Articles

Secretary-General António Guterres described Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan, as “a champion for women and girls”, announcing on Monday her appointment to lead the UN’s gender equality and empowerment entity, UN Women. The UN chief said she would also champion gender equality and youth empowerment, as well as being a “keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation and inclusive governance”. Ms. Bahous brings to the job more than 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots...

The UN’s gender equality and empowerment organization on Thursday published a flagship feminist plan for economic recovery and transformation, which aims to learn the lessons of the past, and seize the opportunity to handle COVID-related crises better. UN Women’s Beyond COVID-19: A Feminist Plan for Sustainability and Social Justice, draws on the latest data, analysis, and input from more than 100 global experts to provide concrete pathways for putting gender equality, environmental...

Michelle Bachelet informed a high-level event on safeguarding 20 years of international engagement in Afghanistan, that women have been “progressively excluded from the public sphere”, prohibited from appearing without a male guardian and face increasing restrictions on their right to work. “The Ministry that once promoted women’s rights has been disbanded, and its premises taken over by a Ministry for the propagation of Virtue and the prevention of Vice – an all-male office that will apply...

Afghanistan’s girls and women are showing “bravery” in the face of real “fears and pressures” following the formation of the new, de facto authorities in Afghanistan, according to a UNICEF member of staff, one of the few westerners to remain in Kabul. Following an announcement by the Taliban that boys could return to secondary school — while making no reference to a return date for girls in secondary school — anxiety and uncertainty stalk the one million girls affected by this omission...

GBV includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or mental harm – or other forms of suffering, coercion and limits on personal freedoms – and has “long-term consequences on the sexual, physical and psychological health of survivors”, according to the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA). These are being driven increasingly by conflict, climate change, famine and insecurity, heightening vulnerabilities for girls and women. ‘Willingness to act’ UNFPA Executive Director Natalia...

“It is essential that the hard-won rights of Afghan women and girls are protected”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council. Women are not just half of the global population, it has been shown that their full participation in public life “enhances economic results, prompts greater investment in social protection, leads to more sustainable peace and advances climate action”, according to the UN chief. UNICEF has long acknowledged and brought this to the fore, through...

Sexual abuse and exploitation allegedly carried out by World Health Organization (WHO) staff during the UN health agency’s response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “a sickening betrayal of the people we serve,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said on Tuesday.  An independent panel commissioned by WHO identified more than 80 alleged cases of abuse during the outbreak, including allegations implicating 20 WHO staff members. — World...

Unresolved issues surrounding parliamentary quotas, and women’s participation in elections in Somalia were highlighted by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in the Security Council on Tuesday, with the aim of increasing their involvement in the political process. Briefing ambassadors under the Women, Peace and Security agenda, she said that her most recent trip, earlier this month, was aimed at boosting women’s involvement, including in upcoming parliamentary elections. “I made...

Discussing gender equality in Jordan can lead to difficult conversations, as Balqees Shahin, a volunteer for the UN Women gender equality campaign HeforShe, has discovered. Marking International Day of The Girl Child on Monday, Ms. Shahin told UN News that online games can help young people to address gender issues. HeForShe Balqees Shahin is a volunteer with HeforShe in Jordan Balqees Shahin is a volunteer with HeforShe in Jordan, by HeForShe “I was brought up by a single mother...

Gender-based violence, hate speech and disinformation are being used extensively online and offline, to chill or kill women’s freedom of expression, an independent UN human rights expert told the General Assembly on Monday. Presenting her report on gender justice and free expression, Special Rapporteur on protecting freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, said that “women’s voices are suppressed, controlled or punished explicitly by laws, policies and discriminatory practices, and...