Wednesday, 6 February 2013 7:45 AM EST / 12:45 PM GMT Join Here: http://bit.ly/WGlrCa WHAT: To observe the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, 6 February, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) will host a Google+ Hangout discussion on the progress made in FGM/C abandonment, and the challenges that remain ahead. WHO: The virtual event will … [Read more...]
Bangledesh, Living on new land: Char Development
February 5, 2013 by
The coastlines of Bangladesh are constantly moving. Surveys, based on satellite images, have shown that each year there is a net accretion of around 20 km2: newly formed land of about 52 km2 minus eroded land of around 32 km2. With an assumed density of 800 people per km2, this means that each year approximately 26,000 people lose their land. For many of them, the newly accreted land, or chars, as these new-emerged lands are called in Bangla, offers an alternative home. The Char Development and … [Read more...]
Celebrate: Fewer Girls Threatened by Female Genital Mutilation
February 5, 2013 by
UNITED NATIONS, New York—Fewer girls are subjected to the life-threatening practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) according to new data from the United Nations, released on 6 February, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The data show that FGM/C is becoming less prevalent overall and the younger generation is less vulnerable to the practice. In the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where the practice of FGM/C is concentrated, on … [Read more...]
CHINA on track to skyrocket, McKinsey & Co. to reach $11 Trillion
February 3, 2013 by
Lorre White reports: “WHAT’S NEXT FOR CHINA?” China is on track to getting richer, and discretionary spending will continue to skyrocket. The country’s GDP is currently around $6 trillion. Within the next 7 years, McKinsey & Co. suspects it will reach $11 trillion or – as they say – the equivalent of two Germanys. As people get wealthier, discretionary spending increases. Service-related industries are expected to benefit the most. In particular, “sectors such as leisure (defined as … [Read more...]
Russian Duma urged to Take Action scrapping Bill on “homosexuality propaganda”
February 2, 2013 by
United Nations human rights experts on Friday called on the Russian Parliament, the Duma, to discard a draft bill that could compromise the rights of the LGBT community. The experts on freedom of expression, human rights defenders, cultural rights and the right to health warned that the bill may undermine the enjoyment and promotion of human rights in Russia, unjustifiably singling out the LGBT community –lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people — who have increasingly become … [Read more...]
Afghanistan – WFP Provides Nutritional Support to Kuchi Women
February 1, 2013 by
With their brightly-coloured clothes and facial tattoos, Kuchi women from the traditional nomads of Afghanistan stand out in a sea of burkas. But the nutritional challenges these women face are similar to those of all Afghan women. KANDAHAR - At a health center in Kandahar city, a mass of women in burkas wait to receive food from WFP on a sunny day in January. Against the backdrop of faded green, blue and beige burkas, one group of women stands out, dressed in brightly-colored dresses … [Read more...]
Women in Science Hall of Fame – 2013 (Middle East – North Africa)
February 1, 2013 by
The Department of State initiated a Women in Science Hall of Fame in 2010 to honor outstanding female scientists throughout the Middle East and North Africa. New hall of fame members are selected annually for their accomplishments, and we hope to develop a strong network of professional women scientists across the region. Dr. Boshra Salem, president of the MAB International Coordinating Council and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Alexandria University (Egypt), was … [Read more...]
SYRIA – Fleeing for their lives, “My daughter is 2 months old,” one woman said.
January 30, 2013 by
Syrians flee violence in dangerous nighttime trek to Jordan (CNN) -- With darkness as their only cover, Syrian families make a break for northern Jordan. They are fleeing for their lives. Small children walk alongside their mothers, whose arms are reserved for babies and whatever possessions they can carry. In a treacherous nighttime escape such as this one, you walk if you're old enough. As the group makes its way over the border, just a few meters away from its … [Read more...]
Navi Pillay calls for an end to the violence in Egypt
January 30, 2013 by
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called on all sides in the current unrest in Egypt "to refrain from resorting to violence and to resolve their differences peacefully." More than 50 people are believed to have been killed in Egypt since January 24th, when thousands of Egyptians took to the streets to commemorate the second anniversary of their revolution. Three days later, President Mohammed Morsi declared a state of emergency. Rupert Colville, UN … [Read more...]
