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On Monday during the opening of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting, U.N. Female Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro acknowledged more action is needed to help countries advance gender equality and women's empowerment, VOA News reports.
"More and more people now understand that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is not just a goal in itself, but a key to sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security," Migiro told delegates, according to U.N. News Centre.
Such challenges include the fact "[w]omen still outnumber men among the world's poor, account for two-thirds of illiterate adults and are more likely to work at low paying jobs without social protection," the Associated Press/Winnipeg Free Press reports.
"Migiro said women continued to be plagued by sexual violence and the maternal mortality rate remains 'unacceptably high,' while political representation remains too low" (Lederer, 3/1).Sha Zukang, the U.N. under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, pointed to discrepancies in how some countries are tackling issues related to gender equality, Xinhua/CRIENGLISH reports.
"The challenge, therefore, is not that there is no progress; the real challenge lies in the fact that progress is uneven across regions and within countries," Sha said during the meeting on Monday. "Such a re-orientation is crucial at a time when we continue to tackle the multiple crises of food insecurity, climate change and the fall-out of the global financial and economic crisis" (3/2).
Acccording to CRIEnglish.com, "From March 1 to 12, the CSW will undertake a 15-year review of the Beijing Platform at the UN Headquarters in New York. The session will also include events observing International Women's Day on March 3 when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will urge action to ensure women's rights."
My Thoughts...
It is incredible to hear that the United Nations is working to make sure they examine the progress of women's rights around the country. For the past couple of months, many reports examine the domestic abuse, rape, and torture that happens to young women based on their gender. It is such a relief that many women's rights activists and organizations have come together for women's empowerment, to make sure that women around the world knows there is someone out there looking out for their well-being. Hopefully some great ideas and well-thought out plans are put into action and discussed.
To read more please go to Medical News Today, click here.
