Africa

We are integral to sustainable peace, recovery and development, say Malian women

At a conference for international donors in Brussels on 15 May, Malian women will present their recommendations, calling for more effective contributions to economic development and for women to play a greater role in conflict resolution and rebuilding of their country.

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Exclude from Frontpage, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Human Rights, National Planning and Budgeting, News, Peace and Security | Tagged Brussels, conference, donor, Lakshmi Puri, Mali, Sahel, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Girls receive a visit from a different man every night, a ‘new husband’: In the words of Saran Keïta Diakité

Saran Keïta Diakité is a lawyer in Mali and President of the Malian branch of the NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security (Réseau Paix et Sécurité des Femmes de l’Espace CEDEAO). As the Donor Conference on Mali starts in Brussels, in her own words she speaks about the atrocities occurring in her country, which has been plagued by political instability and the proliferation of armed groups that have uprooted more than 415,000 people since a military coup d’état in March 2012. She also talks about the work of her NGO, supported by UN Women, to assist survivors of violence, provide access to justice, and to ensure women have a say in peace negotiations. She was one of four female mediators who took part in peace negotiations from 15-17 April 2012 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Saran also recently spoke in April 2013 at the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on conflict-related sexual violence in New York.

Posted in Africa, Ending Violence against Women, Exclude from Frontpage, Human Rights, In the words of..., News, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Tagged compensation, conflict, forced marriage, gang rape, human rights, justice, Mali, negotiations, peace, rape, sexual violence, transitional justice, UN Women, United Nations, violence, war | Comments Off

Making laws real and accessible underlines efforts by judges in Tanzania

Tanzanian women High Court judges are training the judiciary to apply international women’s rights standards in their judgments and to protect survivors and witnesses of violence against women and girls. They are also engaging in awareness-raising efforts to improve the understanding of women’s rights and options for legal recourse.

Posted in Africa, Ending Violence against Women, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Human Rights, Stories from the Field | Tagged equality, human rights, judges, justice, Tanzania, UN, UN Women, violence, women's rights | Comments Off

Experts call for increased efforts to improve maternal and newborn child health in Africa

Posted on April 29 2013 | Africa | News

More than 50 government, civil society, academic and United Nations experts came together for a meeting coordinated by the African Union (AU) in partnership with UN Women from 24 to 26 April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to review key frameworks and initiatives on maternal and newborn child health and recommend actions for reduction of maternal and child deaths in Africa.

Posted in Africa, News | Comments Off

New Horizons: Ethiopian women join efforts to escape poverty

Posted on April 23 2013 | Africa | Economic Empowerment | Stories from the Field

In Ethiopia, impoverished women are earning an income, developing new skills, and starting collective savings thanks to a nation-wide economic empowerment programme benefitting approximately 10,000 women in the Ethiopian countryside.

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Stories from the Field | Tagged Ethiopia, savings, sheep, UN, women | Comments Off

Zimbabweans say yes to new Constitution strong on gender equality and women’s rights

With general elections approaching, Zimbabwean women hope to see women’s representation grow in Parliament, which is also mandated by the new Constitution approved by referendum in March.

Posted in Africa, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Human Rights, News, Stories from the Field | Tagged Constitution, elections, equality, gender, Parliament, rights, UN, UN Women, women, Zimbabwe | Comments Off

Women peace advocates put forth key recommendations for Sahel region

UN Women calls for greater participation of women to achieve peace in Sahel and urge world leaders to protect and advance women’s rights

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, News, Peace and Security | Tagged Africa, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Catherine Ashton, Chad, ECOWAS, Lakshmi Puri, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, peace, Romano Prodi, Sahel, Senegal, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Sahel Conference says women’s full participation essential to conflict resolution and economic recovery

Press release on the Sahel Conference: Some 40 women from the Sahel met today to underline the crucial contributions women from the region are making to economic recovery, political stability and conflict prevention, and to explore ways to enhance their role in these areas.

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Exclude from Frontpage, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Peace and Security, Press Releases | Tagged conflict resolution, economic recovery, Lakshmi Puri, Sahel, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Speech by Lakshmi Puri at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel

Speech by Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women, at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel, 9 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium

Posted in Africa, Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Speeches and Statements | Tagged African Union, Brussels, crises, crisis, decision-making, human rights, peacebuilding, Prodi, Sahel, UN, UN Women, United Nations | Comments Off

Ensuring mothers do not die when giving life

A programme in seven countries advances efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality highlighting the links between violence against women and maternal health, and training midwives and community health workers to bring long-term change.

Posted in Africa, Ending Violence against Women, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Health, News, Stories from the Field | Tagged Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea, Haiti, Mali, maternal deaths, maternal health, MDGs, midwife, Niger, pregnancy, Togo, UN, UN Women | Comments Off