Gender Equality

Photo: The colour orange is used to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls. Source: UN Women

Push Forward—Act Now to End Violence Against Women & Girls

Viewpoint by Sima Bahous

The following is the text of the statement by Ms Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2022.

NEW YORK (IDN) — Five years ago, the global #MeToo movement brought new urgency and visibility to the extent of violence against women and girls. Millions of survivors came forward to share their experience. They forced the world to recognise a reality that shames every one of us. Their courage and voice led to a powerful collective activism and a sea-change in awareness.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 25 November 2022

Photo: Gina Cortes of the Women & Gender Constituency leads protest on climate justice and human rights. Credit: Gerimara Manuel, APWLD

Women Highlight Their Under-Representation at UN Climate Conference

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK | SHARAM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (IDN) — More than 20 years since the first UN climate conference was held, less than five women have been climate conference presidents out of 110 heads of state and government.

Women are now calling for greater representation at the next conference to be held next year in the United Arab Emirates.

Last year the percentage of women sent from participating countries was around 37 per cent, while over 70 per cent of the total speaking time by delegates was taken up by men, according to the United Nations Foundation.

: Global Information Network; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 22 November 2022

The Climate Dispossessed are not Refugees

Viewpoint by Teall Crossen *

This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (IDN) — Let’s be clear, people displaced by climate breakdown are not climate refugees under international law. They are not being forced from their countries because of persecution by their own government. Nor are they migrants. They are not leaving in search of work or education, or to be closer to family.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 16 November 2022

Sri Lanka Foundation Awards Honour Excellence Among Expatriates

By Nandi Jasentuliyana

The author is a former Deputy Director-General United Nations and Director of the UN Office for Outer space Affairs.

LOS ANGELES, USA (IDN) — An awards ceremony recognizing those in the Sri Lankan expatriate community whose work has had an essential impact on the lives of others has taken place since 2003.

Described as one the most prestigious awards among Sri Lankan expatriates the world over, the awards ceremony makes awardees feel that their work is valued.

: Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 01 November 2022

Photo: A woman crafts a mosaic depicting a peace dove in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. © UN Women/Christopher Herwig.

Slow Progress for Women Helping Forge Peace

By Caroline Mawanga

NEW YORK (IDN) — Defending women's rights and promoting greater inclusion is a proven strategy for peace and stability, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a recent Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, which focussed on Secretary-General António Guterres's annual report as envisaged with a landmark resolution adopted 22 years ago.

: Caroline Mwanga; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 23 October 2022

Photo: Women salvage usable materials from damaged parts of Al-Hatab Square in the old quarter of Aleppo, northern Syria, February 2017. Photo: EPA/Youssef Badawi

How Syrian Women Navigate Security Risks to Mediate Local Conflicts

A UN Women Feature

NEW YORK (IDN) — For over a decade, Syria’s protracted conflict has taken countless lives, displaced millions in and outside the country and left much of its infrastructure in tatters. International mediation efforts to end the conflict have largely stalled, in part because the local dynamics that help fuel the crisis are often overlooked by formal mediators. This makes mediation efforts that seek to resolve inter- and intra-community conflict and address local concerns vital to advance formal peacemaking efforts led by national actors.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 22 October 2022

UN Report Highlights Women's Mediation Efforts in Four Arab Countries

By Caroline Mwanga

NEW YORK (IDN) — Though largely excluded from formal mediation roles, women across conflict-affected countries in the Arab region have been instrumental in diffusing tensions and mediating conflicts in their own communities.

UN Women’s new report, “Women's Participation in Local Mediation: Lessons from Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen”, highlights the diverse mediation roles women have played to resolve conflict and restore social cohesion in their communities.

: Caroline Mwanga; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 22 October 2022

Image: A Collage of the cover of African Women's Report and a picture from Geography name.

Digital Finance Can Drive Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa

From Africa Renewal

By Economic Commission for Africa

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — A new report reveals persistent barriers in the digital finance sector that limit women’s economic empowerment in Africa while recommending policy responses to overcome them.

Commissioned by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the latest edition of the biennial African Women’s Report was published on October 3. The report analyses the digital finance ecosystem in Africa to examine all its components and how they impact women’s economic prospects.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 14 October 2022

Photo: A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of the young Iranian woman, who died after being arrested in Tehran by the Islamic Republic's morality police, on September 20, 2022. three days in a coma. Credit: Ozan KOSE / AFP via Getty Images. Source: WBUR.

Iran Overwhelmed by “Women-Life-Liberty!” Cries

Viewpoint by René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens

GENEVA (IDN) — The cry “Women-Life-Liberty!” is going up in many different parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is not possible to know in advance how strong the protests will be and what will be specific reforms demanded. However, the Government is worried. On October 3, Ayatollah Ali Khomeinei, the Supreme Guide, justified the repression in a talk to the Military Academy and said that the manifestations were the work of the USA and Israel.

: Rene Wadlow; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 08 October 2022

Photo: A Sri Lankan Muslim woman walks along a road in Colombo. Credit. Lakruwan Wanniarachchi / AFP. Source: The Hindu.

Sri Lanka: Muslim Women to Take Up 50% Quota Demand in Political Bodies

By Sugeeswara Senadhira

COLOMBO (IDN) — Though Muslim women have been considered a group that shunned politics for generations, in recent months, there has been a remarkable change in their awareness of political rights. Reflecting this new awareness, a group of Muslim women displayed their desire to take up the cause of Sri Lankan women for their rightful place in politics.