Interpreter star and UN Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman is back at the United Nations today to promote the UN's "say no to violence against women" campaign. Most coverage of this visit, though, seems to focus on the fact that Kidman is six months pregnant--and shockingly is showing a "baby bump." Amazing how that works.
For a more thorough account of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)'s ongoing campaign to combat violence against the women, check out the website. You can even sign the petition.
Interpreter star and UN Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman is back at the United Nations today to promote the UN's "say no to violence against women" campaign. Most coverage of this visit, though, seems to focus on the fact that Kidman is six months pregnant--and shockingly is showing a "baby bump." Amazing how that works.
For a more thorough account of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)'s ongoing campaign to combat violence against the women, check out the website. You can even sign the petition.
While over 10 million women and children in developing countries continue to die every year from preventable and treatable causes, a new report released today by UN agencies and partners calls for improved health care systems to reduce maternal and child deaths:
'Tracking Progress in Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival' finds that few of the 68 developing countries that account for 97 per cent of maternal and child deaths worldwide are providing the necessary health care to save lives. The 2008 report was released today as leading global health experts, policy-makers and parliamentarians convene in Cape Town, South Africa, to address further efforts to slash maternal and child mortality by 2015, part of a set of internationally-agreed targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).And this is not to mention that donor funding for maternal, newborn and child health has actually increased over the past few years. So while there has been much improvement, the fact that health care needs are so high in these countries still result in health care programs being "grossly unfunded," says the report.
While over 10 million women and children in developing countries continue to die every year from preventable and treatable causes, a new report released today by UN agencies and partners calls for improved health care systems to reduce maternal and child deaths:
'Tracking Progress in Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival' finds that few of the 68 developing countries that account for 97 per cent of maternal and child deaths worldwide are providing the necessary health care to save lives. The 2008 report was released today as leading global health experts, policy-makers and parliamentarians convene in Cape Town, South Africa, to address further efforts to slash maternal and child mortality by 2015, part of a set of internationally-agreed targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).And this is not to mention that donor funding for maternal, newborn and child health has actually increased over the past few years. So while there has been much improvement, the fact that health care needs are so high in these countries still result in health care programs being "grossly unfunded," says the report.
A new UN-commissioned report says that women are discriminated against in nearly every nation in the world:
It says that this is despite the fact that 185 UN member states pledged to outlaw laws favouring men by 2005. It adds that 70% of the world's poor are women and they own just 1% of the world's titled land. The report, which was prepared for UN Human Right Commissioner Louise Arbour, says rape within marriage has still not been made a crime in 53 nations.The report was prepared by Fareda Banda, a law professor at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She says that there are many more discriminatory laws against women, including statutes on divorce, maternity benefits and pensions. Even seemingly harmless laws like the legal age for marriage has a huge impact on girls' and women's lives:
"Many states still have different ages of marriage for young women than they have for young men, and the age for girls is always lower then the age for boys. . . This leads to violations, for example of a girls' right education, if she has to leave school at 14 to get married, and this impacts upon her life chances . . . It ends up being a life-long violation of her rights in terms of forfeiting education, having children too early, possibly being damaged herself."For more information on how marriage at an early age affects girls, check out this video by the UNFPA. In the meantime, let's hope this report will serve as a serious call to the UN member states to keep their promise and eliminate these harmful laws; the world's women can't afford to wait any longer.
A new UN-commissioned report says that women are discriminated against in nearly every nation in the world:
It says that this is despite the fact that 185 UN member states pledged to outlaw laws favouring men by 2005. It adds that 70% of the world's poor are women and they own just 1% of the world's titled land. The report, which was prepared for UN Human Right Commissioner Louise Arbour, says rape within marriage has still not been made a crime in 53 nations.The report was prepared by Fareda Banda, a law professor at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She says that there are many more discriminatory laws against women, including statutes on divorce, maternity benefits and pensions. Even seemingly harmless laws like the legal age for marriage has a huge impact on girls' and women's lives:
"Many states still have different ages of marriage for young women than they have for young men, and the age for girls is always lower then the age for boys. . . This leads to violations, for example of a girls' right education, if she has to leave school at 14 to get married, and this impacts upon her life chances . . . It ends up being a life-long violation of her rights in terms of forfeiting education, having children too early, possibly being damaged herself."For more information on how marriage at an early age affects girls, check out this video by the UNFPA. In the meantime, let's hope this report will serve as a serious call to the UN member states to keep their promise and eliminate these harmful laws; the world's women can't afford to wait any longer.
Be sure to catch the Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo which premiers tonight on HBO. To learn more about the crisis of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, visit the Enough Campaign and join a conference call about the film tomorrow night with the filmaker, Lisa Jackson; ENOUGH Co-chair John Prendergast; and the Director of Public Policy at the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Kiersten Stewart.
Be sure to catch the Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo which premiers tonight on HBO. To learn more about the crisis of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, visit the Enough Campaign and join a conference call about the film tomorrow night with the filmaker, Lisa Jackson; ENOUGH Co-chair John Prendergast; and the Director of Public Policy at the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Kiersten Stewart.
A UN report released today shows significant progress in treating children with AIDS and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but not without a call for greater efforts.
In 2005, only 11 percent of women were getting drugs to prevent transmission. Thanks to UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS initiative, 31 percent are now getting treatment. There's also been a 70 percent increase in children who are receiving anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to 127,000 per year. "That’s enormous progress," says UNICEF Chief of HIV and AIDS Jimmy Kolker.
But obviously more efforts are needed. The report identifies improvements and challenges in four key areas: preventing HIV transmission from mothers to children (PMTCT); providing paediatric treatment, preventing infection among adolescents and young people; and protecting and supporting children affected by AIDS.
The report also addresses how various gender injustices call for women's rights efforts to be embedded within the work being done to decrease the occurrence of PMTCT. Examples include how domestic violence is often a huge barrier to routine testing programs, or the ways that cultural stigmatization prevents many women from seeking PMTCT services. All are addressed in the report, as well as new working strategies to further the progress already made.
Make sure to check out the full report.