The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Yaounde organised a media training event to share
information about the UN Secretary-General's campaign to end violence against women, increase awareness of the issue and
to encourage actions to end violence against women.
The event was held on Monday 31 March 2008. 26 journalists and national language broadcasters, members
of the UN Press Club Bamenda, attended the session, the main objective of which was to provide tools and skills to increase
actions by the media to end violence against women in Cameroon, in the North West Province in particular.
In collaboration with NOWWEF (North West Women's Empowerment Forum), the umbrella organisation for women's NGOs in the North West province,
UNIC Yaounde organised an outreach event on Saturday 29 March 2008 at Congress Hall, Bamenda (capital of the North West province). An estimated 956 people participated in the event. Representatives from more than 26 women's NGOs were in attendance as well as traditional leaders,
administrative authorities and opinion leaders of the North West province.
The theme of the event was "There Comes a Time .... Now is the Time .... Let’s Take Action", and it was a good opportunity for the UNIC's
National Information Officer, Ms. Nsang, to share the Secretary-General's message on his special campaign to end violence against women.
Ms. Nsang used the podium to address the issue of violence against women in the North West province ranging from traditional and cultural practices to
political exclusion, taking advantage of the presence of traditional, opinion and administrative leaders of the province.
On Wednesday, 27 February 2008, a screening of a film
"Why is Kofi Annan Not a Woman?" was held at the UN
Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) Brussels.
On Women’s day 2006, Kofi Annan said, "the world is ready for a
woman Secretary-General." However, in its 60 year history, no woman
has yet led the United Nations. "Why is Kofi Annan Not a Woman?"
aims at exploring gender and leadership issues within the United Nations
and the advancements made so far within this area. The speakers at the event
included the Director of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Brussels, Osnat Lubrani, and the Director of UNRIC Brussels,
Afsane Bassir Pour.
In Azerbaijan 19 women have died in childbirth
since the beginning of this year and the maternal
mortality figures have grown steadily during the last five years.
These shocking facts were highlighted at a roundtable
discussion organized by the Office of the Commissioner
of Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Department of Public Information
(UN DPI) on the occasion of 11 July 2007-
World Population Day.
On 24 of June 2007 in Antananarivo, the UN Club of the college of Ifanadiana presented a theatre play on the eradication of violence against girls and women of all ages. This theatre play on violence was chosen by the members of the UN Club as a means for sensitizing the population with the rights of young girls, young women and women and for highlighting their rights to live in peace and dignity and to learn and go to school.
On the 16th of February 2007, UNIC Yaounde organized a UN Press Club event in Buea, South West Province, at the Delegation of the Ministry of Communication. The theme of the event, introduced by the UNIC’s Information Officer, was entitled "Ending Impunity of violence against women and girls”.
One hour and 20 minutes exchange of ideas was held by the media to make the International Women’s Day an ongoing event. Creating newspaper articles on the theme, broadcasting radio and TV programs on the day of the event, and outreach events with women's NGOs and civil society actors were some of the suggestions.
The Provincial Delegate of communication, Mr. Wilfred Nkong Makoge, chaired the experience and approximately 21 journalists attended the event.
On 22 November 2006 the UNIC Pretoria
librarian attended the colloquium "Gender
Justice in Africa" held in Benoni -
Johannesburg on haring best practices on gender-based violence.
During this event, supported by UNICEF South Africa, an information booth
was organised and publications were distributed amongst the participants.
On Wednesday 03 May 2006 UNIC Pretoria
attended the opening session of the 3-day Conference on the
National Action Plan to end violence against women and children
at the Kopanong Conference Centre in Johannesburg. Key speakers during the opening
session were Mrs Nomatyala Hangana, Deputy Minister of Local Government and
Mrs. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa.
The conference brought together
more than 200 participants from various sectors, including government, civil society,
the United Nations system in South Africa and the private sector. The main output was to
propose a nation wide program to end violence against women and children and set
up a steering committee to ensure further commitment by the government.
During the conference, UNIC Pretoria organized
an information stand, supported by several other UN-agencies such as UNICEF and UNDP.
A Press Briefing in Dar es Salaam aimed to highlight the situation of women, ten years after the Beijing Conference. During the briefing, the Zanzibar Minister of Youth, Employment, Women and the Development of Children, informed guests about the situation of women in Zanzibar.
