Calls for global mobilization and commitment to women’s rights as political and economic changes continue worldwide
United Nations, New York— At a press conference in New York today, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet called for galvanizing greater commitment and action for women and gender equality, as political and economic upheaval threaten progress on women’s rights (remarks enclosed here). She called the press conference to report on the first year of operations of UN Women. With austerity measures, budget cuts and political changes impacting women’s lives, worldwide, Ms. Bachelet outlined the action agenda of the organization in her first press conference of 2012.
“Please come with me tomorrow, come with me tomorrow as you did today with the other teenager.”
Two years since a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti on 12 January 2010, support to survivors of violence, remains critical in a country that continues to re-build itself from ground up. Responding to the need, UN Women provided technical support to six safe houses across five regions in Haiti this past year.
“…although efforts of international, regional and national institutions have created driving forces that have pushed women beyond the boundary of the private domain and an acceptance of shifting ideologies about feminine roles and functions, on their part, a concomitant shift has not occurred in the ideologies undergirding the construction of masculinity particularly in relation to the private domain”.
Extract from a presentation delivered by Professor Barbara Bailey at the Regional Advisory Group on Gender and Development Meeting 8-9 December, 2011.
Professor Barbara Bailey has distinguished herself in the field of education, gender studies and research. She has been and continues to be a strong advocate of gender equality and equity through her teaching and research activities.
St. John’s, 12thDecember 2011 – The Caribbean Institute for Women in Leadership (CIWiL) noted that the participation of women leaders in the 2011 General Elections was notably high in St. Lucia, as an unprecedented number stepped forward as contenders. At a time where other countries in the region recently witnessed a decline in the number of women elected, three out of the ten female contenders were successful in gaining their seats, and advancing their roles as leaders in the political sphere.
Message of Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women
- Human Rights Day, 10 December 2011
Today on Human Rights Day, we look back on a year of people marching in the streets to end injustice, inequality and tyranny and to demand their fundamental rights and freedoms. In 2011 we witnessed profound historical changes. In large numbers, women, men and young people came together to express their frustrations and opinions. They sought the comfort of camaraderie to voice their dreams and hopes for a better future, and their ideas spread through social media. In this, we witnessed a shift in the struggle to claim the fundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled.
UN Women Regional Programme Director's Remarks
to CBMP 5th Anniversary Media Leaders’ Summit
Today, on World AIDS Day, one day after the celebration of Barbados Independence Day, we are here to promote a certain kind of change and to further advocacy and action.
I link World AIDS Day to Independence because the Independence project all across the Caribbean was shaped by a deeply held popular aspiration for a greater freedom, for equality, for self-determination and self-responsibility. And it is precisely those values that we need to invoke to halt the spread of the HIV epidemic.
Today on World AIDS Day, we are called to action to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. On behalf of UN Women, I would like to stress that getting to zero requires zero discrimination against women and girls.
The Caribbean HIV&AIDS Alliance Antigua and Barbuda is seeking a short-term consultancy for delivery of targeted Popular Theatre and Drama interventions.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a human rights violation.
Remarks by the UN Women Caribbean Office Regional Programme Director for the Observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women for 2011
As we observe for 2011, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, we can affirm the growing rejection by all sectors of society of a culture of tolerance and/or indifference to acts of violence against women.
United Nations, New York, 22 November 2011 —In her first message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, since UN Women became operational earlier this year, Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet outlines a comprehensive policy agenda to end violence against women globally. Violence against women is pandemic but there has been progress.
UN Women Press Release
For immediate release
Media Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org, +1 646 781-4522
United Nations, New York, 23 November 2011 —To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, and in tribute to grassroots activists around the world who are at the forefront of the efforts to end the pandemic of violence, the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) today announced its new global Call for Proposals to support country-level programmes to end violence against women and girls.
Regional Parliamentarians have come together at the Terra Nova Hotel in Jamaica to look at ways in which they can lead policy and community interventions to end violence against women and girls.
Themed, “Building Political Will to End Gender-Based Violence”, the November 9-10 meeting is one of the initiatives in support of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign.
High impact political and economic empowerment programmes sought, grantees to be announced in December; other regions to follow
United Nations, New York — UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, a grantmaking fund initiated by Spain and dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, announced today its second Call for Proposals, inviting women’s organizations and government agencies to apply for grants to support women’s political and economic empowerment. In recognition of the recent developments in the Arab States region, which have created additional opportunities for supporting efforts to improve the life conditions of women and girls, the first phase of the Fund’s 2011–2012 call will immediately focus on proposals that seek to empower women and their communities in this region.
Media Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org, +1 646 781-4522.
