Midwives deliver babies — and they do much more. This slide show, created from photographs submitted by UNFPA Country Offices, shows midwives in action in more than 40 countries. The world needs midwives more than ever Chidbirth is perhaps the riskiest and most miraculous time in a woman's life. And midwives are truly the unsung heroines of the challenge to reduce the risks women face in bringing forth life. Global Resource Spotlight: Investing Now, armed with better skills … [Read more...]
Iraqi Women do not have equal opportunities, Take Action!
May 7, 2013 by
DUBAI, May 2013 (IRIN) - In the 1980s, the UN says, Iraqi Women enjoyed more basic rights than other women in the region. But years of dictatorship, sanctions and conflict, including the US-led invasion one decade ago, led to deterioration in women’s status. “Across the board, women are suffering more [than they used to],” said Sudipto Mukerjee, deputy head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq. Despite steps taken towards gender equality since 1990, Iraqi women today do not … [Read more...]
The Women I Love, Zain Bhikha – المراة التي أحب زين بيكا مترجم (Video)
May 6, 2013 by
Zain, a man with the PASSION to CARE Zain Bhikha (Hindi: ज़ैन भिखा, Urdu: زین بھکھا; born 9 August 1974) is a South African singer-songwriter, who has achieved success as a performer of Islam nasheed songs. Associated with other Muslim musicians, including Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby, Bhikha has collaborated on albums and also released several solo albums. He has written several religious albums concerning Islam. Bhikha's music almost exclusively follows Islamic … [Read more...]
Lorre White reports Starwood CEO: ‘Yesterday’s luxury is tomorrow’s necessity’
April 25, 2013 by
Inside Starwood’s "Out-of-the-Box Thinking” session, the chief executive discussed how Starwood’s St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels are responding to challenges in targeting the new luxury consumer. Savvy marketers will examine how the industry is changing as a result of this new fast-moving, technology-driven age and respond quickly. “The wealthy today are more diverse,” said Frits van Paasschen, president/CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “There are more wealthy Women; and … [Read more...]
Ethiopia/Somalia refugees stranded in Yemen with ‘deplorable conditions’
April 18, 2013 by
IMAGE: Somali refugees wait on Yemen's Red Sea coast for transport to Aden. Photo: UNHCR/R. Nuri April 2013 – Thousands of destitute migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia are stranded in northern Yemen in deplorable conditions, victims of gross physical abuse and severe economic and sexual exploitation, a United Nations humanitarian official warned today, calling for urgent action to address their plight. “The international community urgently needs to work with and support the Governments in the … [Read more...]
Turkish programme to register Syrian refugees
April 12, 2013 by
12 April 2013 – The United Nations refugee agency today welcomed a new Turkish law on foreigners as an important advancement for international protection and pledged continued backing to the authorities as they implement it. The law incorporates key elements of international humanitarian and human rights law, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news briefing in Geneva, stressing that High Commissioner António Guterres welcomes it as a reflection of … [Read more...]
Syrian refugees to reach 4 million by the end of 2013
April 10, 2013 by
UNITED NATIONS, Istanbul/Amman/New York — Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will be visiting refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan to underscore the urgent needs of women and youth affected by the crisis in Syria. There are currently over 1 million registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and other countries. More than 400,000 people have become refugees since 1 January 2013 alone. Out of the 4 million people … [Read more...]
Tricked and Trapped Migrant workers, in the Middle East
April 10, 2013 by
ILO reveals how an estimated 600,000 migrant workers are tricked and trapped into forced labour across the Middle East at the first-ever tripartite regional conference on human trafficking AMMAN (ILO News) – An ILO study has offered a rare glimpse into the hardships endured by workers from some of the world’s poorest countries while also examining the structural hurdles to protecting their rights at work in the Middle East. The ILO will present the findings of Tricked and Trapped: Human … [Read more...]
Policy for domestic workers, ”a matter of urgency” says ILO
April 10, 2013 by
Domestic workers in India have more than doubled in number since 2005. Talking to BBC World News, ILO's, Tine Staermose stressed the importance of policies aimed at protecting a very vulnerable section of the society. India's domestic workers are considered to ''uphold the economy'', with a rising population of over 10 million. Making decent work a reality for domestic workers worldwide: Domestic workers comprise a significant part of the global workforce in informal employment … [Read more...]
Women & Children deaths pose ‘serious concern’ – Take Action!
April 9, 2013 by
Afghan children at play. Photo: UNAMA/Aurora Verceles Alambra April 2013 – The United Nations today voiced “serious concern” over the deaths of at least 10 Afghan children and a woman, and injuries to seven others in an armed clash during a joint Afghan-NATO operation against the Taliban in eastern Kunar province. “The Afghan National Security Forces and the international military forces should take all measures aimed at preventing harm to civilians during military operations, including … [Read more...]
EGYPT, Sexual Violence must Stop!
April 4, 2013 by
April 2013 – A United Nations envoy today expressed dismay at the sexual attacks on women protesters in Egypt, as well as the messages from prominent religious and political leaders that women are to blame. “Egypt’s story in the post-revolutionary period cannot be that of a country whose women marched in support of democracy, only to find their own freedoms denied, their lives directly threatened, and their vibrant political activism stamped out in a climate of fear and insecurity,” said the … [Read more...]
