The pandemic is fuelling slavery and sexual exploitation, UN experts warn
Dec 01, 2020, at 09:52 pm
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic has played into the hands of slavers and traffickers and requires stronger government measures to prevent exploitation of vulnerable people, more than 50 independent UN human rights experts said in a statement on Monday.
UN expert calls for urgent action to end ‘pandemic of femicide and violence against women’
Nov 24, 2020, at 09:33 pm
New York: COVID-19 is overshadowing what has become a “pandemic of femicide” and related gender-based violence against women and girls, said independent UN human rights expert Dubravka Šimonović on Monday, calling for the universal establishment of national initiatives to monitor and prevent such killings.
UN rights experts call for release of Saudi activist championing women’s right to drive
Nov 06, 2020, at 03:30 pm
New York: The deteriorating health of Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul is “deeply alarming”, UN-appointed rights experts said on Wednesday, calling for her release along with “all other women human rights defenders in detention”.
Women the ‘driving force’ for peacebuilding in Colombia: Deputy UN chief
Oct 31, 2020, at 03:09 pm
New York: The UN deputy chief has underscored the importance of the full and comprehensive implementation of Colombia's historic 2016 peace agreement, to enable sustainable and resilient communities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 underscores need to deliver on promise of landmark women’s rights conference
Oct 02, 2020, at 08:59 pm
New York: Unless countries act now, the COVID-19 pandemic could erase recent “fragile progress” towards gender equality, the UN Secretary-General warned on Thursday, urging governments to put women at the centre of recovery and response.
Most countries failing to protect women from COVID-19 economic and social fallout
Sep 29, 2020, at 03:52 pm
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic is “hitting women hard”, but most nations are failing to provide sufficient social and economic protection for them, the head of the UN gender empowerment agency said on Monday.
Women are key to response and recovery out of the COVID era: Deputy UN chief
Sep 04, 2020, at 04:13 pm
New York: Young women are fighting interconnected battles for “environmental, economic and racial justice”, the deputy UN chief said in a discussion on Thursday.
Women and girls deserve more protection in emergencies, UN rights council hears
Jul 14, 2020, at 02:40 pm
New York: The collective impact of climate change, COVID-19 and conflict mean that well over 200 million people will likely need humanitarian assistance by 2022, the UN’s deputy rights chief said on Monday.
UN backs global action to end violence against women and girls amid COVID-19 crisis
Apr 07, 2020, at 11:56 am
New York/IBNS: The United Nations is advocating immediate global action to end all forms of violence against women and girls in the midst of a global upsurge related to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world.
Women plough the way to peace in South Sudan resettlement project
Mar 19, 2020, at 01:08 pm
New York/IBNS: Women who had been displaced by fighting in South Sudan are sowing seeds of peace, with support from the UN mission in the country, UNMISS.
International Women's Day: progress on gender equality remains slow
Mar 06, 2020, at 10:18 am
New York/IBNS: Women's Rights in Review, 25 years after Beijing takes stock of how the landmark gender equality plan, the Beijing Platform for Action, is being implemented and calls for greater parity and justice.
International Women's Day: progress on gender equality remains slow
Mar 06, 2020, at 10:08 am
New York/IBNS: Despite decades of progress in closing the gender equality gap, close to nine out of 10 men and women around the world, hold some sort of bias against women, according to new findings published on Thursday from the UN Development Programmme (UNDP).
25 years on from landmark conference, millions of women and girls still in danger: UN deputy chief
Nov 12, 2019, at 09:44 am
New York/IBNS: The UN Deputy Secretary-General has called for gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights to be integrated at the heart of global efforts to achieve a sustainable future for all.
Gender equality, education and the environment at the forefront of new SDG Advocate campaigns
Aug 15, 2019, at 11:02 am
New York, Aug 15 (IBNS): Back in May, six innovative public figures joined the battle to push the world towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Each of the new official SDG Advocates committed themselves to pursue the 17 goals on behalf of “peace, prosperity, people, planet, and partnerships.”
New UN report on families in a changing world puts ‘women’s rights at their core’
Jun 26, 2019, at 09:32 am
New York, June 26 (IBNS): While women’s rights have advanced over the decades, gender inequalities and other fundamental human rights violations within families persist, according to a flagship study released on Tuesday, from the UN’s gender empowerment agency.
Apr 11, 2019, at 09:47 am
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): More than four in 10 women in 51 countries surveyed, feel they have no choice but to agree to their partner’s sexual demands, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, said on Wednesday, noting that they are also unable to make basic decisions about getting pregnant and accessing health care for themselves.
Mexico urged to continue progress on enforced disappearances, women’s rights and press freedom
Nov 08, 2018, at 08:41 am
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS): Mexico faces “considerable challenges” in guaranteeing people’s human rights, its ambassador in Geneva told UN Member States on Wednesday, before being urged to continue tackling corruption and impunity relating to a range of violations including enforced disappearances and torture.
Oct 13, 2018, at 07:25 am
New York, Oct 13 (IBNS): UN human rights experts are urging Saudi Arabia to “immediately and unconditionally” release all women human rights defenders, including six imprisoned on charges relating to their peaceful defence of human rights.
Stigmatized, shunned and shamed, International Widows’ Day draws attention to their unique needs
Jun 23, 2018, at 08:23 am
New York, June 23 (IBNS): The loss of a spouse or partner is often devastating, but for many women it is magnified by a “long-term struggle” for basic needs, human rights and dignity, according to UN Women, in a message to mark International Widows’ Day.
Women's rights face global pushback from conservativism, fundamentalism – UN experts warn
Jun 23, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, June 23 (IBNS): Women’s rights are under threat from a “backlash” of conservatism and fundamentalism around the world, a United Nation panel warned on Friday.
Feb 07, 2018, at 03:34 pm
New York, Feb 7 (JEN): Female genital mutilation is a violent act that, among other things, causes infection, disease, childbirth complications and death, said the Executive Directors of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a joint statement for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Progress against hunger, poverty hinges on empowering indigenous women – UN agriculture chief
Jan 16, 2018, at 01:40 pm
New York, Jan 16 (JEN): Empowering indigenous women – who have higher malnutrition rates than any other social group and typically earn far less than men – is key to successfully fighting hunger and extreme poverty, the United Nations agriculture chief has said.
Oct 30, 2017, at 04:12 pm
Riyadh, Oct 30 (IBNS): Considered a nemesis, in terms of nation, when it comes to women rights, it seems Saudi Arabia is casting away its dark practices for a more globally accepted norms.
Saudi Arabia lifts ban, to let women drive
Sep 27, 2017, at 03:37 pm
Riyadh, Sep 27 (IBNS): In a historic development, Saudi Arabia has decided to lift the ban on women drivers and let them drive, reports said.