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Press Inquiries: Béatrice Frey, +1 212 906-5829, beatrice.frey[at]unifem.org
December 2009 – In This Issue:
UNIFEM Launches Say NO – UNiTE
Campaign
 UNIFEM
launched the Say NO – UNiTE
to End Violence against Women campaign from Nairobi,
Kenya on 6 November. Say NO – UNiTE is a global
call for action on ending violence against women and girls. It
is presented by UNIFEM as a contribution to advance the objectives
of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s campaign UNiTE
to End Violence against Women through social mobilization.
To date, 137 civil society organizations from 47 countries have
partnered with Say NO and the wwww.saynotoviolence.org website
has attracted a global audience, with visitors from 191 countries.
Say NO aims to trigger and highlight actions by individuals,
governments and civil society partners. Actions can range from
reaching out to students at schools, to volunteering at local shelters,
advocating for legislation or donating funds to programmes that
protect women and girls from violence. Every action will be counted
to showcase the global groundswell of engagement that exists on
the issue. The initial target is to reach 100,000 actions by March
2010 and 1 million actions in one year.
Working through traditional as well as online networks and social
media, Say NO seeks to engage participants from all walks
of life. A range of tools that are available on www.saynotoviolence.org support
partners in their advocacy efforts and allow them to highlight
their work to a global audience. Making use of social media to
reach new audiences, the Say NO page on Facebook has at
this time attracted more than 4,000 fans.
Say NO builds upon the momentum generated during its
first phase when 5,066,549 people signed on to a global call to
make ending violence against women a top priority worldwide. Heads
of State and Ministers from 69 governments and around 700 parliamentarians
have added their names to Say NO since then, most recently
the Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, and 79
Members of the Austrian Parliament. UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador
Nicole Kidman is the Spokesperson of Say NO.
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10th Anniversary of the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
This year marked the 10th anniversary of 25 November as the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, designated
by the UN General Assembly in December 1999.
At a commemoration event at UN headquarters in New York on 24
November, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the launch
of a Network of Men Leaders, a major initiative of his UNiTE
to End Violence against Women campaign. Each member of
the network — including current and former politicians, activists,
and religious and community leaders — has committed to support
efforts on ending violence against women.
UNIFEM commemorated the day and participated in the global 16
Days of Activism against Gender Violence campaign
from 25 November to 10 December with a wide range of activities,
at headquarters and across the globe.
Secretary-General Announces
Trust Fund Grants
In a press conference commemorating the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon announced the 2009 grantees of the UN
Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against
Women that is managed by UNIFEM on behalf
of the UN system.
This
year, the UN Trust Fund awarded nearly US$10.5 million to 13 projects
and initiatives in 18 countries. The grants will support governments,
non-governmental organizations and UN Country Teams in enhancing
the implementation of laws and policies to protect women and girls
from domestic violence, and addressing pressing issues such as
sexual abuse; sexual violence in conflict; the intersection of
violence against women and HIV & AIDS; female genital mutilation;
and trafficking. The supported initiatives focus on the needs of
the most vulnerable and underserved — adolescent girls, girls
from ethnic and indigenous minorities — as well as on engaging
strategic groups such as youth, traditional leaders and men as
key agents of change.
The Secretary-General
invited member states and individuals to support the goal of his
UNiTE campaign and raise US$100 million annually for the UN Trust
Fund by 2015. For more information, visit the Trust
Fund’s webpage.
 UNIFEM
Honours HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand
In a ceremony held at UN headquarters on 24 November, UNIFEM Goodwill
Ambassador for Thailand HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol was
honoured for her exceptional contribution to ending violence against
women and girls. Under her leadership, around 3 million signatures
were collected for the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign
in Thailand. Read
more.
 Spanish
Ministry of Equality Recognizes UNIFEM
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women, the Spanish Ministry of Equality recognized UNIFEM’s
work on ending gender-based violence worldwide. UNIFEM Executive
Director Inés Alberdi received the recognition in Madrid. Read
more.
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16 Days of Activism
against Gender Violence
 Latin
America: First Regional Launch of UN Secretary-General’s
UNiTE Campaign
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s UNiTE
to End Violence against Women campaign was launched at
the regional level in Latin America on 25 November, the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. UNIFEM, in collaboration
with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), coordinates
the campaign in Latin America.
The main launch
ceremony took place in Guatemala City, chaired by the President
of Guatemala Álvaro Colom. At this first regional launch
of the UNiTE campaign, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
appeared in a video message, where he thanked the countries of
Latin America for uniting to realize the goal of eliminating violence
against women. Read
more (en español).
Launch events
were held simultaneously in a number of other countries across
Latin America. In the countries of the Andean region, trees were
planted in each capital city to make visible a long-term, and growing,
commitment to end violence against women. Read
more.
West Africa:
UNiTE Campaign Launched
The UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE
to End Violence against Women was officially launched in the
region of West Africa in Dakar, Senegal on 26 November, as part
of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. Under
the coordination of UNIFEM’s West Africa Sub-Regional Office,
the event took place in a central square in Dakar, enabling community
participation. The Cabinet Director of the Department of Justice
chaired the ceremony. Read
more.
 Central
Africa: Men and Boys Encouraged to Act against
Gender-Based Violence
UNIFEM offices across the Central Africa region organized and participated
in events related to the 16 Days of Activism campaign
from 25 November to 10 December. In Rwanda, the
focus this year was on raising awareness of the Gender-Based Violence
Law and supporting its implementation. A particular focus was also
on mobilizing men and boys in prevention efforts. The UN Country
Team in coordination with the National Women’s Council organized
a town hall meeting in Kigali to discuss male involvement in preventing
violence against women, with the participation of key officials
and members of the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC).
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
UNIFEM joined the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) at an event in Kinshasa, aimed at raising awareness on
violence against women among 120 male and 20 female refugees. In
Yaoundé, Cameroon, UNIFEM organized panel
discussions to assess the efforts put in place by the government
to end violence against women. Key recommendations drawn from the
discussions included that the adoption of a new family law in Cameroon
must be made a priority, and that a network of men leaders should
be set up to advance the work of the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign. Read
more.
 Nigeria:
Police Officers Trained on Violence against Women and Human Trafficking
UNIFEM, in collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA, ActionAid Nigeria
and the Nigerian Police Force, organized a two-day training workshop
for 30 senior police officers on responses to violence against
women and human trafficking. The training took place in Abuja and
was organized as part of this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign.
The workshop aimed to increase the knowledge of key police officers
on legislation and policy frameworks, as well as their skills in
handling cases of violence against women and trafficking. Read
more.
Publication on Trafficking
and Forced Prostitution of Palestinian Women
As part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign and on the
eve of the International Human Rights Day, UNIFEM in the occupied
Palestinian territory launched the publication Trafficking
and Forced Prostitution of Palestinian Women and Girls: Forms of
Modern Day Slavery on 9 December. The publication is the first
in-depth study of its kind within the region, analysing six case
studies — two of fathers selling their daughters, three of
traffickers and one of a woman working in prostitution. The paper
also assesses and measures the extent of trafficking in women in
the Palestinian region. Read
more.
 Timor-Leste:
Gender Trainings in Remote Districts
With support from UNIFEM, the office of the Secretary of State
for the Promotion of Equality in Timor-Leste organized a number
of activities during the 16 Days of Activism, including
a national awareness-raising campaign on the new domestic violence
legislation and an international conference on women in post-conflict
societies. A series of trainings on gender issues was undertaken
in some of the remotest districts in the country, where many women
are unaware of their legal rights and have difficulties in accessing
services and justice. Read
more.
 India:
Safe Delhi for Women Initiative Announced
The Safe Delhi for Women initiative was launched on the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The project
aims at creating a city that is safe and accessible to women, by
mobilizing local authorities and community stakeholders, and implementing
practical measures, for example, in urban planning, policing and
transportation. It is supported by UNIFEM and implemented in collaboration
with the Department of Women and Child Development of the Delhi
Government, the non-governmental organization JAGORI and UN Habitat. Read
more.
Pakistan: Raising
Awareness in Rural Communities
UNIFEM supported eight non-governmental organizations across Pakistan
in carrying out activities around the 16 Days of Activism.
One of them, the Pakistan Human Development Foundation (PHDF),
organized an awareness-raising campaign in southern Punjab Province,
where women and girls in some rural communities have traditionally
been barred from public space. Preparatory discussions with the
village leaders and subsequent separate talks with groups of men
and women eventually brought both parties to sit together to watch
a theatre performance and discuss women’s rights in an Islamic
society. Read
more.
 Iceland:
Marchers Throw Light on Violence against Women
The National Committee for UNIFEM in Iceland, along with more than
40 Icelandic women’s organizations and human rights groups,
organized a Walk of Light in Reykjavík to mark the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning
of the 16 Days of Activism campaign. The Walk of
Light was led by prominent officials and public figures — including
the Prime Minister of Iceland, the Minister of Finance, and the
Head of the Police Force in the Capital Area — all carrying
torches that were meant to throw light on gender-based violence.
The march went from the city centre to the Reykjavík waterfront,
where participants faced the Imagine
Peace Tower, a column of light that extends from an island
in the harbor, created by artist and peace advocate Yoko Ono. For
fifteen minutes, the light column was turned off, to bring attention
to the widespread — but hidden — human rights violation. Read
more.
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UNIFEM around
the World
30th Anniversary of CEDAW
Celebrated
On 3 December, the United Nations commemorated the 30th
anniversary of the adoption of the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The event at UN headquarters, organized by UNIFEM in collaboration
with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, featured
case studies from around the world that demonstrated how instrumental
the Convention has been to advance women’s human rights and
achieve gender equality. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened
the event; other speakers included the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and the Chair of the CEDAW Committee,
Naéla Gabr. The event also included a performance by Tony
Award–winning playwright Sarah Jones. Watch the event’s webcast and
see a listing of other events taking
place around the world on the CEDAW anniversary website.
AFRICA
15-Year Review of the
Beijing Platform for Action: Women’s Participation Necessary
in Responses to Economic Crisis
The regional conference for the 15-year review of the Beijing Platform
for Action in Africa was held in Banjul, Gambia, in November. During
a UNIFEM side event on the impacts of the economic crisis on women
in Africa, participants agreed that national governments in Africa
should establish economic stimulus packages aimed at women and
promote the participation of women in all mechanisms set up to
tackle the impacts of the crisis. The recommendations were presented
to the Ministers of Gender and Women’s Affairs attending
the Beijing+15 conference, and subsequently adopted in its final
declaration. Read
more.
 UNIFEM
Formalizes Partnership with the Economic Community of the Great
Lakes
UNIFEM signed a cooperation agreement with the Economic Community
of the Countries of the Great Lakes (CEPGL) in Kigali, Rwanda,
in November. By formalizing their partnership, UNIFEM and CEPGL
affirmed their commitment to respond to the persistent challenges
related to conflict, poverty, migration, internal displacement,
violence and human trafficking. Both UNIFEM and CEPGL will work
with and mobilize key partners at regional, national and local
levels to promote gender equality, peace and security in the region. Read
more.
AMERICAS & THE CARIBBEAN
Colombia: Campaign
to Prevent Harassment on Public Buses in Bogotá
As part of the UNIFEM programme, Cities without Violence
against Women: Safe Cities for All, in Colombia, a campaign was
launched in November to raise awareness of women’s experiences
of harassment on the TransMilenio rapid bus transportation system
in Bogotá. The campaign features posters and electronic
billboards, and popular theatre performances focus on what it might
feel like to be a woman on a crowded bus. The problem of harassment
of women is common on public transportation systems in Latin American
cities. Following the example of Mexico City, Bogotá city
council members recently agreed to establish women-only subway
cars. Read
more.
ARAB STATES
Egypt: Government Scales
Up Gender Equity Certification for Private Sector
The Government of Egypt has announced plans to expand a programme,
piloted by UNIFEM, to strengthen gender equality in the private
sector. The Gender Equity Model Egypt (GEME) has set up a voluntary
certification scheme with minimum standards for hiring, training
and promoting women in private sector firms. Companies that meet
these standards earn a gender equity seal, which serves as public
recognition of their efforts to embrace corporate social responsibility
norms for women. Egypt’s Ministry of Investment will create
and fund a new Gender Equality Certification Unit to manage the
programme, in cooperation with the National Council for Women and
the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration. Read
more.
ASIA & THE PACIFIC
 India: UNIFEM Executive
Director Signs Agreement on New Programme
During her first official visit to India on 2–4 November,
UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi signed a partnership
agreement with the Norwegian Ambassador on a new programme on women’s
political leadership and governance in India and South Asia. The
project will aim to strengthen the capacities of elected women
representatives, and a regional centre for capacity building will
be established. Read
more.
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Recent Speeches & Statements
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Recent Publications
 Together
We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (2009).
This publication profiles ten organizations that are
working on innovative strategies to address the intertwined
pandemics of violence against women and girls and HIV & AIDS.
It provides lessons learned and highlights key elements
to consider when tackling the intersection. The aim is
to stimulate debate and collaboration among practicioners
and advocates around how to identify and promote effective
prevention policies and practices that can be adapted
to various contexts.
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 Trafficking
and Forced Prostitution of Palestinian Women and Girls:
Forms of Modern Day Slavery (2008). This
briefing paper is the the first, in-depth study of its
kind to assess and measure the extent of women trafficking
in the Palestinian region. It aims to push civil society
organizations and Palestinian governmental institutions
to take urgent and concrete actions against this human
rights violation.
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 The
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 – Are
governments keeping their promises? (2009).
AIDS Accountability International has released the first-ever
global scorecard analysing country responses to the specific
needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of
the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment and rating
is developed through a comprehensive consultative process
with global health experts and civil society representatives
from across the world, and evaluates data on women that
all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. UNIFEM was on
the development team.
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Current & Upcoming
Events
- Campaña
Iberoamericana contra la Violencia de Género (International,
14.09.09–31.12.09)
- Fourth
Wave: Violence, Gender, Culture & HIV in the 21st Century (International,
01.10.09–30.12.09)
- Call
for Proposals: United Nations Democracy Fund (International,
16.11.09–31.12.09)
- Side
Events at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP
15) (Denmark, 07.12.09–18.12.09)
- CEDAW
Media Campaign: Putting Women’s Rights on the Development
Agenda in Cameroon (Cameroon, 14.12.09–19.12.09)
- Celebrating
CEDAW in the Arab Region (Egypt, 15.12.09–16.12.09)
- Book
Launch: CEDAW Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators (Syria,
23.12.09)
- Application
Deadline: Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund – Scholarship
Fund for Women from Developing Countries (International,
18.02.10)
- 5th
Annual International Women’s Film Festival (United
States, 26.03.10–02.04.10)
- 5th
World Conference on Women and Sport (Australia, 20.05.10–23.05.10)
Job Vacancies
- Monitoring
Specialist
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: P-3
Application Deadline: 18 December 2009
- Programme
Advisor
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: P-5
Application Deadline: 21 December 2009
- Consultant:
Gender Equality
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: National Consultant
Application Deadline: 22 December 2009
- Programme
Associate
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: GS-6
Application Deadline: 29 December 2009
Subscribe to the UNIFEM
Job Vacancies web feed.
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About UNIFEM Currents
UNIFEM Currents is the electronic news bulletin
of the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM). It provides up-to-date information
briefs on UNIFEM initiatives, successes, events, projects and activities
worldwide. It is published several times per year and delivered
by e-mail. Click
here to subscribe to UNIFEM Currents.
UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations.
It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes
and strategies to foster women's empowerment and gender equality.
Placing the advancement of women's human rights at the centre of
all of its efforts, UNIFEM focuses its activities on reducing feminized
poverty; ending violence against women; reversing the spread of
HIV/AIDS among women and girls; and achieving gender equality in
democratic governance in times of peace as well as war. For more
information, visit www.unifem.org.
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