By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS 25 September 2024 (IDN) — The first eight months of 2024—described as a “super election year”—have seen limited progress in women’s representation in parliaments worldwide. A mid-year provisional analysis by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), released September 25, points out that with roughly half the world’s population going to the […]
HeForShe Movement Wins Two Million Champions of Gender Equality
By UN Women NEW YORK | 24 September 2024 (IDN) — Since 2014, HeForShe has bolstered a global movement, engaging more than 2 million men and individuals of all genders in championing gender equality. This unique initiative, led by UN Women, has driven 3 billion conversations on topics ranging from closing the pay gap to […]
Bangladesh: Political Crisis Is Deeply Impacting the Economy
By Tajul Islam* DHAKA, Bangladesh | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — Bangladesh is currently facing a political crisis that is not only disrupting its social structure but also casting a significant shadow over the country’s economic outlook. The economic challenges caused by this political instability are widespread, impacting everything from households to industries. The Ready-made […]
Women in Afghanistan: Efforts Underway to Plant the Seeds of Change
By Sima Bahous The following are excerpts from the speech delivered by Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, to the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on 18 September 2024 at UN Headquarters. NEW YORK | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — We have heard and will continue to hear today about […]
Gulf States: Huge Economic Cost of Keeping 13 million Women Out of Workforce
By Amr Saber Algarhi and Konstantinos Lagos* This article was published on The Coversation under Creative Commons licence. SHEFFIELD, South Yorkshire, England | 18 September 2024 (IDN) — When you think of modern, oil-rich Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you may picture a life of luxury. But beneath […]
UN Report Urges Immediate Global Action to Close Critical Gender Gaps
By Ramesh Jaura Investing in women and girls and ending discrimination are key to fulfilling the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. BERLIN | 16 September 2024 (IDN) — Less than a week ahead of the Summit of the Future taking place on September 22-23 at the UN headquarters in New York, a […]
On Its 25th Anniversary, The Culture of Peace Focuses on Women, Children and Communities
By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury* NEW YORK | 13 September 2024 (IDN) —The global community is celebrating today the adoption by the United Nations of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which is considered a monumental document that transcends boundaries, cultures, societies, and nations. That inspirational action took place 25 […]
Equality Now Hails the Gambia for Protecting Rights of Women
By Kizito Makoye DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania | 19 July 2024 (IDN) — Absa Samba, a prominent Gambian activist, exhaled a sigh of relief when the Gambian lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected a controversial bill that would have lifted a ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a barbaric practice that had inflicted indelible psychological scars on her […]
Women and Girls in Haiti Deprived of Basic Safety and Health Services
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | PORT AU PRINCE | 18 July 2024 (IDN) — Ongoing political instability, escalating gang violence, and hurricane season are threatening the Caribbean Island, Haiti. Subsequently, as a recent UN Women report finds, nearly 300,000 internally displaced women and girls are living in makeshift camps lacking basic human necessities. They […]
The Gambia Decides to Uphold Ban on FGM — UN Agencies Commend
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 15 July 2024 (IDN) — The vote by the National Assembly of The Gambia to uphold the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), reaffirming its commitments to human rights, gender equality, and protecting the health and well-being of girls and women, has been commended by UN agencies. FGM involves […]