide.