UN gender equality news feed collects gender equality-related news from individual RSS news feeds in the UN system and displays a combined up-to-date news list on a single web page and in a single news feed. UN gender equality news feed is a service of WomenWatch, the UN Internet Gateway on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ungen/atom.xml 2013-06-18T21:45:29+00:00 United Nations WomenWatch http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ Copyright (c) 2011 United Nations WomenWatch UN gender equality news feed (UNGEN 1.1) tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/bdda138fc7408e23 2013-06-18T21:45:03+00:00 Thanks to improved access to information and a powerful participatory communication approach, villagers in isolated communities across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Niger are making strides to improve gender equality and empower women. FAO Dimitra community listeners' clubs are helping rural populations participate in the development of both their communities and themselves. The clubs enable members – women, men and youth – to share concerns and take collective action. Collaborating with rural radio stations that feed and broadcast their discussions, the clubs have become agents of change in agriculture but also in other aspects of society, taking on sensitive issues such as HIV/AIDS, early marriage and the rights of women to inherit land. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-18T21:45:28+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d957e71e21e3a968 2013-06-18T21:44:33+00:00 The ongoing confrontation between the Nigerian army and the Boko Haram rebel group in north-eastern Nigeria is forcing more people to flee to Cameroon, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says refugees have been fleeing to Niger as the crisis continues in Nigeria's Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-18T21:45:28+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/77c48efb1b4eaad1 2013-06-18T21:44:33+00:00 Labour and social affair ministers from ten countries, the President of the EU Council, Richard Bruton, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, and ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, discuss ways to support ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-18T21:45:28+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/25b0f5fb1bc3325a 2013-06-18T21:44:32+00:00 Millions of children worldwide spend long hours as domestic workers instead of going to school according to a report from the ILO. The hidden nature of this form of employment, makes children especially vulnerable to exploitation and hazardous working conditions that may sometimes verge on slavery. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-18T21:45:28+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/479118acd0b2b79e 2013-06-18T21:44:32+00:00 What is UN Women's vision to ensure that empowering women becomes a priority in the post-2015 development agenda? Why is it important to include a separate gender goal in any future framework? #AskUNWomen and chat with our Acting Head! UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-18T21:45:28+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e5d25de2157412d9 2013-06-17T19:21:59+00:00 The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks in Quetta and Ziarat, Pakistan, in which at least 20 civilians were reportedly killed and many more injured. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-17T19:24:27+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b59fe635a9caf662 2013-06-17T18:30:35+00:00 To mark the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June, UNRWA is putting a spotlight on the situation of Palestine refugees in the Agency's five fields of operation. Today, we bring you the story of a Palestine refugee woman whose life has been deeply affected by settlement construction in the old city of Hebron, in the West Bank. UNRWA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-17T19:24:27+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3604d9b735524395 2013-06-17T15:51:59+00:00 "Nothing is as powerful as a community itself seeing the harm being done to its own children and deciding – collectively – to end that practice." So says Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF's Director of Programmes, in a statement marking the Day of the African Child, observed Sunday 16 June. He stressed that "Communities are key to the health and well-being of African children subjected to harsh practices." UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-17T19:24:27+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/274bed56ca6d986c 2013-06-17T15:51:59+00:00 Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the first woman to head the African Union Commission, urged African Member States and international partners to invest more in order to promote job creation in the region. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-17T19:24:27+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4100f8dc80cbbbbe 2013-06-17T05:00:00+00:00 A 15-year-old Pakistani girl targeted by assassins - Malala Yousafzai - is the first signatory of a new worldwide petition calling for urgent action to ensure the right of every child to safely attend school, launched Monday with the backing of the United Nations Special Envoy for Education...Ms. Yousafzai's appearance at UN Headquarters on 12 July will mark her first major public speech since she was shot last October. She will be joined at the UN by hundreds of young people from around the world. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-17T19:24:27+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/43a7453a73664fa8 2013-06-14T21:28:40+00:00 More than 10 million children worldwide, most of them girls, are being cheated out of childhood. A report released this week by the International Labour Organization (ILO) finds that instead of playing with their friends or even spending time with their families, these children are toiling in the homes of other people as domestic workers. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-14T21:29:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/21e8d9de23a6b336 2013-06-14T21:24:52+00:00 The European Union and UN Women signed an agreement today establishing a joint fund to support projects from civil society organizations that promote gender equality in Chile. These projects will focus on three strategic areas: eliminating violence against women, women's economic empowerment and women's political participation and leadership. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-14T21:29:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5c4ac01e6d9ce2b4 2013-06-14T21:24:52+00:00 As the International Labour Organization Convention 189 on domestic work turns two, a look at how Governments, unions and the private sector supported by UN Women are working towards ensuring that this female-dominated profession is regulated and worker's rights are protected. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-14T21:29:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/da0baef7bfdb74e6 2013-06-13T21:03:18+00:00 Freedom of expression, development of community media and high quality journalism education are being fostered in the Andean region with the support of six projects of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) coordinated by UNESCO's Office in Quito...In Peru, a project saw more than 70 women communicators from 20 different regions receive training in ICT, radio and gender in order to reinforce community media in the country. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-13T21:06:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/faac2f6b5256bed7 2013-06-13T21:03:17+00:00 The first woman to go into space is encouraging more women to participate in space programmes. Valentina Tereshkova from the Russia Federation was launched aboard a space craft Vostok 6, orbiting the earth 48 times on 16 June 1963 at age 26. The 76-year old astronaut participated in an event organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria on Wednesday to celebrate 50 years of Women in Space. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-13T21:06:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/86a61cc73f138189 2013-06-12T21:15:48+00:00 New York, 12 June 2013 – The annual report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict highlights progress made in 2012 to protect children living in countries affected by conflict, but also documents how the evolving character and tactics of war are creating unprecedented threats for them. "In 2012, boys and girls from several countries had better protection from the effects of conflict, but new and ongoing crises in Mali, Central African Republic and Syria for example had –and continue to have– a devastating effect on children," declared Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/2bc4ae6a659234a5 2013-06-12T21:15:48+00:00 Sixty Algerian media professionals from the print press and the Algerian Public Service Broadcaster are taking part in training workshops, organized by the UNESCO Office in Rabat and the UNDP Office in Algeria. This event is being facilitated by experienced trainers from the journalism training centre, ESJ Pro Montpellier, and Algerian expert on media and gender equality, Ms Ghania Mouffok. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/df7f7275e312485e 2013-06-12T21:15:47+00:00 In Oslo, the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) signed an economic cooperation agreement aimed at sharing experiences and lesson learned in the building of social pacts for equality. ECLAC tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f51532656309dc92 2013-06-12T21:15:47+00:00 A Nutrition for Growth event, held in London on the weekend has resulted in renewed commitments to accelerate progress towards significant reductions in stunting and improved nutrition for children and mothers around the world, including initial pledges of funds exceeding US$4 billion. UNICEF welcomed the formal Compact agreed by participants that highlighted commitments to make nutrition a top political and socio-economic priority for both donors and countries affected by under-nutrition, capitalize on scientific knowledge and innovation to improve nutrition, and strengthen transparency and monitoring of results. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f7893da98ae42307 2013-06-12T19:49:17+00:00 A non-profit organization set up in response to the devastation caused by cyclone Nargis employs women to run small businesses that benefit poor communities. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e89983f2c44297ab 2013-06-12T19:49:17+00:00 European Union Ministers of Justice agreed at the Council of the European Union to pioneer a Europe-wide protection order for survivors of violence. The new regulation complements the 'European protection order' adopted in December 2011, extending its application from criminal to civil matters. It will guarantee that victims and survivors of domestic violence can rely on restraint or protection orders issued against the perpetrator in their own country when they travel or move to another EU country. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e1b9da7a99ae6efd 2013-06-12T17:29:17+00:00 All classrooms of the literacy project for girls and women in Senegal (PAJEF) will soon be equipped with a digital kit consisting of a laptop, an interactive beamer, an infrared stylus touch pen to write directly on the digital board, as well as adapted software. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d42d34f71e40b0f5 2013-06-10T05:00:00+00:00 An independent United Nations human rights expert has stressed the need to hold States accountable not only for investigating acts of violence against women but also for failing to prevent such violence. (author unknown) tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d987af0f2aa3cf83 2013-06-08T05:00:00+00:00 United Nations officials have welcomed the funds pledged and political agreements reached at the Nutrition for Growth summit, held today in London, as a new opportunity to ensure millions more infants and pregnant women have better diets, and to reduce cases of stunting and deaths from malnutrition. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-12T21:20:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/532dd3fab1f4a457 2013-06-07T17:35:30+00:00 The World Food Programme (WFP) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, are launching a new partnership to improve nutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women to ensure the next generation of children achieve the best possible start in life. The new initiative, which launches ahead of the "Nutrition for Growth" summit in London on 8 June, aims to address the nutritional needs of women throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. The goal is to reduce the number of low birth weight babies and stunted children, who as a result, grow up blighted by health problems and experience a detrimental impact on their learning and economic potential. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-07T17:47:25+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d1afa057e75aa2aa 2013-06-07T17:35:29+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-07T17:47:25+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/711d91b060f7d2fa 2013-06-07T17:21:03+00:00 GENEVA – The World Food Programme (WFP) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, are launching a new partnership to improve nutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women to ensure the next generation of children achieve the best possible start in life. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-07T17:47:25+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b45e852ce3193f55 2013-06-07T17:21:02+00:00 Women in Africa are much more likely to work than those in any other region of the world, according to Mary Hallward-Driemeier, an economist at the World Bank. But they still find it difficult to make a decent living because of the kind of work they are doing. In the following interview with David Schulman of the International Monetary Fund, Ms. Hallward-Driemeier says the amount of income a woman earns depends on the kind of work she is doing. And African women are disproportionately involved in the business of self-employment. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-07T17:47:25+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a145e7aaf7d6436c 2013-06-06T17:41:55+00:00 "Violence against women is the most pervasive expression of gender-based discrimination", UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday during its annual full-day discussion on women's rights. Ms. Pillay said that before the 1990's, violence against women was still largely considered a private matter and not a human rights issue of concern to the international community. However, there was a shift in the 1990's. According to Ms. Pillay, the real turning point was the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action which recognized violence against women as an issue of international concern. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-06T17:50:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/cfff070ae96c1d37 2013-06-06T17:41:55+00:00 UN-Habitat studies show that women in urban areas are twice as likely as men to suffer some form of violence, especially in developing countries. Violence is a daily reality that disproportionately affects women and girls in the poorest districts of any city. Owing to their poverty, survivors among these populations have less access to support services, or they simply do not have the necessary information. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-06T17:50:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d938d5528da45706 2013-06-06T17:41:55+00:00 Palestinian economy will not grow unless the Israeli imposed restrictions are lifted; according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). In its annual report on the situation of workers in the Occupied Arab territories, the ILO says the Palestinian economy is grappling with stagnating growth, higher unemployment, poverty and food dependency. The report says the continuing occupation and expanding settlement activity are blocking the Palestinian economy, particularly its private sector, from significant progress. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-06T17:50:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/98d717613e5a5f99 2013-06-06T17:41:54+00:00 GENEVA – This year's annual World Day against Child Labour (12 June) will put the spotlight on the plight of child labourers in domestic work. On this occasion, the ILO will release a new report: "Ending child labour in domestic work: Protecting young workers in domestic work from abuse and exploitation". The new study provides figures on the number of children involved in domestic work. It also shows how they are often vulnerable to physical, psychological and sexual violence and abusive working conditions. The report and all associated material and information are embargoed until Tuesday, 11 June at 22:00 GMT (midnight Geneva time on Wednesday, 12 June). ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-06T17:50:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6a2f58a31c007711 2013-06-06T17:40:15+00:00 Many developing countries lack policies to halt the threat to public health due to the growing number of children and adolescents that are overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO says more than 75 per cent of the 43 million children under the age of five who are overweight live in developing countries with the prevalence in Africa almost doubling in the last 20 years. The UN health agency says there was scientific evidence which shows that children who are undernourished in their first years of life are more likely to become overweight as adolescent. Dr Francesco Branca from WHO's Department of Nutrition, says improving nutrition of pregnant women and encouraging early initiation of breast-feeding could prevent both malnutrition and overweight. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-06T17:50:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/152ed8ec5da6c2b5 2013-06-05T18:50:43+00:00 A couple of weeks ago, FORBES published its 2013 annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. Of the 100 women featured, 11 are black, of whom 3 are Africans. They include political leaders, corporate executives, heads of non-governmental organizations, top government functionaries and a first lady. These are the 11 black women who matter the most: Ertharin Cousin Executive Director, World Food Programme, United Nations, U.S.A WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-05T18:57:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c37b7e43a136b69f 2013-06-05T18:50:43+00:00 "What was targeted in Timbuktu was not just the heritage of one region or people, it was World Heritage," said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova during the award ceremony on Wednesday, when French President François Hollande was awarded the 2013 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize...President Hollande was presented with a peace diploma, a gold medal, and $150,000. He will donate the money to two charities – one to support women in Africa and one to assist war veterans. In his acceptance speech, he underscored the urgency of the French intervention in Mali. "In the face of hatred, we had to intervene… Any delay would have been disastrous… It was for the women and children of Africa that France intervened," he stated. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-05T18:57:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3d82d6b2a5d55e0a 2013-06-05T05:00:00+00:00 Sport is a valuable vehicle to reach peace and development objectives, including health, education and gender equality, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday at an international forum in New York. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-05T18:57:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/163f6adda88437d3 2013-06-05T00:00:00+00:00 Women in Myanmar's northern Kachin State are increasingly susceptible to human trafficking, said a new report released on 5 June by the Kachin Women's Association Thailand (KWAT). "Thousands of young women are at risk," KWAT spokesperson Julia Marip told IRIN. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-05T18:57:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/463487cb2ba3b927 2013-06-05T00:00:00+00:00 More displaced women and girls - some as young as 13 - are turning to sex work to get by in Mali where 14 months of occupation and conflict have forced 475,000 people from their homes in the north, according to NGOs. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-05T18:57:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/0273cbf2f16b6512 2013-06-04T21:50:55+00:00 War crimes and gross human rights violations continue to be perpetrated in Syria as the conflict rages on. That's what the United Nations Commission of inquiry on Syria says in its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/52362c71eb5bf75b 2013-06-04T21:50:55+00:00 4 June 2013, Rome - Denouncing the huge social and economic costs of malnutrition, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today called for resolute efforts to eradicate malnutrition as well as hunger from around the world. In a recorded statement marking the launch of FAO's flagship annual publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA), Graziano da Silva said that although the world has registered some progress on hunger, one form of malnutrition, there was still "a long way ahead"...Giving women greater control over resources and incomes benefits their and their children's health, the report says. Policies, interventions and investment in labour-saving farming technologies and rural infrastructure, as well as social protection and services can also make important contributions to the health and nutrition of women, infants and young children. FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ccc30f4206a18625 2013-06-04T21:50:55+00:00 On 6 June 2013, ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, and UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, will launch the ILO's VCT@WORK initiative to provide voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing for 5 million working women and men by 2015. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/85380a8a832983d3 2013-06-04T21:50:54+00:00 Experts and technologists will come together to address the challenges of violence against women by finding innovative technological solutions to issues surrounding prevention, response and awareness at the Violence Against Women Hackathon organized in Kathmandu on 16th June, 2013. The event will be jointly organized by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, Young Innovations and the Computer Association of Nepal. World Bank tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8b412a806529e979 2013-06-04T21:48:15+00:00 The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes the announcement by the Government of Japan to expand its partnership with WFP to jointly scale up nutrition efforts in Africa particularly targeting at–risk mothers and children. As part of this expanded partnership, a joint pilot project on nutrition will be launched by March 2014. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/1700f95cb985f04e 2013-06-04T21:48:14+00:00 The Google+ Hangout "Innovate Your Future: Empower Young Women through Technology" will take place Thursday 6 June, 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT. Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Hangout will highlight the potential of Information and Communication Technologies in advancing gender equality and in contributing to bridging the digital divide between women and men. Featured guests include Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actress and ITU Special Envoy for Women and Girls in the field of information and communication technologies. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d57d62d862fddaa7 2013-06-04T05:00:00+00:00 A group of United Nations independent experts on Tuesday called on the Government of El Salvador to reconsider its abortion legislation, following a ruling by the Supreme Court which denied the procedure to a seriously ill woman. "It is high time to reconsider the serious consequences on women's rights of the abortion legislation and practice in El Salvador, and to afford the legal protection that all women in the country deserve," said the experts in a news release. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-04T21:52:11+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8c8eab3fbf5239fa 2013-06-03T20:06:10+00:00 Africa has achieved great progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but millions of Africans still lack jobs, health care and food. And, too many suffer in conflicts. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday in opening remarks to the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V). UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-03T20:08:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4da6379e01dcc840 2013-06-03T20:04:55+00:00 The three heads of the Rome-based United Nations agencies on Saturday called for food security and nutrition to be placed at the centre of the international agenda for African development. Special attention should be given to supporting smallholder farmers to improve global food security and empowering rural women, addressing gender inequalities and enabling them to transform their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze, and the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, were speaking at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in Yokohama. FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-03T20:08:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f4d7a0cf4078e4b5 2013-06-03T05:00:00+00:00 The United Nations and the Government of Japan on Monday agreed to enhance regional cooperation to fight the trade of illicit narcotics and human trafficking, as well as terrorism and cybercrime in Africa and Southeast Asia. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-06-03T20:08:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6d17bf76bb2546d1 2013-05-31T21:05:49+00:00 Joint UN statement from UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, ILO and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (OSRSG/VAC) at the launch of the inter-agency study: "Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women: A call to action based an overview of existing evidence from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America" Joint UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/19e203ea569513d4 2013-05-31T21:05:46+00:00 'I never thought I would get out of prison and be free again. I just never thought that would happen." Rachida Kouki Born in one of the poorest regions of Tunisia, North Africa, 28 year old Rachida Kouki spent 18 months in prison for a crime she says she didn't commit. UN in Action's Pat Duffy picks up the story. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/af7ef7b2f5e38531 2013-05-31T21:05:46+00:00 Myanmar must respond unambiguously to the revival of a local order limiting the number of children that Rohingya Muslims can have to two, or face fines and prison sentences under section 188 of the Myanmar Penal Code. The call comes from the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana...The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which Myanmar has ratified together with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, obliges state parties to respect and protect the right of women and men 'to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights.' Also, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on the Government not to restrict the number of children of Rohingya people. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5a2613c47efb949b 2013-05-31T21:05:45+00:00 At home, 11-year-old Lalita, helps her mother fetch water, cut vegetables and clean the house. On holidays, she collects firewood – a six-hour journey on foot from her house. Unlike most kids, Lalita prefers to go to school and wishes there were no holidays. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d2d6bc886cc6b38a 2013-05-31T20:57:23+00:00 Zeinabou, a mother of eight, fled with her family from conflict in her native Mali in January. There were rumours that a plane would come and bomb her town. She did not wait to see whether they were true; the family rented a car and fled to south eastern Mauritania. But life in the Mbera refugee camp is hard, she is pregnant and would like to return home, so her child can be born there. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/eb2a8be68438796e 2013-05-31T20:37:24+00:00 The importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women in driving development in Africa will be the focus of a high-level panel moderated by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) on Sunday. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-31T21:06:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5b4e1aa8d6a1a743 2013-05-30T19:45:19+00:00 Participants at the 5th world conference of sports ministers in Berlin (MINEPS V) on Thursday adopted an extensive list of recommendations to curb corruption in sport, share the socio-economic benefits of sport more equitably and ensure access to sport for all. The Berlin Declaration emphasizes that sport is a fundamental right for all, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, age, impairment, cultural and social background, economic resources or sexual orientation. It also underscores the threat to the integrity of sport from transnational organized crime, doping, the manipulation of sports competitions and corruption, which, like sport itself, has become a global phenomenon. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/cf4eac11f2ddf1ca 2013-05-30T19:45:19+00:00 The UN Security Council has reiterated its strong condemnation of the attacks and atrocities carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and its violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of human rights. In a presidential statement Wednesday, the Council condemned further the LRA's recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, killing and maiming, rape, sexual slavery and other sexual violence, and abductions. It also demanded an immediate end to all attacks by the Lords Resistance Army and urges the LRA to release all those abducted, disarm and demobilise. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/02df1f3dd5bb22c1 2013-05-30T19:45:19+00:00 The High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda on Thursday released "A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development," a report which sets out a universal agenda to eradicate extreme poverty from the face of the earth by 2030, and deliver on the promise of sustainable development. The report calls upon the world to rally around a new Global Partnership that offers hope and a role to every person in the world. The Panel was established by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and co-chaired by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron. An advance copy of the report is available in English. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/650c2cdd21bf3119 2013-05-30T19:45:19+00:00 The world has an historic opportunity to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve sustainability and equality for all through the new post-2015 development agenda, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday, launching a report that outlines a new framework to build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/496c6f7850895f38 2013-05-30T19:45:19+00:00 UNODC Executive Director paid a visit to the Republic of Belarus this week, where he met with President Alexander Lukashenko and other officials to discuss several issues, in particular human trafficking. Belarus has played a leading role in the fight against human trafficking within the United Nations. The country initiated an important UN resolution on "Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons,", which led to the review of the UN Global Plan of Action at the General Assembly two weeks ago. UNODC tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/869d434fabb764bc 2013-05-30T05:00:00+00:00 A United Nations independent expert on Thursday called on Bangladesh to ensure the effective implementation of laws and measures that protect women from violence, stressing that in addition to the enforcement of policies, changes in attitudes need to occur regarding women's role in society. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-30T19:55:40+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/0d464bda33c4041d 2013-05-29T18:34:56+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the opening of the "Absence" exhibit in New York on 28 May. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4eb597b8f5321a9b 2013-05-29T18:34:55+00:00 The situation in Syria reflects a colossal failure to protect civilians, children, women and men who suffer the brutality of unbridled violence and gross human rights violations by all parties to the conflict. That's what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay said on Wednesday as the UN Human Rights Council began an urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Syria. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c3335c39ca00ab14 2013-05-29T18:34:55+00:00 Educators in low-income areas everywhere struggle with one of the most basic hurdles to teaching children - students showing up to school hungry. The U.N. World Food Program said in its 2013 State of School Feeding Worldwide report that supplying meals and snacks to students is a proven benefit, but that the programs are still not reaching children who need them most. (..) "School meals are a crucially important part and play a huge role in schools around the world. It means, in practicalities, kids can concentrate. (..) Girls will have fewer children if they have school meals and an education; they marry at a later stage," stated Bettina Luescher, World Food Program spokesperson. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/66c61ac4f4abebe2 2013-05-29T18:32:40+00:00 The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) have prepared a study on: "Policies to Empower Women in the Arab Region: Combating Violence against Women and Girls" with support from the Norwegian Embassy in Lebanon. The study aims to contribute to the evidence base for continued work on gender based violence by examining the specific scope of certain types and areas of violence within the domestic sphere, as well as the legal system that responds to these categories of violence. Together with insights gained from global research and evaluations, the study is expected to generate policy recommendations to Member States to scale up their commitment in order to end violence against women towards the achievement of gender equality in the Arab region. UN ESCWA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/65988960ddf8b761 2013-05-29T18:32:39+00:00 UN Women, in collaboration with the UN System Staff College, launches a call for experts to sign up to its new UN Women Expert and Trainer Roster initiative, an online database which will gather a global pool of gender experts available to work for UN Women. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/83f0114eb399c099 2013-05-29T05:00:00+00:00 The United Nations on Wednesday called on Libya to ensure women in the country actively participate in the drafting of the new constitution, stressing their contributions are necessary to rebuild the nation. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/1c8b5fc9b9c52743 2013-05-29T05:00:00+00:00 A group of United Nations experts today warned that measures preventing women and other citizens from running for presidential office in Iran constitute a serious violation of rights guaranteed by international law. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/277eaae79ecc5a00 2013-05-29T00:00:00+00:00 Nguyen Phuong Anh was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or 'glass-bone disease', a genetic disorder causing fragile bones. "My bones have broken 30 times or more," she says. "We stopped counting because we thought that it didn't matter anymore. (author unknown) tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e90dafc052855cfb 2013-05-29T00:00:00+00:00 Many women in Syria, displaced by more than two years of conflict and living in common shelters, do not want to get pregnant. Yet, the UN Population Fund estimates that a quarter of a million women in Syria and in refugee settings will become pregnant by the end of the year, due in part to a lack of access to birth control, as the Syrian health system breaks down. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-29T18:38:33+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/19ded7deb12ea5f6 2013-05-28T21:26:49+00:00 29 May is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The day has two purposes: to honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace; to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage. This year Peacekeepers Day focuses on how UN Peacekeeping is 'Adapting to new challenges'. UN DPKO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/9f2c56928903f2fa 2013-05-28T21:26:48+00:00 We should be concerned about gender, girls and physical education because access and regular participation is a fundamental human right. It is a fundamental human right because regular participation in physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle (Beutler, 2008; Biddle, Gorely and Stensel, 2004; UNESCO, 1978). Programmes that prepare children for lifelong physical activity must be formally organised, well designed and professionally led. Quality, school physical education programmes provide young people with opportunities to develop the values, knowledge and skills they need to lead physically active lives, build self-esteem, and to promote and facilitate physical activity in the lives of others. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/14bd1c4279ffe3e0 2013-05-28T21:26:48+00:00 This first widespread governmental study on sexual harassment in Egypt has revealed that an astounding 99.3 per cent of women and girls surveyed report having been subjected to one form or another of harassment. This study focuses on attitudes, perceptions and reactions to harassment as well as suggesting methods to eliminate sexual harassment in Egypt, which is identified as a growing problem since the revolution of January 2011. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6fd4abf8ac0084f8 2013-05-28T21:26:48+00:00 A new study launched Tuesday during the XII Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, reveals that indigenous girls have a greater risk of experiencing violence due to the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination they face. UN agencies tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/11fcf30c71c0115f 2013-05-28T21:26:48+00:00 The activities of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice (Italy), are oriented towards boosting science and culture in the South East European region. Since gender equality is a transversal and overarching global priority of UNESCO, it is also mainstreamed into all of its regional initiatives. This ensures that UNESCO's programmes and activities contribute fully and actively to the pursuit of women's empowerment within society. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7defcc6708402fa3 2013-05-28T21:25:01+00:00 UN Radio speaks with Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmund Mulet about the significance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/858eb31090df50cd 2013-05-28T21:25:01+00:00 We all know how critical water is for our survival and for the survival of our planet. For poor rural people water is a an extremely precious resource that has also been the cause of civil unrest and conflict. As you dig into just a few UN water statistics: 780 million people do not have access to water (equivalent to 2 ½ times the population of the USA); women spend a total of 200 million hours a day to collect water (enough to build 28 Empire State Buildings every day); by 2050 there will be 9 billion people to feed which means we will need 60% more food and 19% more agricultural water will be used up. It comes to no surprise that there is great concern about the world's food and water security. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6e50cb5c51e86959 2013-05-28T21:25:00+00:00 The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, will on Wednesday hold an urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Syria, despite strong objections from the government of Syria, Cuba and Venezuela. The request for the meeting was made jointly by Turkey, Qatar and the United States of America on Friday last week. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/25037030b55e15c1 2013-05-28T21:25:00+00:00 As the world's top performer on gender equality, Iceland needs to sustain its achievements and bridge remaining gaps on employment and gender based violence, a group of independent United Nations experts urged as the country's newly formed Government took office. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-28T21:30:56+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e3192dc3846d6c9f 2013-05-24T18:14:31+00:00 A microfinancing scheme helps lift families out of poverty in the West Bank and Gaza and steer them toward financial security. UNDP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8956818acb3bc509 2013-05-24T18:14:31+00:00 The "Semilla" programme in Bolivia is helping rural and indigenous women open small businesses and receive skills and management training. UNDP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7d10b1a8499df69f 2013-05-24T18:14:30+00:00 From 28 May to 4 June, Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women and UN Assistant Secretary-General, will undertake a week-long official trip covering Malaysia, Japan and the Republic of Korea. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a4e3613a319eb033 2013-05-24T18:14:30+00:00 Women from around the world are scaling their way to the top but barriers remain. Last week a 27-year-old graphic artist named Raha Moharrak made headlines as the first Saudi woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ad1a16fb68bb4920 2013-05-24T18:14:30+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5e00c699b1fdb60d 2013-05-24T18:14:30+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-24T18:15:06+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/912f436aee215960 2013-05-23T21:02:53+00:00 "Inspiration" was the focus of the first two sessions of the 2013 Retreat on the Joint Programme Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women being held at IFAD. About 40 participants from IFAD, FAO, WFP and UN Women gathered to hear about achievements, challenges and opportunities in the seven pilot countries: Ethiopia, Liberia, Niger, Rwanda, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c18db479e8dfa274 2013-05-23T18:51:41+00:00 UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will launch two new initiatives to increase access to family planning and improve maternal health in some of the most-hard-to-reach areas around the world, including post-conflict and post-disaster countries. These initiatives which build on UNFPA's years of support to family planning will be announced at the 2013 Women Deliver Conference, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 28 to 30 May. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/450c006624145383 2013-05-23T18:51:41+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b55242f70e2b92bb 2013-05-23T18:51:41+00:00 The UN Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank laid wreaths at a memorial site for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda as they continued their joint mission to Africa on Thursday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Dr. Jim Yong Kim arrived in Rwanda after a visit to Goma in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a0d77b4b7db89e39 2013-05-23T18:51:40+00:00 A dozen editors-in-chief from the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, gathered on 20 May in Antsirabe to participate in the second series of exchanges on professional capacities and ethics of the media within the framework of the electoral process in Madagascar...During the three days of the workshop, participants are analysing the electoral process in Madagascar, and learning how to process information using a gender perspective and the indicators for media monitoring developed by the Projet d'Appui à la Crédibilité et à la Transparence des Elections (PACTE). UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c5ecd1dd794d7d3d 2013-05-23T05:00:00+00:00 The prevalence of obstetric fistula – a preventable and treatable condition linked to women's reproduction – among women and girls in developing countries is a denial of their human rights, senior United Nations officials said Thursday urging global action to make childbirth safer. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-23T21:03:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c2e0c317b49050c1 2013-05-22T23:20:23+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T23:20:50+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3542618fae799244 2013-05-22T23:20:23+00:00 Launched in 2010, the Gender and Land Rights Database (GLRD) was developed with civil society organizations, national statistics authorities, academics and other sources to highlight the major political, legal and cultural factors that influence the realization of women's land rights throughout the world. The GLRD is a practical tool for policy makers and advocates of women's land rights, providing relevant arguments and information to support processes aiming at more gender-equitable land tenure. Expert and civil society contributions are essential to the proper functioning of the database as they help generate quality information to users. To this end, you are invited to take part in the on-line discussion that will be held through the Land Portal on 3-14 June 2013. FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T23:20:50+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/416bf6407d52c395 2013-05-22T23:20:23+00:00 This booklet identifies the main challenges faced by smallholder farmers, especially women, in small livestock management (particularly poultry and small ruminants) and in dairy farming. It also provides a set of tips and gender analysis tools and a gender checklist that, through all the stages of the project cycle, guides livestock experts and professionals in designing , implementing and monitoring livestock projects and programmes in a gender sensitive way, taking into consideration the challenges faced by both women and men in livestock farming. FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T23:20:50+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e0a8d9ba35dba90f 2013-05-22T22:42:36+00:00 The 194 Member States of the World Health Organization have begun their annual review of the activities of WHO, discussing topics such as noncommunicable diseases, universal health coverage, women and children's health. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e333e309e63ccd42 2013-05-22T22:42:36+00:00 In advance of the 21st Summit of African Union, to be held in Addis Ababa on 19-27 May 2013, the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, presents her congratulations to all African women and men on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the African Union. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/054432c86af7dd79 2013-05-22T22:42:35+00:00 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for the protection of the civilian population in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...The Secretary-General said that women and girls in particular, must be free from sexual violence. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/712fc2ed050fd4b3 2013-05-22T22:42:35+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c66a4539abcece73 2013-05-22T22:42:35+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f682dc2ce62eee7e 2013-05-22T17:08:41+00:00 WFP's school meals programme has benefitted millions of school children across Ethiopia over the last 19 years and currently serves some 650,000 students in 1,800 schools in different parts of the country. Fatuma is one of those children. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/425345ee4631c724 2013-05-22T05:00:00+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-22T22:43:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/011dd26bead91772 2013-05-21T22:25:15+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/58e4c306937cba77 2013-05-21T22:25:15+00:00 In a joint press statement, UNAMA and UN Women representatives in Afghanistan call on the Afghan Government and Parliament to enforce a landmark law enacted by presidential decree in 2009. It has yet to gain parliamentary approval and challenges persist in its enforcement. UNAMA, UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7afc4bdd56765205 2013-05-21T22:25:15+00:00 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 tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/32867cc3d400bab9 2013-05-21T22:25:14+00:00 The 12th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened Tuesday, drawing more than 1,000 participants – including indigenous peoples' leaders who are partnering with IFAD on rural development projects around the world. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a21110041ede14b5 2013-05-21T22:25:14+00:00 At the UNESCO-Humid Tropics Center in Kuala Lumpur, integrated water management begins at home: green roof, porous pavement, rainwater harvesting and a constructed wetland are among the features of this institution that Director-General, Irina Bokova, visited in Kuala Lumpur on 21 May, the first day of her official visit to Malaysia. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6369ad1f8542b7f2 2013-05-21T22:25:13+00:00 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. View policy in French: http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i3205f/i3205f.pdf FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6beb5321ebcad9a3 2013-05-21T05:00:00+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday commended the Government and people of Mozambique for steady progress in political development, but urged greater efforts to overcome human rights challenges, including discrimination and violence against women, through education and awareness-raising. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-21T22:29:21+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5228c801e96ad8b7 2013-05-20T16:59:01+00:00 On 18 March, throngs of girls lined up singing and clapping to welcome UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, and Afghanistan's Education Minister Farooq Wardak to the Ayesha-e-Durrani school in Kabul. The school, named after the first woman who opened a girls' school in Afghanistan, was severely damaged during the war. Reconstruction started in 2002 and lasted two years. Today, the school welcomes 1600 girls from Grade 1 through the high school years. It was a moment to praise the achievements of this country that has made strides since 2001 when not a single girl was in school. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/fdc35d9abb67d8c5 2013-05-20T16:59:01+00:00 In Afghanistan, far more boys go to school than girls. WFP is trying to change that by providing food incentives for female students. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c3f440fd66ea57a4 2013-05-20T16:59:00+00:00 Journalists belonging to the Afghan Women Journalists' Association urged UNESCO to play a leading role in supporting Afghanistan's transformation after 2014, the date when most peacekeeping forces are expected to withdraw and national elections are to be organized. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f8f0ab5cca9454ec 2013-05-20T16:56:57+00:00 The story of an Afghan woman dying in childbirth and the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the preventable. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7a9abfe766ba7397 2013-05-20T16:56:57+00:00 Ali Mohamed Ghaleb's five daughters give him a special interest in supporting the innovative Food For Girls' Education Programme that WFP has been operating in Yemen since 2007. The 44-year-old retired military officer says it helps him keep them in school. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ce95758a1152ae8e 2013-05-20T16:36:57+00:00 Despite the progress Afghanistan has made in providing education for children, the country is not likely to meet the Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015. This observation was made by Irina Bokova, the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) who wrapped up a visit to the country on Monday. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b462570d1b428d95 2013-05-20T16:36:57+00:00 On the occasion of her official visit to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met President Hamid Karzai on 18 May 2013 at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. President Hamid Karzai thanked the Director-General for UNESCO's contribution to Afghanistan, notably in the fields of education and culture. "I congratulate you for your leadership to stand up for girls' education. Through your initiative for Malala, I hope you will continue to speak up for the education of girls of Afghanistan and Pakistan", which he defined as most challenging. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-20T17:26:17+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/66c072a82573e054 2013-05-17T21:44:41+00:00 At Gakere health centre in the northern province of Ngozi, the World Food Programme is providing vital food supplements to malnourished pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d6b509a5943c7845 2013-05-17T21:44:40+00:00 Given its transnational nature, combating the scourge of human trafficking required utmost international cooperation and coordination, several speakers said in the General Assembly during its high-level meeting on the appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Delegates said that strengthening national legal and institutional frameworks called for the universal ratification and implementation of international instruments, including the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. It was also critical to strengthen coordination among origin and destination countries. Barbados Deputy Permanent Representative Joyce Bourne said trafficking in persons is a heinous crime which requires a forceful response at national, regional and international levels. She called human trafficking a vicious cycle that affected women disproportionately. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b3b9bb73cef289e8 2013-05-17T21:44:40+00:00 The Gender Unit, Department of Labour, Punjab, established under the ILO, CIDA funded project, Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE), has, from amongst 2000 applicants, won a United Nations Public Service Award in recognition of its work on gender mainstreaming. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/06d5651e6de2dc41 2013-05-17T21:44:39+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message, delivered by Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the International Forum on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, in The Hague on 16 May. United Nations tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f8b091816ac5c9a0 2013-05-17T21:44:39+00:00 The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is stepping up efforts to eradicate workplace discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. In a statement on International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said the world of work has been a crucial arena for spearheading legal change, ending stereotypes and promoting understanding of the need for dignity of all human beings. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a3af6f763cffe651 2013-05-17T21:44:38+00:00 The Government of Jamaica accords the highest level of political commitment to the fight against human trafficking and unequivocally denounces the scourge of trafficking in Persons. Ms. Crystall Powell-Britton told the High-level meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons that Jamaica reaffirms its determination to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, protect and assist victims, prosecute crimes of trafficking in persons, and strengthen local, regional and international partnerships against the scourge. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/47c2f9d1789b1471 2013-05-17T21:44:38+00:00 Trafficking in human beings is an illegal activity that generates over $30 billion a year and affects more than 20 million people, according to United Nations figures. The General Assembly on Monday held a high-level meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The meeting brought together senior United Nations and government officials as well as some of the survivors of trafficking who are now in the forefront of the global campaign to end it. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/437b100e06218429 2013-05-17T21:44:38+00:00 Kabul, Afghanistan — It was four years ago that Captain Zohra Daulatzia joined the Afghan National Police. But the mother of two girls still gets excited about that momentous day in her life when she achieved one of her life's greatest ambitions. "I was excited to wear the uniform and felt like I was in the sky and not on earth. I was full of joy," she says. UNDP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-17T21:59:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/dce2e4fbfbb0af6b 2013-05-16T16:38:27+00:00 "My grades fell dramatically. I started skipping school. I often stayed in bed and cried." This testimony is typical of the experience of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students around the world. These young people are often denied their right to education because of discrimination and violence based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-16T19:10:00+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/62d620d20a1709c4 2013-05-16T16:28:27+00:00 The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is held on 17 May every year. The following is a compilation of news, statements and videos on the Day from the UN system. UN Women Watch tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-16T19:10:00+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/dc4630e3705ae165 2013-05-16T16:28:27+00:00 At a conference for international donors in Brussels on 15 May, Malian women will present their recommendations, calling for more effective contributions to economic development and for women to play a greater role in conflict resolution and rebuilding of their country. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-16T19:10:00+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/052b838545ad01bf 2013-05-16T15:48:27+00:00 UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova will visit Afghanistan from 17 to 20 May, where she will pledge UNESCO's support to the country's peace building and development process, during planned meetings with President Hamid Karzai, senior government ministers, parliamentarians, journalists, educators and students. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-16T19:10:00+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/0d61763dd1639d35 2013-05-15T18:02:40+00:00 The second edition of the Learning Route "Pro-Rural Poor Public and Private Partnership in Lao PDR, Best practices and successful strategies in Attapeu Province seen through women's eyes" ended successfully on the 10th of May. During the 5 days event the 20 female participants experienced field visits, discussions and analysis sessions that resulted in the development of action plans to improve their communities' livelihoods through better access to market, stronger and improved group management, and strengthened relations with the private sector. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-15T18:15:22+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c54f26aa6f56492e 2013-05-15T17:33:29+00:00 As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on Tuesday scrutinized the Secretariat's various reports on cross-cutting aspects of United Nations peacekeeping operations and their support account, most delegates hailed progress made towards stamping out sexual abuse by peacekeepers and implementing the Global Field Support Strategy, but offered divergent views on the peacekeeping budget proposed for the July 2013 to June 2014 period. UN tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-15T18:15:22+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c484cc297fb4368b 2013-05-15T17:33:29+00:00 Considerable progress has been made in reducing child and maternal deaths, improving nutrition and reducing deaths and illness from HIV infection, tuberculosis and malaria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In its annual World Health statistics publication, WHO also says efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have reduced health gaps between rich and poor countries. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-15T18:15:22+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8c7514082f8ec0c8 2013-05-15T17:13:29+00:00 The ILO is organising a Knowledge Sharing Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 28-30 May 2013 to share good practices, practical initiatives and new policies to promote decent work for domestic workers in Africa. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-15T18:15:22+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8e74b77dd4a66866 2013-05-15T17:13:29+00:00 76 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people everywhere continue to suffer violent attacks and discriminatory treatment. In this simple, high-impact video from the UN human rights office, individuals from diverse backgrounds pose questions directly to the viewer designed to expose the nature of human rights violations suffered by LGBT people around the world. The video includes cameo appearances by UN Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The UN's message: LGBT rights are human rights. Together we will build a world that is free and equal. OHCHR tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-15T18:15:22+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/feb0402ad08ce51b 2013-05-14T22:32:58+00:00 Nearly 40 per cent of Guatemala's 14 million people belong to one of more than 20 indigenous Mayan groups. A disproportionate number live in poor and isolated rural areas with limited access to basic services such as water, sanitation, education and health.  Opportunities for the young people from these areas are limited. But adolescent girls, in particular, find their future paths are often constrained by discrimination and the traditional practice of child marriage. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7840f8c927ef4819 2013-05-14T22:32:58+00:00 In this Opinion piece, published by CNN, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin talks about the important role men can and must play in lifting the obstacles that prevent women from access voluntary family planning, one of the most cost-effective ways of improving health. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7427637cf7b2ce06 2013-05-14T22:32:58+00:00 Speech by ITU Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, at a High Level Dialogue on Women's Empowerment in the Information Society: Systemic, Scalable Strategies (14 May, ITU WSIS Forum 2013) ITU tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e056bdedb4a1f178 2013-05-14T22:32:57+00:00 Speech by Lakshmi Puri, UN Women Acting Executive Director, during an interactive panel discussion on "Sharing Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Prevention and Prosecution in the Implementation of the Global Plan of Action" at the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the United Nations Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons on 13 May 2013 at the General Assembly in New York. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/99f87376910c0384 2013-05-14T22:32:57+00:00 In cooperation with the Jordan National Commission for UNESCO and Arab Women Media Center, UNESCO has been working to incorporate media and information literacy (MIL) into the Jordanian school curriculum by providing high school teachers and students the training to gather, analyze and utilize information through new and traditional media, and to develop debating skills so that they are able to express themselves in a professional manner. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b411e2c2db1bc8c3 2013-05-14T22:32:57+00:00 Only 0.3 per cent of girls want to study technology or science, says Kristen Titus, the Executive Director of "Girls Who Code". Find out how this organization is helping to introduce more girls to the world of science and technology. UNICEF tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/1d39145f431ed874 2013-05-14T22:32:56+00:00 Saran Keïta Diakité is a lawyer in Mali and President of the Malian branch of the NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security (Réseau Paix et Sécurité des Femmes de l'Espace CEDEAO). As the Donor Conference on Mali starts in Brussels, in her own words she speaks about the atrocities occurring in her country, which has been plagued by political instability and the proliferation of armed groups that have uprooted more than 415,000 people since a military coup d'état in March 2012. She also talks about the work of her NGO, supported by UN Women, to assist survivors of violence, provide access to justice, and to ensure women have a say in peace negotiations. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-14T22:38:47+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/647491be0399621d 2013-05-13T21:31:07+00:00 SUVA, Fiji — If alarming rates of violence against women are to be effectively addressed, the status of women needs to be elevated.  UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin emphasized the fundamental, often unacknowledged, contributions of women – to families, communities and economies – during the launch of the Pacific Regional ICPD Review report. The persistence of alarming rates of gender-based violence is one of the critical issues in the region. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-13T21:37:41+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/13ec6a0326b7f8ee 2013-05-10T19:18:21+00:00 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. Now, armed with better skills and training, midwives are increasingly able to deal with life-threatening emergencies and are playing a critical role in making motherhood safer around the world. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f718cc90aea7bcb2 2013-05-10T19:18:21+00:00 Emergency ready-to-eat food rations and high-energy biscuits are being distributed by the UN World Food Programme, WFP, to thousands of newly displaced families in Syria. The families were forced to flee Syria's Mediterranean coast following heavy fighting in their villages. The food distribution will continue for the next few days to more than 10,000 people – mainly women and children. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/70d5a71599e4ea05 2013-05-10T19:18:20+00:00 ZA'ATARI, Jordan — In a tent hospital bed, a Syrian woman who was four months pregnant when she fled her country's civil war cradles one of the newest residents of this dust-swept refugee camp: Her newborn son, just delivered by Caesarean. Around a dozen babies are born every day in Za'atari camp, which is home to 120,000 Syrians and counting – and there's only one, overworked Moroccan doctor performing C-sections. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/0fa83808865ea7b9 2013-05-10T18:29:23+00:00 Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay says alleged massacres by Syrian Government forces and pro-government militias in recent days should spur international action to end the conflict and ensure those responsible for serious human rights violations are made to account for their crimes. Pillay welcomes the agreement by Russia and the United States to work towards convening an international conference to find a political solution in Syria. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/054897a951c80949 2013-05-10T18:29:23+00:00 Three Iraqi women journalists have won a United Nations contest which seeks to highlight the everyday challenges faced by women living in the Middle Eastern country. The stories submitted by Suha Audah, Enas Jabbar and Shatha al-Shabibi, were selected by an independent panel for their depiction of women's situation in Iraq. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f0161b255c003791 2013-05-10T18:29:23+00:00 Do improved roads increase the availability of medical services in remote areas? They do. In addition, they also improve the mobility of women, the availability of products and agricultural inputs in rural markets, the possibility for children to reach their schools and the connectivity of rural producers with suppliers and buyers, as the Market Infrastructure Development Project in Charland Regions (MIDPCR) shows. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/2d2fb970793fb6dc 2013-05-10T18:29:23+00:00 Government ministers, diplomats and senior United Nations officials gathered for a meeting on human security on Wednesday afternoon. In his opening remarks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the meeting took place at a time of great turmoil. He said the global economy is in crisis, the environment is under threat and too many people around the world are living in uncertainty. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/612f7451dcb492d2 2013-05-10T18:29:22+00:00 For Syrian mothers like Um Abdou, life as a refugee has been a battle to keep her family from going hungry. She didn't hesitate to sell all her jewelry for food, but it wasn't long before she had no more to sell. On Friday, food vouchers provided by WFP are putting food on the table for her and around 300,000 other refugees in Lebanon as they wait for the conflict to end. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b46d80f6e3856c5f 2013-05-10T18:29:22+00:00 Brazil is the latest country to join the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking, with singer Ivete Sangalo appointed as a national UNODC Goodwill Ambassador and face of the campaign. UNODC tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-10T19:19:18+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/1900f70a811a6f89 2013-05-09T17:33:14+00:00 More has to be done to ensure the health and well-being of women and children affected by the Syrian conflict, said Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). On a recent trip to Turkey, the Executive Director visited Nizip refugee camp, housing some 10,000 refugees. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-09T17:34:03+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f7e20ce379e9b9a5 2013-05-09T17:33:14+00:00 The intense summer heat does not seem to bother the 1,300 students in the afternoon shift at René Schick School, located in the capital district of the same name. Voices and laughter fill the classrooms where the children wait eagerly to receive their plate of rice, beans, tortillas and a bowl of fortified cereal. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-09T17:34:03+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/9a79aaee5401c058 2013-05-09T17:33:13+00:00 "AIDS is a strategic entry point for advancing Burundi's social agenda at several levels: protecting women, children and human rights," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at an event marking Burundi's National AIDS Day. Sidibe, on an official visit to the country, met with the Second Vice-President, Gervais Rufyikiri, who has championed the country's drive to stop new HIV infections in children. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-09T17:34:03+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/540536beb18bc31a 2013-05-09T05:00:00+00:00 Three Iraqi women journalists have been selected as the winners of a United Nations contest which seeks to highlight the everyday challenges faced by women living in the Middle Eastern country. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-09T17:34:03+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/f2e33895b0a3e60e 2013-05-08T21:32:16+00:00 BANGUI, Central African Republic — Fierce fighting between rebel troops and Central African armed forces beginning in March has left widespread insecurity in the country. Cases of collective sexual violence and massive looting of public offices, housing and health facilities were reported, resulting in a massive internal displacement of populations and a drastic shortage of essential medicines, medical equipment and supplies in health centres meant to welcome and provide care to many victims of this crisis. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a9e6b29fbe3388f3 2013-05-08T21:32:15+00:00 A new UN report has found that serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law were committed in November 2012 during fighting between government forces and rebels of the M23 Movement over the town of Goma in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and during the subsequent retreat of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) to South Kivu province. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/140463003c1b6fff 2013-05-08T21:32:15+00:00 Tanzanian women High Court judges are training the judiciary to apply international women's rights standards in their judgments and to protect survivors and witnesses of violence against women and girls. They are also engaging in awareness-raising efforts to improve the understanding of women's rights and options for legal recourse. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3bce7e1f5ea0dd77 2013-05-08T21:32:15+00:00 Together with the First Lady of El Salvador and Secretary for Social Inclusion, Ms Vanda Pignato, the UNESCO Director-General visited one of the Headquarters of the Programme "Ciudad Mujer" in the Department of Santa Ana. The programme is designed to protect and promote women's rights and to provide integrated specialized services for women, including capacity building. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/158066f1aa510e60 2013-05-08T21:32:14+00:00 European Union Flag Islamabad/Brussels, 8 May 2013 – The European Union has provided € 300,000 from its Nobel Peace Prize money to UNICEF to support its educational activities for children affected by a lack of security in parts of northwestern Pakistan...These funds, made available through the European Commission's Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), will enable UNICEF to provide access to education for 3,000 children, including 1,500 girls in 30 schools currently operating in the Jalozai Camp, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. UNICEF tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5183a46b200a0467 2013-05-08T21:32:14+00:00 A Joint Communiqué on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Somalia was signed in London late Tuesday by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and the President of Somalia Hassan Sheik Mohamud. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/8db459f8b88835f1 2013-05-08T05:00:00+00:00 Congolese armed forces, known by the French acronym FARDC, raped more than 102 women and 33 girls, some as young as six years old, as they fled the advance M23 rebels in country's restive eastern region in November 2012, according to a joint UN report released Wednesday. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/74c9e07825c8cef6 2013-05-08T00:00:00+00:00 Turkey's camps for Syrian refugees are, by many measures, a model of humanitarian assistance. But one important detail appears to have been overlooked: According to aid workers, nowhere in Turkey's 17 refugee camps can survivors of sexual violence find the level of specialized psychosocial support experts say they so desperately need. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-08T21:39:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/2328848eeccdb437 2013-05-07T20:59:40+00:00 Hosted by the IFAD – Rural Livelihood Improvement Programme (RLIP), the second edition of the 5-days Learning Route on Pro-Rural Poor Public and Private Partnership started on the 6th of May in Lao PDR. IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/a4bd6760ab9ee360 2013-05-07T20:59:40+00:00 UNAIDS has commended the government of Rwanda for its leadership in the national AIDS response. The country has made significant progress in its HIV response and is on track to meet national and global HIV related goals. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e95e6c73ac39d0b8 2013-05-07T20:59:39+00:00 Somalia is building peace. Yet, it is still in the midst of conflict, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Second London Conference on Somalia on Tuesday. He pointed to the government's priorities which, he said, provided the basis for the London Conference...the Deputy Secretary-General said women and children have borne the brunt of the war, not least sexual violence. He said the United Nations will support the Somali Government in developing protection and access to justice for victims. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/2382bd55776ad7c4 2013-05-07T14:29:39+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks at a special event on "Meeting the Challenges of the Health Millennium Development Goals and Beyond", in New York, 6 May. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ab65159378ffdc26 2013-05-07T14:29:39+00:00 Midwives are truly the unsung heroines of the challenge to reduce the risks women face in giving birth, says the UN Population Fund, UNFPA. On the occasion of the International Day of the Midwife, observed on 5 May, UNFPA and the International Confederation of Midwives issued a joint statement urging all nations to work together to address the inequalities and inaccessibility of midwifery services. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e4060b02d1c69625 2013-05-07T14:29:39+00:00 The second phase of a highly successful jobs and small business programme in the occupied Palestinian territory was launched Monday by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). It will be implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Authority and funded through the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)...Since the first phase of the programme began five years ago, it has assisted almost 10,000 Palestinian families – 47 percent of them women-headed households – and contributed over $20 million per year to the Palestinian gross domestic product (GDP). UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/941965a4af687802 2013-05-07T14:29:38+00:00 As the second largest sending country, some 700,000 documented Indonesian migrant workers leave the country for work abroad, primarily in East and South East Asia as well as the Middle East. Of these, 78 per cent work as domestic workers. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b732823f8f86af5f 2013-05-07T05:00:00+00:00 Women must play a greater role in South Sudan's political life, from drawing up the country's constitution to translating it into law, a United Nations official has urged, as the African nation prepares to draft its first legal framework. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/138514a53ed44d2d 2013-05-07T05:00:00+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday highlighted the role that the private sector can play in contributing to improve maternal health services across the world through the United Nations Every Woman Every Child initiative. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-07T22:05:49+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7ba5f1ab30cc439f 2013-05-06T21:02:20+00:00 GAO/BAMAKO, 6 May 2013 (IRIN) - During the rebel takeover of northern Mali in April 2012, many women said they were subjected to rape or sexual assault. Since then, little or no support has come through for these women, say aid workers. Aminata Touré* was on her way to her uncle's house in the city of Gao in June 2012 when she was stopped by two men on a motorbike. "I had no choice. They were armed and threatened to kill me," she said. While one of the men held her baby, the other took her to a nearby bush. "They took me and they did everything they could do, they raped me. Afterwards, they left me in the bush," she told IRIN. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-06T21:12:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7ba5f1ab30cc439f 2013-05-06T21:03:20+00:00 DUBAI, 6 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. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-06T21:12:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/7ba5f1ab30cc439f 2013-05-06T21:04:20+00:00 Jennifer Lopez, Lynda Lopez, Arianna Huffington, Cindi Leive, Dr. Harvey Karp, Christy Turlington Burns, Reshma Saujani and more Moms are one of the most powerful forces in our world. They create the future of our society by forming the health, perspective and opportunities for our families, communities and world. And digital media has given mothers everywhere new opportunities to share, learn, advocate and create change for the health, security and opportunities of their families—and for other mothers worldwide. What matters to them? We asked and Moms answered. Mom+Social will be an extraordinary one-day Summit that culminates The Global Mom Relay. Hundreds of the brightest and most passionate people working to improve child, maternal and reproductive health will gather on May 8, 2013 at 92YTribeca in New York City to share ideas, raise awareness and inspire action. UN Foundation tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-06T21:12:14+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3f8aa1dd23ed272a 2013-05-03T19:29:05+00:00 On this International Day of the Midwife, UNFPA and the International Confederation of Midwives, celebrate the work of midwives in contributing to the miracle of birth—and for the myriad other things they do every day to contribute to the wellbeing of mothers and children around the world. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c7d2ae8506f2b5d2 2013-05-03T19:25:38+00:00 The United Nations on Friday observed World Press Freedom Day, under the theme "Safe to Speak: Ensuring the Safety of Journalists and Media Workers." The day, marked on 3 May each year, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO to draw attention to the situation of journalists and media workers. According to UNESCO, 121 journalists were killed last year, nearly double the deaths reported in 2010 and 2011. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/654645909bed9aed 2013-05-03T16:39:37+00:00 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday. It was first officially proclaimed during the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. Ever since then, UNESCO as the UN agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and its corollary, freedom of the press, has been promoting these fundamental rights in every region of the world. The UNESCO Constitution states a commitment to foster the "free exchange of ideas and knowledge" and the "free flow of ideas by word and image". UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3bab09657b954cff 2013-05-03T16:39:37+00:00 Women throughout the ECE region are postponing childbearing, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the UNECE. Beng Poblete-Enriquez has the story. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c8e3922668155a31 2013-05-03T16:39:37+00:00 Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp houses more than 100,000 Syrians who have fled the civil war; 3,000 of those registered are pregnant women. Against the odds, women are adapting to the cycle of life. 13-15 babies are born in the camp every day and the majority of births are attended by healthcare professionals. For now, this is where the women call home. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/996d000ff3d218ff 2013-05-03T16:39:36+00:00 A young couple and their new baby are the first beneficiaries of a national health insurance scheme which now extends to migrant brick kiln workers at risk of bondage, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/133c35c9b1452f68 2013-05-03T05:00:00+00:00 Laws recently passed in India to prevent and prosecute rape and other sex crimes "do not go far enough," a United Nations independent expert said Friday, lamenting that the legislation failed to address systemic gender inequalities in Indian society. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-03T19:29:48+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5fae879443542f79 2013-05-02T20:59:47+00:00 In a vocational training center in the western Afghan city of Herat, WFP food assistance is helping more than 300 men and women learn marketable skills. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-02T21:02:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/fd7561bc9df20910 2013-05-02T20:59:46+00:00 There are currently more than 1.3 million registered refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt, according to UNFPA, the UN Population Fund. The majority are living in host communities, outside of camp settings, which is putting strains on local services. UNFPA is providing life-saving reproductive health services across the region, including within Syria. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-02T21:02:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/bd3225397832a99f 2013-05-02T20:59:46+00:00 UNITED NATIONS, New York — In an increasingly interconnected world, more individuals than ever before are leaving their homes to begin a new life somewhere else. Since 1990 the number of migrants has increased from 155 million to around 214 million, with women making up an increasing proportion of that total. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-02T21:02:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4ceb958625ab550e 2013-05-02T20:59:46+00:00 The Security Council has decided to establish the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). In a resolution adopted unanimously on Thursday, the Council decided that the mission will be set up on 3 June for the initial period of twelve months. Its mandate includes the provision of UN "good offices" functions as well as support to the Federal Government of Somalia and the African Union Mission (AMISOM)...UNSOM will also monitor and report to the Security Council on any abuses or violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including abuses committed against women and children in Somalia. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-02T21:02:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c0555aeaaab16335 2013-05-02T20:59:45+00:00 For as long as women have been having babies, other women (and occasionally men) have been at their sides, supporting them through one of the riskiest and most miraculous times of their lives. Around the world, beginning in Sweden in the late 19th century, access to trained and skilled midwives has proven to be one of the most important strategies for reducing maternal death. Midwives are truly the unsung heroines of the safe motherhood challenge. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-02T21:02:38+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/08ebaabcc16a7e21 2013-05-01T19:30:39+00:00 Meeting in a brief plenary session Wednesday, the General Assembly adopted, as amended, a consensus resolution on the modalities, format and organization of its upcoming high-level meeting on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, deciding that it would take place on 13 and 14 May. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-01T21:18:43+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/515141e4e8047a98 2013-05-01T19:30:39+00:00 Cameroon is making efforts to improve human rights, including by combating violence against women, according to its Foreign Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo. Speaking in Geneva as the UN Human Rights Council discussed the country's Universal Periodic Review, Mr. Mbonjo said Cameroon has implemented most of the recommendations it accepted during its 2009 Review, and highlighted steps taken to combat violence against women. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-05-01T21:18:43+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/529b9c892219c0da 2013-04-30T20:06:34+00:00 Health authorities in the Philippines were vigilant in keeping out infant formula donations when Typhoon Bopha hit last December, but activists are concerned the infant formula industry will succeed in pushing through legislative changes that will allow formula donations in future emergencies, making it harder to convince women in those crises to continue exclusive breastfeeding. IRIN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-30T20:21:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ae3221f5faea0e21 2013-04-30T20:06:34+00:00 A workplace without enough women is missing out on 50% of the finest minds on the planet. So to encourage more young women to pursue careers in the sciences later in life and become interested in the work of the Agency, the IAEA hosted Take Your Daughter to Work Day last week on 25 April 2013. IAEA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-30T20:21:10+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/88221a3f8155eeb7 2013-04-29T19:03:59+00:00 Shipping has historically been a male-dominated industry and that tradition runs long and deep. However, through its global programme on the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector, IMO is making a concerted effort to help the industry move on from that tradition and to help women achieve a representation within it that is more in keeping with twenty-first century expectations. This film shows how the work of IMO, and others, is beginning to promote change for the better for women in shipping, and highlights first-hand experiences from some of those who have already succeeded. IMO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-29T19:09:31+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/23777bc900032fbb 2013-04-29T19:03:59+00:00 Life isn't easy for women -- anywhere in the world. I grew up in Dois Riachos -- a poor, remote town in the north-east of Brazil. Our family didn't have much money -- My mother worked hard to raise me and my two brothers and sister by herself. We couldn't even afford a football -- if we had bought one -- we would have gone without food. UNDP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-29T19:09:31+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/896d66d661284ccb 2013-04-29T18:49:16+00:00 Alcohol abuse and domestic violence, early and forced marriages and bride kidnappings are among the factors making children in Kyrgyzstan more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and forced labour, warned a United Nations independent expert at the end of her recent visit to the country. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-29T19:09:31+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/d9b3c4dc4c59d586 2013-04-29T18:49:16+00:00 More than 500 Ethiopian migrants, including women and children, were recently freed from houses run by human traffickers in Yemen, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Many of those released showed signs of torture and abuse. UNHCR says although Yemeni authorities have been conducting similar raids over the past year, incidents of extortion, exploitation, violence and sexual abuse perpetrated against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are on the increase in the region. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-29T19:09:31+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/040e930a14f03803 2013-04-25T21:09:52+00:00 Much "unfinished business" remains on commitments made nearly 20 years ago at a global conference on population and development, an independent advocacy group charges. The High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development says despite progress worldwide on sexual and reproductive health, 800 women die every day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4ee938f1ab170225 2013-04-25T21:07:59+00:00 The new UN Women presence in Copenhagen provides a strategic opportunity to liaise with Nordic governments, parliamentarians, the private sector, civil society and UN Women National Committees in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/1bb4d147434c297b 2013-04-25T21:07:59+00:00 More girls must be encouraged to pursue careers in information and communications technologies (ICTs), a senior UN official told the European Parliament on Thursday. Dr. Hamadoun Touré, who heads the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), highlighted the need to boost the numbers of girls involved in science, technology, engineering and maths. For the past three years, the ITU has celebrated 25 April as "Girls in ICT Day," and Dr. Touré is convinced it will pay off in the decades ahead with more women entering the field. He said at a time when over 95% of all jobs now have a digital component, and where there is a large and growing skills shortage in the ICT sector, more needs to be done to get girls interested in these careers. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6ba6c043f94d2f68 2013-04-25T21:07:59+00:00 The UAE Red Crescent Authority has positively responded to UNRWA's appeal to support conflict-affected Palestinian refugees caught up in the conflict in Syria. With a generous donation of US$ 500,000, UNRWA will provide food to approximately 40,561 Palestinian refugees (over 10,000 families) and hygiene kits to an estimated 3,915 vulnerable adults and babies. The locations of the distribution will be in conflict-affected areas and in UNRWA facilities sheltering internally displaced Palestinian refugees. Since March 2011, UNRWA has distributed 35,273 food parcels, over 41,000 winter items such as blankets and mattresses, 2,829 hygiene kits and cash assistance to approximately 73,076 families. UNRWA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/32eff125756d2985 2013-04-25T21:07:59+00:00 As the ITU Special Envoy for Women and Girls in ICT, I am thrilled to be greeting all the girls around the world, as we celebrate International Girls in ICT Day on 25 April 2013. Technology is offering large-scale opportunities to empower women and girls, creating a systemic cultural shift by improving how they're portrayed and represented. These are the tools that will ultimately allow women and girls to reach their full potential. ITU tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/5921dfdfe34c0fbe 2013-04-25T21:00:51+00:00 DHAKA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday celebrated the successful conclusion of the European Union (EU)-funded Food Security for the Ultra Poor (FSUP) project in a ceremony at Westin Hotel, Dhaka. The project, which began in January 2009 and concluded December 2012, supported 30,000 ultra-poor women to become entrepreneurs, raise their incomes and improve their own and their families' food security. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-25T21:14:08+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c537d246f0f7fdd1 2013-04-24T21:10:56+00:00 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 facilities. UNICEF tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-24T21:35:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/498c089f7df3ad4d 2013-04-24T21:10:56+00:00 GENEVA — UNFPA accepted a donation of $5 million from the Government of Kuwait to respond to the urgent needs of displaced people in Syria and of refugees in neighboring countries. These indispensable funds will allow UNFPA to continue saving women's lives, help them deliver babies safely, and protect them from gender-based violence. UNFPA tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-24T21:35:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/6f9f6ea750cf11ca 2013-04-24T21:10:56+00:00 In a statement, UN Women India strongly deplores the continuing cases of sexual violence against women and girls, including the recent barbaric rape of a girl child in New Delhi. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-24T21:35:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/fcda028e24e218a3 2013-04-24T21:07:28+00:00 With the number of school girls opting to study technology-related disciplines on the decline in most countries worldwide, ITU is committed to championing the catalytic role a tech career can play in creating exciting, far-reaching opportunities for women and girls. To help inspire girls to consider a future in technology, ITU established 'Girls in ICT Day' back in 2010 and supports the global organization of activities every year on the fourth Thursday in April. In only its third year, global momentum around Girls in ICT Day continues to grow with over 100 countries expected to hold events hosted by governments, private sector and NGOs in 2013. ITU tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-24T21:35:07+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/9b774833bcd377e8 2013-04-23T21:56:52+00:00 Co-hosted by the International Labour Organization, Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, United Nations Global Compact Office, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) ILO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/b7f6d53a01d81b62 2013-04-23T21:56:52+00:00 African countries are being urged to maximize their abundant natural and agricultural resources to boost growth, jobs and economic transformation. A new report co-authored by the United Nations says leveraging the continent's commodities could help in addressing youth unemployment, poverty and gender disparities. While African countries are growing, they have been unable to fulfil their industrial potential, according to the report which was launched by the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union Commission. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/376dc82e824b9189 2013-04-23T21:56:52+00:00 In Ethiopia, impoverished women are earning an income, developing new skills, and starting collective savings thanks to a nation-wide economic empowerment programme benefitting approximately 10,000 women in the Ethiopian countryside. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/82a2c4ac9ba7a3fa 2013-04-23T21:56:51+00:00 Millions of women and girls worldwide face sexual harassment on a daily basis – on the streets, in public transportations, at work or in schools. An innovative preventive tool, Circle of 6 (www.circleof6app.com) is a free smartphone application against sexual assault that won the White House "Apps Against Abuse" challenge in 2011. It is being used in 26 countries, mobilizing - young people who have access to technology. The app was recently launched in New Delhi, India, in English and Hindi, in partnership with local organizations. Say NO – UNiTE spoke to Nancy Schwartzman, film-maker, activist, and one of the creators of Circle of 6, about the initiative and how the app can make a difference by preventing violence. Say NO - UNiTE tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/77663da2ffaf9037 2013-04-23T21:56:51+00:00 WFP in El Salvador is supporting "One Billion Rising" Campaign. The objective is raising awareness on the rights of women and non violence. WFP tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/51ec6e800bda2973 2013-04-23T21:56:50+00:00 Esther Madudu is one of the many midwives working in the rural areas of Africa who are facing many day to day challenges such as lack of electricity and running water, among other things. Esther's passion and dedication for saving lives did not go unnoticed. The African Medical and Research Foundation or AMREF made her the face of the 'Stand up for African Mothers' Campaign' where she was nominated for the 2015 Nobel Prize. However, lack of technology hampers the work of midwives like Esther. Now the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is improving the work of midwives through the use of mobile technology – calling it – the Mobile Miracle. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-23T22:06:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c302a90b0975c079 2013-04-22T20:56:22+00:00 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday 18 April made a fresh call for investment in girls' education around the world. Mr. Ban spoke at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. at a high level meeting of the Global Education First Initiative launched in September 2012. He said the meeting is a single but critical step to support the objectives of the Initiative to provide quality, inclusive and relevant education to all children. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-22T21:01:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/4569948615a73bdb 2013-04-22T20:56:22+00:00 Remarks of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as prepared for delivery, at a special event on Girl Rising in Washington, D.C., 18 April 2013. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-22T21:01:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/25c0989f3c1eeb34 2013-04-22T20:53:23+00:00 With general elections approaching, Zimbabwean women hope to see women's representation grow in Parliament, which is also mandated by the new Constitution approved by referendum in March. UN Women tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-22T21:01:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/87a01902e8d9d12d 2013-04-22T19:43:23+00:00 When was the last time you met a truly empowered woman? Well, earlier in the week, I was lucky enough to meet Valiben Macwana, one of the 1.7 million empowered self-employed women's association (SEWA) members. SEWA, based in Ahmedabad, India, is an organization of self-employed women workers who earn their living thanks to their small business. These women do not get a monthly salary, nor enjoy benefits like those of their sisters in the "organized labour sector". And to make matters worse, it seems like these women are "uncounted, undercounted and invisible". IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-22T21:01:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/07d2b6cf645cf81d 2013-04-22T19:43:22+00:00 With the help of a local women's association and with support from the United Nations mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), four women have started a cell phone repair business that has changed their lives. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-22T21:01:26+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ad25d7a1d409d3ec 2013-04-18T20:45:34+00:00 Despite success in cracking the silence around the systematic use of sexual violence as a war tactic, it persisted as one of the world's most vicious crimes, destroying individual lives and terrorizing communities, delegates in the Security Council stressed this week, calling on the 15-member body to ratchet up pressure on perpetrators and use its full means to prevent its occurrence. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-18T21:19:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ec18b9c3f77388cd 2013-04-18T20:45:33+00:00 "Every Child Needs a Teacher" is the slogan of the 2013 Global Action Week on Education for All (21-27 April) which focuses on the vital role of teachers in reaching education goals. In the words of the campaign: "Without teachers a school is just a building". UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-18T21:19:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/fc146d6624dc3b15 2013-04-18T20:45:33+00:00 Agnes Leina, Executive Director Il'laramatak Community Concerns (Kenya) Indigenous women in Kenya face a number of challenges including lack of education and economic opportunities, according to an indigenous activist. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-18T21:19:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/ccf9dd25b128bc12 2013-04-18T05:00:00+00:00 With women projected to comprise a majority of the world's urban dwellers and head increasing numbers of households, gender equality in employment, housing, health and education is vital to ensure the prosperity of the cities of the future, according to a new United Nations study. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-18T21:19:37+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c2e903ce41ae0969 2013-04-17T20:03:11+00:00 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks at the Security Council open debate on conflict-related sexual violence, in New York on 17 April. UN News tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/c609be484f82cd53 2013-04-17T20:02:34+00:00 UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and the Vice President of Intel Corporate Affairs Group Shelly Esque signed a five-year Framework agreement on 13 April to build capacity in engineering and science worldwide, and harness information and communication technologies (ICTs) for educational advancement. UNESCO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/08ed3c265b41ba06 2013-04-17T20:02:33+00:00 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for adequate resources to support UN peacekeeping missions in their work to prevent sexual violence in conflict. Mr. Ban spoke in the Security Council as it discussed women and peace and security with a special focus on sexual violence in conflict. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/9862a7e44bdc4fd7 2013-04-17T20:02:32+00:00 The UN Security Council on Wednesday began its meeting by paying a moment of silence to the late Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. Baroness Thatcher, who was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, passed away last week after suffering a stroke. UN Radio tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/402fefac1c9d904d 2013-04-17T20:02:31+00:00 According to most climate forecasts, people in the West African Sahel— an arid to semi-arid belt stretching across northern Africa—can expect a hotter, drier and more variable climate this century. Already, environmental stresses are being felt and farming is increasingly more difficult in the region. But what do rural people in the Sahel perceive to be the reason for this changing climate? How vulnerable do they feel themselves to be? And, most importantly, what do they plan to do different in order to cope with the threats posed by the coming climate? IFAD tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00 tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/62d717c4502543d5 2013-04-17T20:02:30+00:00 FAO tag:google.com,2005:reader/user/17815289161731157132/state/com.google/broadcast 2013-04-17T20:06:02+00:00