Opening the door for people of all abilities The global community took a giant step forward during the High-level Meeting on Disability and Development in September to break down barriers for the more than 1 billion persons living with some form of disability. With a historic outcome document adopted, this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, aims to kick-off an action-filled course towards an inclusive society, embracing all human beings. 'About 15 … [Read more...]
‘One Life – One Heart’, International Volunteer Day (Dec 5)
November 30, 2013 by
International Volunteer Day (IVD)- (December 5) is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions - at local, national and international levels - to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The International Volunteer Day is marked by many non-governmental organizations, including Red Cross, scouts and others. It is also marked and … [Read more...]
‘A silent majority of men disapproves of violence’, Radwan Chowdhury
November 25, 2013 by
“What are Ordinary Men Willing to Do to End Violence Against Women & Girls?” Most men do not use violence against women, and most believe such violence to be unacceptable. A silent majority of men disapproves of violence, but does little to prevent it. Of most concern, significant numbers of men excuse or justify violence against women. The silence, and encouragement, of male bystanders allows men’s violence against women to continue. Violence against women and girls is a … [Read more...]
Universal Children’s Day celebrated Nov 20
November 20, 2013 by
On Universal Children’s Day, UN says violence against young hobbles development 20 November 2013 – Drawing a direct link between violence against children and poverty, United Nations officials marked Universal Children’s Day with a call to make child protection a priority in the global development agenda for the decades to come. “Violence against children does more than harm individual children, it undermines the fabric of society, affecting productivity, well-being, and prosperity,” UN … [Read more...]
‘Gender Marker’ – Is Bettering Women’s Life Impossible?
November 17, 2013 by
London - At a conference on violence against women and girls in emergencies, a CARE International UK special report it has been revealed the tiny proportion of international aid that is directed towards projects that target gender violence and sexual exploitation of women in humanitarian crises. The report also shows the inadequacies of global efforts to track how effectively humanitarian projects address gender. (pdf Document - CLICK IMAGE) In 2010, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon set a … [Read more...]
Call to Action: UN Women pledges to protect Women and Girls
November 15, 2013 by
Call to Action: Executive Director pledges UN Women commitment to protect women and girls in emergencies Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka pledged the strong commitment of UN Women to protect women and girls in emergencies at an international meeting on 13 November in London. At the Call to Action event, “Keep Her Safe”, organized by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), she pledged that UN Women would work with partners to ensure that women’s rights and needs are … [Read more...]
Global Consultation on Addressing Inequalities
November 12, 2013 by
The Heart of the Post-2015 Development Agenda & the Future We Want for All This joint Civil Society/UN consultation, co-led by UNICEF and UN Women with support from the Governments of Denmark and Ghana, is an open and inclusiveconversation for civil society, academia, governments and the UN to discuss what the post-2015 development agenda should look like. The first phase of the consultation included a public call for papers and series of e-discussions. These results were synthesized … [Read more...]
NGOWG MAP – November 2013
November 6, 2013 by
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the November 2013 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council. For November, in which China has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on the situations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, Central African Region, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan / South Sudan, and Syria. Our findings remain clear: while there has been development in policy and … [Read more...]
Securing financing for sustainable development, Shari Spiegel
November 2, 2013 by
“We have to create an inclusive financing system that would work for everybody around the globe.” ~ Shari Spiegel Securing financing for sustainable development New and innovative sources of financing are needed to supplement decreasing Official Development Assistance, but these should be additional to traditional assistance and not a substitute for it: this is one of the conclusions of the 6th High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. In this video interview, Shari Spiegel, … [Read more...]
Learning Metrics Task Force, Rebecca Winthrop
October 31, 2013 by
I’m very pleased to share with you that we recently brought on former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a nonresident senior fellow. As prime minister, Julia Gillard made education reform a top priority in Australia, and her passion and commitment to improve education around the world will continue with her work at the center. As a fellow, she will participate in a variety of research projects, including initiatives promoting girls’ education in developing countries. We look forward to … [Read more...]
7 Million Girls in Poor Countries Give Birth Before 18
October 31, 2013 by
LONDON/UNITED NATIONS, New York — Motherhood in childhood is a huge global problem, especially in developing countries, where every year 7.3 million girls under 18 give birth, according to The State of World Population 2013 , released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Of these 7.3 million births, 2 million are to girls 14 or younger, who suffer the gravest long-term health and social consequences from pregnancy, including high rates of maternal death and obstetric fistula, … [Read more...]
