Gender

Decent Toilets for Women & Girls Vital for Gender Equality

By Tim Wainwright
This weekend marks World Toilet Day (November 19)-- and the news is disheartening. One in three people are still waiting for a toilet; still having to face the indignity and often fear of relieving themselves in the open or using unsafe or unhygienic toilets.

Girls in Afghanistan—and Everywhere Else—Need Toilets

By Heather Barr and Amanda Klasing
"I never come here, just because of boys," Atifa says, pointing at the door of the stall. "They're opening the door." Atifa, a sixth grader in Kabul, Afghanistan, attends a school of 650 girls. Since they study in tents in a vacant lot, the only toilets the girls have access to are on the far side of the boys' school next door. The school is one of a very few for girls in the area, so some students walk over an hour each way to get there.

On Gender Day at Climate Meet, Some Progress, Many Hurdles

By Stella Paul
“Five years ago, when we first started talking about including gender in the negotiations, the parties asked us, ‘Why gender?’ Today, they are asking, ‘How do we include gender?’ That’s the progress we have seen since Doha,” said Kalyani Raj.

Are Prospects of Rural Youth Employment in Africa a Mirage?

By Raghav Gaiha and Vani S. Kulkarni
Many recent accounts tend to dismiss productive employment of youth in rural areas in Africa as a mirage largely because they exhibit strong resistance to eking out a bare subsistence in dismal working and living conditions. We argue below on recent evidence of agricultural transformation that this view is overly pessimistic, if not largely mistaken.

SDG Fund Report Reaches a Higher Moral Ground

By Rangita de Silva de Alwis
At this historic moment – this new report (“Business and SDG 16”) is a tryst with destiny, one that fulfills a promise that was made both by the United Nations and the private sector at the launch of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.

The Weinstein effect: The Global Scourge of Sexual Harassment & Exploitation

By Siddharth Chatterjee
When the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA’s) Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd, detailed an incident involving the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for The New York Times in their eyepopping investigation into decades of alleged sexual harassment, it came as a shock to many.

Women and Malnutrition in Africa

By Raghav Gaiha and Vani S. Kulkarni
Undernutrition is widespread and a key reason for poor child health in many developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, around 40 percent of children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, that is, severely reduced height-for-age relative to their growth potential. Stunting is a result of periods of undernutrition in early childhood, and it has been found to have a series of adverse long-term effects in those who survive childhood. It is negatively associated with mental development, human capital accumulation, adult health, and with economic productivity and income levels in adulthood.

UN Member States, With Exceptions, Pay Lip Service to Women & Peacekeeping

By Thalif Deen
A UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution adopted on 31 October 2000, underlying the role of women in peacekeeping, has long been described as both historic and unprecedented.

Adolescent Health Congress Skirts Issue of Abuse, Trafficking

By Stella Paul
Twenty-year-old Gogontlejang Phaladi of Mahalapye, Botswana is grateful she was never sent to a so-called “hyena” like scores of girls in neighboring Malawi were.

Historic Resolution on Women & Peacekeeping Remains Mostly Unimplemented

By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
At the 26 October launch of GNWP’s (Global Network of Women Peacebuilders) manual “No Money, No NAP” on dedicated budgetary allocation to fund the implementation of the 1325 National Action Plans, Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka characterized UNSCR 1325 as the most unimplemented resolution of the UN Security Council.

Stopping Child Marriage Forever

By Shahiduzzaman
The mother moved in like a tigress to save her cub. In 2015, when her 13-year-old daughter Shumi Akhter was about to be married off, Panna Begum pleaded with her husband, Dulal Mia, to cancel the marriage he’d arranged for their daughter.

Ending the Male Monopoly on Peace: Women Still Need More Seats at the Table

By Shaheen Chughtai
Whether targeted by perpetrators of sexual violence, oppressed by ideological extremists, or uniquely threatened by the bombing of hospital maternity units, women often bear the brunt of conflicts. Yet when it comes to peace negotiations, women too often don’t have a seat at the table. The continuing reality that men, particularly armed men, enjoy an almost exclusive role in peace processes defies both logic and evidence.

Let’s Harness the Egalitarian Spirit of Sport for Global Cohesion

By Ann Therese Ndong Jatta and Siddharth Chatterjee
24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In his message to the world the UN Secretary General, Mr Antonio Guterres remarked, “When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable and just world”.

Lack of International Action on Rohingya Crisis Called a “Disgrace”

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage
As the crisis in Myanmar reaches unprecedented levels, frustration is at its peak as the international community remains slow to respond and act cohesively.

Innovation for Climate-Smart Agriculture Key to Ending Hunger in Kenya

By Siddharth Chatterjee
Some parts of Kenya are reeling from the effects of probably the worst drought in the last 20 years. With nearly 3.4 million people food insecure, Kenya’s food security prognosis looks gloomy, with climate change and natural resource depletion set to pose even greater risks in the long term.

Global Interfaith LGBTIQ Leaders Convene at UN for Expert-level Dialogue

By Rev. Patricia Ackerman
On September 29, 2017, Yvette Abrahams, an indigenous religious leader from Cape Town, South Africa who served as the country’s Commissioner For Gender Equality for five years, gasped when she learned that South Africa had just voted in favor of United Nations Human Rights Council resolution condemning the death penalty for those found guilty of committing consensual same-sex sexual acts. She could not believe that the United States had not.

Good Men Should Not be Quiet Spectators in Sexual Assaults

By Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
The pain and anger of more than a million people who tweeted #MeToo in the last week have crowded social media with personal stories of sexual harassment or assault.

An Inequality Beyond Wealth: Gaps in Women’s Health

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage
While many often focus on wealth disparities, economic inequality is often a symptom and cause of other inequalities including women’s access to sexual and reproductive health.

Women: Major Drivers & Beneficiaries of Poverty Eradication

By Lakshmi Puri
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by the United Nations General Assembly. Under the theme “Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies,” this year’s commemoration reminds us of the importance of equality, dignity, solidarity and equal voice in the fight to end poverty everywhere.

International Day of Rural Women

By Michel Mordasini
On this International Day of Rural Women, the world celebrates women and girls in rural areas and the critical role they play in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.

Despite Odds, Women Gain Stature in African Politics

By Kwamboka Oyaro
Once in a while, Africa produces talented women politicians who, despite the odds, overcome the obstacles that impede their success in the political arena.
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