News and Views by Region
International Women's Day Statement - Statement by UN High Commissioner Human Rights
GENEVA (8 March 2011) – On this day, I salute the women of the Middle East and North Africa, along with women all over the world who are taking great risks to stand up and fight for dignity, justice and human rights for themselves and for their compatriots. In Egypt and Tunisia, women were on Twitter, on Facebook, and on the streets. Women from all walks of life were marching alongside men, pushing boundaries and breaking gender stereotypes, just as eager for change, for human rights and for democracy.
The rightful place of gender equality within Islam
An animated discussion is taking place about the relationship between Islam and equality and justice in the context of women’s human rights. How will the democratic uprisings sweeping across the Arab world affect this conversation?
‘Women in the 57 Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member states should be respected, developed, empowered, considered full active participants in social, political, cultural and economic spheres’ says the , adopted in 2008.
DAWN Statement at the Launch of UN Women (CSW 55, NY, February 2011)
Women’s movements and women’s rights advocates have reason to cheer and celebrate the launching of the UN Women. In the entire history of the United Nations, it is the only entity that was primarily created in response to the worldwide clamor and mobilization of women’s movements!
International: UN Intensifies Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 7, 2011 (IPS) - The United Nations is intensifying its global campaign to eliminate one of the most widely-condemned religious and cultural rituals in the world today, mostly in Africa and Asia: female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
The joint efforts by two U.N. agencies - the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) and the U.N. children's agency UNICEF - have resulted in over 6,000 communities abandoning the physically-harmful practice in countries such as Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Guinea and Somalia.
VNC condemns the murder of David Kato
The Violence is Not out Culture campaign condemns the brutal murder on 26 January 2011 of LGBT human rights defender, David Kato, of Uganda and extends its condolences to his colleagues at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). David was a long term activist for rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Uganda, and was a highly respected and admired human rights defender within his community and worldwide.
Falling for Empty Talk on Human Rights
NEW YORK — No repressive government enjoys facing public pressure to respect human rights. These days, their favorite avoidance strategy is to state a preference for private “dialogue” and “cooperation” — an attractive option because it takes place behind closed doors. Sadly, the major Western powers have fallen for this ploy. Reluctant to ruffle feathers while eager to be seen as “doing something,” they increasingly embrace the same subterfuge.
Muslim Women Unite Against Sexual Violence
![[Jamel Arfaoui] A Tunis forum was among the "One Day, One Struggle" global campaign events on November 9th.](/files/images/Magharebia.thumbnail.jpg "[Jamel Arfaoui] A Tunis forum was among the \"One Day, One Struggle\" global campaign events on November 9th.")
A major grassroots campaign recently called international attention to the underreported issues of sexual harassment and assault against women in Muslim states.
Scores of women's organisations from Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia joined forces last week for a sensational campaign led by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR).
Jamaica - Street Theatre to Address Gender Violence - Vide
Every Monday Say NO-UNiTE's YouTube channel will feature a video on ending violence against women recommended by Say NO supporters. Visitors are encouraged to engage in an open discussion on the featured video or topic at hand by posting comments on our channel (see below).
UN Secretary General's Statement: End Criminalization based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
Thank you, Ambassador Jim McLay of New Zealand, Ambassador Ranko Vilovi of Croatia, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, and particularly representatives of civil society, it is a great pleasure.
Thank you all for coming to this important event.
Today is Human Rights Day - a day we dedicate to defending freedoms and protections for all people.
We know how controversial the issues surrounding sexual orientation can be.
Pakistan: Please support - Online Petition on the Bill on Domestic Violence in Pakistan by Baidarie
Sign the petition on the Domestic Violence Bill in Pakistan!
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign symbolically links November 25th (International Day against Violence against Women) and December 10th (International Human Rights Day).“International Day against Violence against Women” was first declared in 1981 to commemorate the violent assassination of the Mirabel sisters on that date in 1960 by the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.