Envoy affirms UN support for women's participation in Afghanistan elections The United Nations will support efforts to ensure women's involvement in next year's elections in Afghanistan, the top UN official in the country told women activists in the capital, Kabul, on Wednesday. Ján Kubiš, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was speaking during an annual event related to a landmark Security Council Resolution on women's participation in the political process in … [Read more...]
“Empowering Local Radios with ICTs”, UNESCO seeks evaluators
UNESCO invites external independent evaluators to assess the implementation of the project “Empowering Local Radios with ICTs” and to produce a mid-term external evaluation report. The report should evaluate the relevance of objectives and progress made to achieve them. It will be used by UNESCO to assess the implementation of activities gearing to results and consider adjustments. UNESCO, with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), is executing a … [Read more...]
UNICEF supports China in earthquake response to assist children (RADIO)
UNICEF is finalizing plans with its Chinese government partners to intensify and accelerate efforts in child protection and welfare, mother and baby health, young child nutrition, hygiene and sanitation. This, as the death and injury toll becomes clearer following the devastation caused by the earthquake in Lushan County in Sichuan province. With support from its Hong Kong Committee, UNICEF has allocated US$75,000 for emergency obstetric and neonatal health equipment for local health … [Read more...]
Ban Ki-Moon speaks with Malala!
As of 5 April, only 1,000 days remain until the end of the 2015 target date for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs – which range from halving extreme poverty to promoting gender equality to providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015 – form an internationally agreed blueprint which countries and leading development institutions have signed onto. Since their adoption in 2000, the MDGs have made a huge difference, helping to set global and … [Read more...]
HALF the World is Women – “Ending Violence against Women and Girls”
This Forum was opened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and facilitated by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, and included the participation of a range of senior leaders of UN agencies -- namely Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Associate Administrator, Ms. Anne-Birgette Albrectsen, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA, Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, Ms Kyung-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR. "Women's … [Read more...]
Navi Pillay calls for an end to the violence in Egypt
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...]
Women and technology – the attitude gap
Careers in science and technology are increasing, but the International Labour Organization (ILO) says women and girls are in danger of being shut out of these opportunities. The ILO finds women tend to be over-represented in areas such as the humanities and the social sciences, and the agency has launched a new manual to address progress in achieving gender equality. Beng Poblete-Enriquez spoke to Jane Hodges, Director of the Bureau for Gender Equality at the ILO in Geneva, … [Read more...]
Jamaica addresses violence against women
Violence against women is pervasive and harms not only women but their families and their communities. At a two-day forum at the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, UN officials, government representatives and other stakeholders discussed how to prevent it. Sandrea Falconer, Jamaica's Minister of Information with responsibility for gender affairs, told Gerry Adams that she is head of a specific committee addressing the problem. Sandrea Falconer - Violence - … [Read more...]
WOMEN Taking Action in post-conflict countries seek justice !
Women in post-conflict countries seek justice Myrna Mack Myrna Mack was assassinated outside her offices in Guatemala City by armed forces in 1990. She was an anthropologist doing research on displaced people. The Myrna Mack case was the first human rights litigation tried in the Guatemalan courts. In 1993, Myrna's sister, Helen, established the Myrna Mack Foundation, which tried to pursue justice for Myrna Mack through national and international courts. The Foundation is also … [Read more...]