SÉVARÉ/BAMAKO, 5 June 2013 (IRIN) - More displaced women and girls - some as young as 13 - are turning to sex work to get by in Mali where 14 months of occupation and conflict have forced 475,000 people from their homes in the north, according to NGOs. NGO Danaya So (House of Trust in the local language Bambara), has registered 3,800 sex workers in central Mali’s towns of Mopti and Sévaré, as well as in Bamako, but the real number is much higher, says its director, Kadidjatou Coulibaly. … [Read more...]
Metta foot spa: Happy feet that empower
June 5, 2013 by
In the heart of posh Bandra is a unique social enterprise business – a spa that helps its visually impaired therapists stand on their feet even as yours get much needed rest. The fragrance of lemon grass and a gentle quiet greet my tired feet. I feel like I am miles away from the maddening city I have been commuting through all day. There is stillness around here, almost ashram-like. Tucked away in a quiet part of Bandra, one of Mumbai’s most ‘happening’ suburbs, is Metta Foot Spa, a … [Read more...]
Japan Taking Action to combat illicit drugs and human trafficking
June 4, 2013 by
June 2013 – The United Nations and the Government of Japan today agreed to enhance regional cooperation to fight the trade of illicit narcotics and human trafficking, as well as terrorism and cyber crime in Africa and Southeast Asia. The Joint Action Plan of Action between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Japan was signed at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V), which concluded earlier today in Yokohama, Japan. “The United Nations Office … [Read more...]
Awards to celebrate excellence in public service, June 24 – 27 in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
June 3, 2013 by
Awards to celebrate excellence in public service Hundreds of participants are expected to witness the most prestigious international recognition of innovation in public service at the United Nations Public Service Forum, Day and Awards Ceremony, to be held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, from 24 to 27 June. To have a strong, efficient, and professional public service is one of the key factors in the development process. One way to promote good practices is to recognize initiatives … [Read more...]
GREATEST FUTURE is to INVEST in YOURSELF NOW!
June 3, 2013 by
UPDATE: GREATEST INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE IS TO INVEST IN YOURSELF NOW! June 21, 2013, Friday, 7 PM, Downers Grove, IL. Sacred Breath Healing Workshop. Any questions, ask for the names of people who attend regularly and the life changing experiences they claim as their own. July 7th, 2013, Sunday, 1 PM, ongoing Circle of Light enrichment classes and meditations. Contact: Shirlee 630-202-3818 YOU ARE ALREADY HOME! Come to our offerings and you will discover that you are far … [Read more...]
MALI, Mother Dreams of Returning Home to Re-Build
June 2, 2013 by
In Mbera camp, Zeinabou dreams of returning home to rebuild Zeinabou, a mother of eight, fled with her family from conflict in her native Mali in January. There were rumours that a plane would come and bomb her town. She did not wait to see whether they were true; the family rented a car and fled to south eastern Mauritania. But life in the Mbera refugee camp is hard, she is pregnant and would like to return home, so her child can be born there. In Léré, where she came from, Zeinabou ran a … [Read more...]
Breaking the Silence, Violence against Indigenous Girls
June 2, 2013 by
Joint UN statement read by John Hendra for the launch of the inter-agency study on breaking the silence on violence against indigenous girls Joint UN statement read by John Hendra, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director Policy and Programme, UN Women at the launch of the inter-agency study: “Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women: A call to action based an overview of existing evidence from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin … [Read more...]
Women in Tunisia are Taking Action!
June 2, 2013 by
The Code of Personal Status (CPS) (Arabic: مجلة الأحوال الشخصية) is a series of progressive Tunisian laws aiming at the institution of equality between women and men in a number of areas. It was promulgated by beylical decree on August 13, 1956 and came into effect on January 1, 1957. This Code is one of the best known deeds of Habib Bourguiba, who was Prime Minister and later President. He gave women a unique place in Tunisian society, notably abolishing polygamy, creating a judicial … [Read more...]
Bangladesh must address lack of protection for women from violence
May 31, 2013 by
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras May 2013 – A United Nations independent expert today called on Bangladesh to ensure the effective implementation of laws and measures that protect women from violence, stressing that in addition to the enforcement of policies, changes in attitudes need to occur regarding women’s role in society. “The absence of effective implementation of existing laws, the lack of responsive justice systems, and … [Read more...]
Born into crisis: Unwanted pregnancies in Syria
May 31, 2013 by
ZA’ATARI CAMP, JORDAN, 29 May 2013 (IRIN) - When aid workers with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) speak to women inside Syria - many of them displaced from their homes and living in cramped collective shelters - they say they would rather do anything than get pregnant. “No one wants to be pregnant in the shelters… that’s universal wherever we go,” said Laila Baker, UNFPA representative in Syria. “There is no place to take care of the baby and it’s another mouth to feed.” In … [Read more...]
Australia occupies top rank yet again in OECD’ s better life index!
May 30, 2013 by
The OECD's Better Life Index ranks the world's developed economies on quality-of-life criteria. 1. Australia 2. Sweden 3. Canada 4. Norway 5. Switzerland 6. United States 7. Denmark 8. The Netherlands 9. Iceland 10. United Kingdom For over fifty years, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has helped governments design better policies for better lives for their citizens. It provides a forum in which leaders and policy makers can work together to … [Read more...]
