2013 Human Development Report Mexico City, 14 March 2013 — The rise of the South is radically reshaping the world of the 21st century, with developing nations driving economic growth, lifting hundreds of millions of people from poverty, and propelling billions more into a new global middle class, says the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) 2013 Human Development Report. This phenomenon goes well beyond the so-called BRICs, middle income countries often represented by Brazil, … [Read more...]
The Women of the World are Depending on Us
March 12, 2013 by
“Economic policies that push out smallholders,” Ms. Khan added, “contribute to a damaging feminization of poverty. In this process, young girls, in particular, find themselves at the sharp end of gender violence.” The WFP-hosted event, which focused on the negative impact of violence against women on food security, also heard from panelist Lourdes Tiban, an Ecuadorean lawmaker of indigenous descent. Gender violence, she said, is not ordained by destiny. Ms. Tiban called for profound cultural … [Read more...]
Syria’s Unseen Crisis: Women Face Rape, Insecurity, Poverty
March 11, 2013 by
Syria's Unseen Crisis: Displaced Women Face Rape, Insecurity, Poverty In the past week, the Syrian refugee crisis has grabbed headlines around the world as the number of Syrians who have had to seek asylum abroad reached one million. But there is another, less-discussed displacement crisis unfolding inside Syria. Syria’s internally displaced population passed the two million-mark months ago – by some estimates, there are more than three million Syrians uprooted within their country, most … [Read more...]
HALF the World is Women – “Ending Violence against Women and Girls”
March 7, 2013 by
This Forum was opened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and facilitated by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, and included the participation of a range of senior leaders of UN agencies -- namely Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Associate Administrator, Ms. Anne-Birgette Albrectsen, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA, Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, Ms Kyung-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR. "Women's … [Read more...]
Women of the Middle East: What Changes Does 2013 Hold?
March 6, 2013 by
Women Leaders in Seven Arab Countries ... were asked what political, social and economic changes they expect to see in 2013. Most expected to see political infighting, backsliding in women’s status, or an economic downturn in their respective countries. Women in Iraq and Lebanon projected a deterioration in the security situation if the Syrian conflict spills over. Yemeni women said their country’s democratic transition hinges on a successful national dialogue scheduled for March. Two … [Read more...]
Afghan Women Taking Action in Business
March 5, 2013 by
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan (ILO News) – Afghans have been immersed in a conflict that has affected every aspect of their ordinary lives. For Khalida Yaqobi, the conflict has been an obstacle, not an obstruction. After graduating in engineering from Balkh University, she secretly studied English at a time when women seeking an education risked being executed by the Taliban. “I was studying English in a private house, without textbooks or notebooks, going in a burqa to a hidden English … [Read more...]
Gender and Food Security, Empowering Women for Global Food Security
March 4, 2013 by
Feed the Future Policy Analysis – Empowering Women for Global Food Security – In spite of persistent global efforts to address food security, it still remains an urgent problem. Women are heralded as the key players in solving the food crisis, however these crises are the result of inequities in the food distribution system; and therefore broader gender dynamics and relations of power need to be considered. By focusing only on women’s economic empowerment, USAID’s Feed the … [Read more...]
SYRIA, displacement giving way for serious gender-based crimes
February 27, 2013 by
February 2013 – A senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today warned of the enormous humanitarian impact of the ongoing Syria crisis, particularly on civilians who have been displaced and face threats such as Gender-based Violence. “This displacement is not only about loss of homes and economic security. It is also, for many, accompanied by gender-based crimes, deliberate victimization of women and children and a frightening array of assaults on … [Read more...]
Joint Statement: Taking Action to End Water and Sanitation Inequalities
February 26, 2013 by
Joint Statement: End water and sanitation inequalities in the future development agenda The Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, UNICEF, UN Women, WaterAid and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. New York, 21 February 2013. "Today, the Government of Finland, UNICEF, UN Women, WaterAid and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation call on the international … [Read more...]
