Stories from the Field
Mexican designer finds a muse in UN Women
As the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed, we highlight the designs of Cristina Pineda whose new collection was inspired by UN Women’s efforts on sustainable development and ending violence against women and girls.
Art and commitment mix in vibrant hues to end violence against women
There are now 71 artists from all over Latin America and the Caribbean who have formed a regional network to support the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, using their artistry to raise awareness.
“Sound mixing is as easy as cooking a curry”: Q & A with Bianca Miglioretto
As the UN marks World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, UN Women speaks to the Vice-President of the Women’s International Network of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Asia Pacific Chapter, on her work and on introducing radio technologies to community radio producers.
With some electoral gains in Iraq, women candidates work towards change
Amid violence-fraught local and regional elections, in which 14 candidates were killed, 300 women contenders were trained by UN Women and the Iraq Foundation. Many emerged successful and thanks to a quota law, women will probably hold 26 per cent of seats on local councils across Iraq.
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.
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.
Better lighting, wider pavements: steps towards preventing sexual violence in New Delhi
As the UN marks Global Road Safety Week, a Safe Cities programme in New Delhi is conducting safety audits, whose findings are being adapted to make the crucial link between the public’s needs, urban planning and safety.
In Timor-Leste, communities mobilize to confront domestic violence
Police and community-based networks in Timor-Leste are working to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence by helping survivors get counseling and judicial assistance. They also raise awareness of the domestic violence law.
Latin American and Caribbean women chart their priorities for the new global development agenda
To give women more voice in the United Nations post-2015 development agenda, UN Women is organizing various consultations globally. Recently they took place in the Americas and the Caribbean, bringing forth the priorities of the region.
New Horizons: Ethiopian women join efforts to escape poverty
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.
