Dr. Sima Bahous commits to second term as Executive Director of UN Women
Dr. Sima Sami Bahous will undertake a second term as Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women. Following her reappointment by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Dr. Bahous said, "I am honoured to continue to serve as Executive Director and pledge my utmost efforts to UN Women delivering its crucial mandate for all women and girls everywhere".
Dr. Bahous, an experienced diplomat both at the United Nations and in her home country of Jordan, has been a leading voice for a stronger, more effective United Nations. Her first term at UN Women was marked by a focus on the entity’s role in putting gender equality at the heart of intergovernmental deliberations; transparency, efficiency and a focus on results at country level; and ensuring that gender equality and the rights of women and girls are at the heart of crisis response.
With UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 newly approved by its Executive Board, Dr. Bahous noted the centrality of gender equality for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, stating:
"We know what happens when men and women share power and decision making, when men and women contribute equally to economies, when women and girls are not brought down by violence or the evils of conflict and crisis and instead play their fullest part in our human family. Equality must not wait." Dr. Bahous also paid tribute to all those working with UN Women, saying, "I could not be more fortunate with the team I lead, their talent, passion, commitment and expertise".
Going forward, Dr. Bahous highlighted her priorities, building on her first term and in line with the new Strategic Plan:
"The multilateral space is more complex than ever, and the challenges it faces more difficult. That is why the centrality of gender equality and the role of UN Women are more important than ever. We will continue to make UN Women stronger, sharpen our focus, and hold ourselves accountable for, and demonstrate, results on the ground – particularly in crises contexts where women and girls need help and support the most. We will play our fullest part in helping the UN come through its current reforms better able to serve women and girls. And we will build ever stronger partnerships to deliver that."
