Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged labour without prompt medical intervention, usually a Caesarean section. The woman is left with chronic incontinence and in most cases a stillborn baby. In 2003, UNFPA and its partners launched the global Campaign to End Fistula, a collaborative initiative to prevent fistula and restore the health and dignity of those affected by the condition. Change a life today. Visit: www.endfistula.org. Narration by Natalie Imbruglia.
Produced by www.thedrawshop.com and in collaboration with UNFPA. UNFPA, 2013
FAO Policy on Gender Equality
The FAO Policy on Gender Equality provides a framework that guides the Organization's efforts to achieve gender equality in all its technical work and assesses results. The policy, in line with the UN System-wide Action Plan, outlines FAO's goal and objectives related to gender equality and delineates an accountability structure for ensuring policy oversight and achievement of results. FAO's efforts to integrate gender issues into all facets of its work efforts will contribute to increasing the coverage, effectiveness, efficiency and – ultimately – the impact of its interventions for women and men, while at the same time toward achieving broader UN goals of human rights and social justice. "FAO's gender policy underscores the Organization's commitment to addressing gender and women's issues to eradicate hunger and poverty," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva on International Women's Day in 2012, when he announced the policy. Read more: English | Français FAO, 2013
In Bolivia, microloans lift thousands of women from poverty
The "Semilla" programme in Bolivia is helping rural and indigenous women open small businesses and receive skills and management training. UNDP, 24 May 2013UN experts call for an end to caste-based discrimination in Asia
United Nations human rights experts are calling for more effort to protect an estimated 260 million people in South Asia who are victims of caste-based discrimination. The experts say the victims, commonly referred to as the Dalits, are treated as "untouchables" and occupy the lowest levels of strict, hierarchical caste systems founded on notions of purity, pollution and inequality. They face marginalization, social and economic exclusion, segregation in housing, limited access to basic services, and are subjected to working conditions similar to slavery. UN Radio, 24 May 2013UN Secretary-General Hails Rwanda's 'Strong Political Commitment' to Fight Violence against Women, Children at New Centre Ceremony
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the Ceremony for the Centre of Excellence for the Fight against Violence against Women and Children, in Kigali, on 23 May. UN, 23 May 2013First International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, 23 May
May 23 marks the first-ever International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. And this year is also the 10th anniversary of the Campaign to End Fistula, a collaborative initiative launched by UNFPA and partners to prevent fistula and restore the health and dignity of the millions of women and girls affected by this devastating but preventable condition. UNFPA, 23 May 2013Official Statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
Pregnant women have a great deal to look forward to: the miracle of birth, meeting their children, raising them into adulthood. While we may prefer to focus on these happy outcomes, we should also confront the fact that serious risks make this journey a perilous one for those who lack access to proper medical care. UN, 23 May 2013Political participation by indigenous peoples in Latin America still low - UN report
Indigenous peoples in Latin America have undergone an unprecedented mobilization in the past 20 years, but political participation, particularly among women, is still low, the United Nations said in a new report released Wednesday. UN News, 22 May 2013UN Secretary-General meets with secondary school students in Mozambique
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is currently on a five-country tour in Africa. Mr. Ban' first stop was Mozambique, where he visited the Sansão Muthemba Secondary School in the capital, Maputo. The Secretary-General highlighted a campaign to end violence against women, in addition to answering students' questions. Alex King is travelling with the Secretary-General and filed this report. UN Radio, 22 May 2013Gender Pay Discrimination in Jordan: A Call for Change
The International Labour Organization is working with the Jordanian government and its social partners to help narrow the pay gap between men and women. ILO, 22 May 2013Women's empowerment is key to fortifying the forestry sector
Compared to men, women are frequently disadvantaged in their access to and control over forest resources and in their ability to take advantage of economic opportunities, according to an FAO paper that calls for action on gender disparities in the forestry sector. FAO, 21 May 2013UN rights experts call for equality in post-2015 development agenda
A group of United Nations human rights experts on Tuesday called for the post-2015 development agenda to be urgently refocused on equality, social protection and accountability. UN Radio, 21 May 2013
FAO Policy on Gender Equality
