Monthly Archives: October 2011
UN Women Launches Multi-Province Project on Ending Violence against Women in Afghanistan
UN Women, in close collaboration with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women Affairs and with support from the Government of Japan, is launching projects in six provinces to further strengthen efforts to end violence against women and girls. Adapted from a UN Women initiative in Kabul, the multi-province project specifically aims to bolster the capacities of sub-national [...]
UN Women and the Basque Government Sign a Collaboration Agreement to Promote Gender Equality in Latin America
The Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, and the Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, Guillermo Echenique, on behalf of the Lehendakari Patxi López, presented a memorandum of understanding on 20 October to work jointly in strengthening the political participation of women and their leadership in general, as well as to promote gender-oriented budgeting within the context of local and regional governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UN Women Executive Director Marks Launch of Egyptian Union, Meets Libyan Activists
UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet travelled to Cairo, Egypt, in mid-October to celebrate the historic launch of the Egyptian Women’s Union and to meet with women’s advocates from Libya. The union comprises 500 non-governmental women’s organizations (NGOs), and will focus initially on mobilizing five million women voters in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, [...]
New Report Shows Mixed Benefits from Migration
UN Women in Santo Domingo launched a new report, “Migration, remittances and gender-responsive local development: The case of the Dominican Republic.” It presents an in-depth study of migration to the United States from the community of Las Placetas, tracking how gender inequalities affect both women who leave and those who remain behind. Per capita, Las [...]
Peru Passes Historic Law on Indigenous Peoples
The Government of Peru has taken a historic step for indigenous peoples by becoming the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to pass a law requiring that indigenous peoples be consulted on and give their consent to any legislative or administrative measures that directly affect them. President Ollanta Humala enacted the law on [...]
New Protocol Improves Responses to Gender-Based Violence
With UN Women’s assistance, the Caribbean Ombudsmen Association, representatives of police forces and local service providers have agreed on a protocol for protecting survivors of gender-based violence. It will be piloted in four Caribbean countries beginning in early 2012. The protocol calls for strengthening cooperation between offices of the ombudsman, victim support services and the [...]
Women Sharpen Skills as Peace Negotiators in West Africa
The second session of the Regional Training Series on Mediation from West Africa took place in early October. The training helped 32 women civil society leaders cultivate capacities for mediation, advocacy, negotiation and implementation of peace agreements. “This training aims at sharpening the knowledge and skills of the participants, so they can bring the gender [...]
Women Renew Commitment to End AIDS in Kenya
Women living with HIV and AIDS have called for gearing up efforts to end AIDS in Kenya after a recent survey showed HIV prevalence among women is higher than the national rate. Government statistics indicate that national prevalence is 6.3 percent, compared to 8 percent for women. HIV prevalence among women is nearly double the [...]
African-Spanish Women’s Network for a Better World Celebrates Fourth Anniversary
The African-Spanish Women’s Network for a Better World is celebrating its fourth anniversary in November. A partnership between UN Women, the Government of Spain and civil society, the network now has nearly 1,500 members, including individuals and organizations from 51 countries in Africa and Spain. Through the network, women’s groups share knowledge and experiences from [...]
Riding for Peace and Equality in Timor-Leste
The Tour de Timor is one of the world’s most challenging bicycle races. Cyclists compete over 500-kilometres of mountainous terrain. In September, at the 2011 race, residents of Timor-Leste’s capital Dili were invited to join official competitors in a Ride for Peace, stretching along the beach from the Palacio Governo in the centre of the [...]
