While war, poverty, health and a range of other pressing global issues affect women worldwide, climate wouldn't be one of the first you'd think of. Well, think again.
The Daily Beast's Women in the World conference featured a panel discussion about the challenges faced by girls and adolescents in the developing world. Katie Couric moderated the panel, which included Queen Rania of Jordan; UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin; Kakenya Ntaiya of the Kakenya Center for Excellence; Helen Amdemikael, Assistant Representative for the United Nations Population Fund, Ethiopia; and an amazing 16-year-old student from the Philippines, Donnady. The panel also kicked off the UN Foundtion's new
UN Dispatch is pleased to cover the Daily Beast's Women in the World Conference. This two day confab features an impressive list of speakers ranging from the high profile (Hillary Clinton, Meryl Streep, Queen Rania) to somewhat less known human rights activists and social entrepreneurs from around the world. The conference kicks off with an opening address by UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin. It is a good week to be thinking about gender equality and women’s rights. International Women's Day, which was on Monday, was celebrated around the world. At the United Nations this week over 700 government officials, thousands NGO leaders, and even a few celebrities have assembled for the 54th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. Happy International Women's Day! Here on UN Dispatch we are celebrating by asking our friends and readers to compile a list of their favorite books, articles, and blogs that touch on the themes of women’s rights and human rights. What do you think should be required reading for International Women's Day? Lots of action at the UN this week as the Commission for the Status of Women kicks off. In UN-speak the meeting is officially called the"15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000)." Try saying that 10 times fast. Or don't. Most folks call this meeting "Beijing+15." This week marks the kickoff of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a 2-week, woman-focused conference that takes place annually at the United Nations (UN). Basically, this means that for the next two weeks, THE principal global policy-making body will be dedicating itself exclusively to the pursuit of gender equality and the advancement of women. Pretty exciting stuff, right?!?!? *Cricket Chirp* *Cricket Chirp* Fresh from the State Department: