A woman holds her baby in a village in southern Niger, where progress in women's access to family planning is being made. Our failure to give women in certain parts of the world the ability to decide the timing and number of their children is deeply damaging — not just for the women themselves but for societies, too. Lifting the obstacles is not something that can be tackled half-heartedly. Modern family planning programs were introduced widely in the developed world decades ago. Providing … [Read more...]
Fiji, UNFPA Chief Stresses Women’s Empowerment, Girls Education
May 14, 2013 by
Following the formal opening of the G77 High-Level Panel of Eminent Personalities of the South, UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin posed along with other eminent figures, including Heads of State of the Pacific Island Nations. SUVA, Fiji — If alarming rates of Violence Against Women are to be effectively addressed, the status of women needs to be elevated. UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin emphasized the fundamental, often unacknowledged, contributions of … [Read more...]
Women will Change the World, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin
November 22, 2012 by
When Babatunde Osotimehin last year became the head of UNFPA -- the international development agency promoting female rights -- the news didn't go down too well with many women working in the field. After his appointment Osotimehin was told that some female ambassadors at the UN were upset that a man had been made head of the agency. But he was determined to put their minds at ease. "We had lunch with them [female ambassadors] and they asked me, 'so, justify this position,'" remembers … [Read more...]
Columbia, Bogota – Progress for Women and Young People
September 23, 2012 by
BOGOTA — UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin visited Colombia, for the first time, to review the country's progress in reducing maternal deaths and teen pregnancy, two of the indicators for the Millennium Development Goal on improving maternal health. Day One: Dr. Osotimehin began his visit touring two health centres in Bogota, where UNFPA has been supporting the work of the city's Health Secretariat. In Bosa, one of Bogota's most populous neighbourhoods— with one of the … [Read more...]
UNFPA: Over 6,000 Communities Across Africa Abandon Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting – Celebrate!
February 9, 2011 by
UNITY of ACTION is working ... a Time of Celebration! Over 6,000 Communities Across Africa Abandon Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting UNITED NATIONS, New York—Over 6,000 communities have chosen to abandon the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), according to a joint United Nations programme designed to eliminate this practice, and the number is growing. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, are partners … [Read more...]
