THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE WORLD TODAY Since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, women in Europe and North America have made considerable progress towards equality with men, although much remains still to be done. Of course, the industrialization of Western countries at first had not improved the status of women, but had degraded them even further by exploiting them and their children in factories as cheap labor. In the preceding relatively prosperous … [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...]
Bhutanese Midwife, Thailand’s Experience: A notebook of ideas
January 25, 2013 by
LOEI, Thailand — After four days of trekking from his village by foot, a two-day bus ride across Bhutan, an international flight to Bangkok and a long van ride, Sonam finally arrived at this mountainous province in northeastern Thailand. The midwife from Gelephu, a small village in eastern Bhutan, was one of more than 20 Bhutanese health professionals selected to participate in a technical training on reproductive health care services. The programme, supported by UNFPA, is part of a … [Read more...]
“Critical Perspectives on Financial and Economic Crises: Why Gender Matters”
January 23, 2013 by
Speech by Michelle Bachelet, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, at the economics symposium “Critical Perspectives on Financial and Economic Crises: Why Gender Matters” being held in New York from 21-22 January 2013 "Good morning, It is great to be here with all of you! UN Women is pleased to co-sponsor this symposium with the International Association for Feminist Economics. I would like to thank the Editors of Feminist Economics, Diana … [Read more...]
UNRWA, Syria midwife delivers baby in harsh conditions
January 19, 2013 by
Damascus The vibrant cry of a baby burst out from a small room in the Khan Eshieh refugee camp in southern Damascus. Forced to find refuge in a shelter housing another 15 people, Mayada Yahya gave birth in a small room with no privacy. The room has provided shelter to Mayada and her husband ever since they fled the fighting in Daraya, near Damascus, a few months ago. Little did she know that she would be delivering their child in this same room months later. Makeshift … [Read more...]
Pushing the frontiers on the elimination of violence against women
January 18, 2013 by
Pushing the frontiers on the elimination of violence against women: the upcoming Commission on the Status of Women and the importance of international cooperation Statement by Ms. Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women at Regional Conference on the Istanbul Convention. Istanbul to host UN center for women's rights - LIVE IMAGE "Excellencies, Honourable parliamentarians, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, Allow me to start by paying tribute to all those … [Read more...]
Tanzanian women take matters into their own hands, pooling resources
January 17, 2013 by
“You need to join forces if you want to stand strong,” explains Batuli Massawe, a 46-year-old mushroom farmer who has become a respected entrepreneur due largely to training and solidarity lending in the community of Morogoro, 190 km west of Tanzania’s capital. In a country where agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for a large majority of the population — accounting for more than two-thirds of employment and almost half of Tanzania’s GDP — the the agricultural sector is … [Read more...]
The Internet Gender Gap | Magdy Martinez Soliman
January 15, 2013 by
How can the use of mobile technologies best benefit Women? The role of ICTs as development enablers is more widely understood today as access to new technologies, particularly mobile phones, has grown exponentially. SPECIAL COMPUTER TRAINING COURSE DESIGNED FOR DEAF PEOPLE IN DAMASCUS, SYRIA. PHOTO: UNDP IN SYRIA Mobile phone subscriptions exceeded six billion by the end of 2012, three-quarters of which were in the developing world. However, Women are at a disadvantage: they are 21% less … [Read more...]
