By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 5 April 2024 (IDN) — The United Nations has continued a longstanding campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriages, both still prevalent, mostly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. According to the UN children’s agency UNICEF, FGM refers to “all procedures involving partial or total removal […]
Countries are Failing Women on Hunger
By Matt Freeman* UTRECHT, Netherlands | 2 April 2024 (IDN) — It is often assumed that women and girls disproportionately bear the brunt of global hunger and malnutrition. Analysis from Equal Measures 2030’s SDG Gender Index that tracks countries’ gender equality progress on the United Nations’ sustainable development goals now shows the true scale of […]
Gambian Women Furious Over Vote to Restore Female Circumcision
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 1 April 2024 (IDN) — ‘Over my dead body!’ That was how one Gambian woman expressed her frustration with a vote by the country’s majority male legislators to end the prohibition of female genital mutilation (FGM). The practice has been on the rise in recent years […]
UN Greets the Adoption of Robust Blueprint to End Women’s Poverty
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 23 March 2024 (IDN) — UN Member States have pledged to boost financing and institutions to eradicate women’s and girls’ poverty. The outcome document (or Agreed Conclusions) of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) points out that women and girls living in poverty […]
African Women Spur Fight for Gender Equality
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 18 March 2024 (IDN)—At the recent “Africa Disrupt“ conference, which included pan-African feminists, economic justice activists, and community leaders, one thing was certain: the time for gender equality for African working women had arrived. Halfway around the world, a new report by the World Bank fueled […]
‘The Patriarchy May Be Pushing Back, But So Are We’, UN Chief Tells CSW68
By UN News NEW YORK | 14 March 2024 (IDN) — Women’s rights are under attack, and governments must act to reverse that dangerous trend, the UN chief told at his annual town hall event with civil society activists on 13 March, as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) session continued its first […]
UN Commission Asked to Focus on “Horrific Violence” Against Women in Tigray War
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 12 March 2024 (IDN)— Julia Duncan-Cassell, Former Liberian Minister of Gender and President of the Brussels-based European External Programme with Africa (EPA), has highlighted the urgent need for action regarding the proliferation of conflict-related sexual violence in an Open Letter to the 68th annual Commission on the Status of […]
Let Us Strive to Build a Gender Equal World
By Anwarul K. Chowdhury Ambassador Chowdhury is a former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN. NEW YORK | 9 March 2024 (IDN) — This year’s International Women’s Day is being observed as two major wars are making their vicious attacks on the aspirations of peaceful peoples of the world for a safer, saner and […]
One in Every Ten Women in the World Lives in Extreme Poverty
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | 8 March 2024 (IDN) — In a world facing multiple crises that put enormous pressure on communities, achieving gender equality is more vital than ever. Ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet […]
UN Observes ‘Zero Discrimination Day’ While Anti-Gay Laws Spread Across Africa
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 4 March 2024 (IDN) — Forced evictions, loss of jobs, increased violence and other human rights abuses are being reported across Africa, worrying UN agencies and other watchdog groups around the world. Since a harsh new bill was passed in Ghana, 12 UN agencies issued an […]