She was 23, with a marriage just months away. But two weeks ago, she was gang raped by six men, savagely beaten and thrown out of a moving bus in Delhi. This week, the still unnamed woman who has become “India’s daughter”, died of her injuries in hospital. Namita Bhandare knows the constant fear that goes with living in Delhi, nicknamed India’s “rape capital”. Like others, she long believed that nothing would change. But the outpouring of anger and sadness now has convinced her that this … [Read more...]
Commission of Status of Women – March 4-15, 2013, NYC
January 2, 2013 by
Women’s Empowerment Principles–Equality means Business The Women’s Empowerment Principles offer practical guidance to business and the private sector on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Developed through a partnership between UNIFEM and the United Nations Global Compact, the Principles are designed to support companies in reviewing existing policies and practices — or establishing new ones — to realize women’s empowerment. The private sector is a … [Read more...]
IRAN signs up to new covenant to protect women/children
December 22, 2012 by
SECURITY: Armed groups sign up to prevent sexual violence JOHANNESBURG, December 2012 (IRIN) - Five Iranian armed groups have become the first to sign up to new covenant aimed at reducing sexual violence in conflict situations, a pledge developed by Geneva-based NGO Geneva Call. The five Iranian groups - the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Komala Party of Kurdistan, the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Komalah Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran and the … [Read more...]
MADAGASCAR: Traditional midwives back in fashion
December 13, 2012 by
BETRAKA, December 2012 (IRIN) - Madagascar’s traditional midwives, or ‘matronnes’, are often thought to undermine safe childbirth practices, delivering babies in unsanitary environments and without provisions to manage complications. Yet they are now being recruited to a campaign to get women to deliver in clinics or hospitals, part of a move to lower maternal and newborn death rates. “We have more work than ever,” said matronnes Bertine, 52, and Marnette, 51. The women, who are cousins, … [Read more...]
DRC: Surge in sexual violence in North Kivu* – Take Action!
December 7, 2012 by
MINOVA, 7 December 2012 (IRIN) - Sexual violence is on the rise as armed groups continue to move across the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) North Kivu Province, officials say. Since mid-November, the provincial capital, Goma, has been a site of battle, with rebel group M23 taking control of the city on 20 November. Following negotiations with neighbouring countries, M23 relinquished control of the city on 1 December, and the Congolese national army, FARDC, is back in charge. … [Read more...]
COTE D’IVOIRE: Marital equality law sparks controversy
December 5, 2012 by
ABIDJAN, December 2012 (IRIN) - The adoption by Côte d'Ivoire’s parliament of a law on equality between legally married couples has sparked anger, especially among religious people. For them, this law will create more problems in the home than it will solve. Adopted on 21 November, the law says family affairs should be managed jointly by both spouses in the interests of the household and children. The previous law stated that the husband was the sole head of the family. "To remove this … [Read more...]
Afghanistan, project zeroes in on gender inequality
November 21, 2012 by
THE AFGHAN MINISTER OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS, HUSSN BANU GHAZANFAR, AND UNDP'S ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, REBECA GRYNSPAN, SIGN A NEW GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT, KABUL. (PHOTO: UNDP) Kabul — On a two-day visit to Afghanistan this week, UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan launched a US$ 30 million project to promote gender equality by improving access to legal services and economic opportunities for women as well as strengthening the Government’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ efforts to improve … [Read more...]
Abortions are illegal in Swaziland
November 19, 2012 by
MBABANE, November 2012 (IRIN) - Abortions are illegal in Swaziland and have resulted in criminal convictions, but in October 2012 more than 1,000 women were treated for abortion-related complications at a single clinic in the country’s second city Manzini, says the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS), a family planning organization. FLAS is calling for the legalization of abortion on the grounds of women’s health. “In neighbouring South Africa, the legalization of abortion in … [Read more...]
#AskUNWomen Twitter chat on gender equality, what was said.
November 14, 2012 by
#AskUNWomen Twitter chat on gender equality - what were to most talked about topics? On 13 November 2012, UN Women hosted a live Twitter chat with its Deputy Executive Director John Hendra. The topic was gender equality in the context of the post-2015 consultations on inequalities. Some of the questions discussed were: What are the most widespread and fundamental forms of inequalities women and girls face around the world? What do you think are the major causes of gender … [Read more...]
Men of the world, let’s unite for women’s empowerment | Martín Santiago Herrero
November 11, 2012 by
Men of the world, let’s unite for women’s empowerment | Martín Santiago Herrero We continue to live in a world that is profoundly unequal, where the opportunities are not the same for men and women. Women represent 70 per cent of the world’s poor. On average their salaries are 10 to 30 per cent less than men’s for the same work, with the same tasks. Women are responsible for two thirds of the work carried out around the world, but receive only 10 percent of the benefits. They own 1 per … [Read more...]
UN Women launches e-discussions on Inequalities – OCT 15
October 5, 2012 by
UN Women launches e-discussions on Inequalities as part of the consultations on the post-2015 agenda UN Women in partnership with UNICEF is co-leading the UN Development Group Global Thematic Consultation on Inequalities and will facilitate the first of a series of e-discussions which will address a wide spectrum of inequalities. The online platform for the e-discussion on addressing inequalities is now “live”. The gender inequality discussion will open on Wednesday, October 3rd … [Read more...]
UGANDA: Family planning pledges need on-the-ground action
October 4, 2012 by
KAMPALA, October 2012 (IRIN) - Family planning advocates in Uganda have scored some major financial and policy wins this year, but experts remain concerned that inadequate political commitment and poor health services will continue to impede women’s and girls’ access to contraceptives. At a global family planning summit in July, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni announced that his government would increase its annual expenditure on family planning supplies from US$3.3million to $5million for … [Read more...]
GUINEA: Fresh tears, steeled will, hundreds of women raped
September 29, 2012 by
CONAKRY, September 2012 (IRIN) - One after the other, women visiting their sick friend Aïssatou Baïlo Diallo, a 42-year-old teacher in Guinea’s capital Conakry, are overcome with emotion and leave her bedside crying. Diallo has been in and out of hospitals since she was raped in the 28 September 2009 stadium attack, and in recent weeks her health has deteriorated rapidly. Three years after the stadium massacre, the pain is fresh. Three years ago, at Conakry’s 28 September Stadium, hundreds … [Read more...]
