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August 2010 – In This Issue:
Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman and UNIFEM
Executive Director Stress Women’s Equality as Central for
Recovery in Haiti
 During a visit to Haiti on 28–30 July, Inés Alberdi,
Executive Director of UNIFEM (part of UN Women) and UNIFEM Goodwill
Ambassador Nicole Kidman highlighted the urgency of addressing
gender-based violence among affected populations, and stressed
the critical need to support long-term initiatives that advance
women’s
livelihoods as part of the rebuilding efforts.
In Haiti, Ms. Alberdi and Ms. Kidman met with survivors of violence
living in a temporary camp, with Haitian and UN officials, and
with national non-governmental organizations working to support
women’s needs in recovery efforts after the devastating earthquake
in January.
"During this trip I saw first-hand how this humanitarian
disaster is impacting women and girls. The lack of shelter and
security makes them more vulnerable to violence, in particular
sexual violence," Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman said. “Yet,
I have also seen the determination and resilience of women and
men in Haiti to rebuild their country.”
Violence against women and girls was already pervasive in Haiti
before the earthquake. Women also carry a disproportionate burden
of care for children and other dependents. Some 45 percent of households
in Haiti are headed by women, while their average annual income
is considerably lower than for men. Meetings with women advocates
during the visit highlighted women’s economic empowerment
as a priority, including access to job programmes, credit and training
opportunities.
"The women of Haiti are working hard to rebuild every aspect
of their life, but they need adequate and sustained support for
their safety and security," said UNIFEM Executive Director
Inés Alberdi. "Both as a matter of right and as smart
development and security policy, women must be centrally included
in the planning of post-disaster relief and recovery. Significant
funding must be directed to increase gender equality and gender
equality must be a priority in Haiti. We must support the efforts
of Haitian women and men to build a fairer and more durable society
out of this tragedy." Read more.
View
photos.
Preparing for UN Women
 Preparations
are underway to make the newly established UN
Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women, fully operational by January 2011.
Guiding the transition is a Senior Management Team, led by the
UN Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) and comprised of the heads of
each of the four constituent entities. They are supported by a
Steering Committee of senior managers from the four constituent
entities and the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General, as well
as a Transition Team, made up of seconded staff from each organization,
external change management experts and staff from the Office of
the Deputy Secretary-General. As part of the transition plan, Task
Teams composed of staff from the four entities are operating or
being established in all of the areas where the four need to work
together, including operations, strategic planning, communications,
coordination and in key thematic areas.
For further information, visit the interim
website of
UN Women.
Global Open Days Highlight Women’s Concerns on
Peace and Security
Global
Open Days for Women and Peace were held in more than 20 post-conflict
countries around the world in June and July. Special Representatives of the
UN Secretary-General and other high-level officials met with women peace
advocates to hear their concerns, and discuss how to increase women’s
participation in sustainable conflict resolution, peacemaking and peacebuilding.
The Open Days were organized in the context of the 10th anniversary of UN
Security Council resolution 1325 by UNIFEM, the UN Department of Peacekeeping
Operations (DPKO), the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), and the UN
Development Programme (UNDP). Read
more.
On the occasion of the anniversary, UNIFEM’s Say
NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign invites
supporters to say NO to sexual violence in conflict, by signing a petition asking
governments to ensure the implementation of resolution 1325.
UNIFEM around
the WorldFund for Gender Equality Announces Grants
to Accelerate Action on Women’s Empowerment
The Fund
for Gender Equality announced in July the selection of 13
programmes from 13 countries to receive grants of up to US$3 million, totalling
more than US$27.5 million. The grants fall under the Fund’s Implementation
Grant category, which aims to accelerate action on national laws and policies
to advance gender equality. The Fund is a multi-donor initiative, currently supported
by the Governments of Spain and Norway and managed by UNIFEM. In its inaugural
granting cycle in 2009-2010, the Fund has delivered more than US$37.5 million
to 40 high-impact programmes on women’s economic and political empowerment.
In addition to the recent Implementation Grants, 27 Catalytic Grants were awarded
to programmes in 26 countries in December 2009. Read
more.
 Report Identifies Strategies to Advance the Involvement
of HIV-Positive Women in Decision-Making
At the XVIII
International AIDS Conference in Vienna in July, UNIFEM and
the ATHENA Network launched a new
report, demonstrating that the voices of HIV-positive women
are largely missing from decision-making on the HIV and AIDS
responses that affect their lives. The report identifies strategies that
can be adopted to advance the involvement of HIV-positive women
in policy mechanisms. "This report highlights the importance
of effective participation of women, especially HIV-positive
women, in being part of the solutions and in finding sustainable,
effective strategies to address HIV and AIDS," said UNIFEM
Executive Director Inés Alberdi. Read
more.
Chief Executives Worldwide Support Women’s Empowerment
Principles
UNIFEM and the UN Global
Compact announced in June the 39 lead signers of the CEO
Statement of Support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
The chief executives come from all regions of the world and represent
diverse global and national companies. The CEO Statement of Support
encourages business leaders to use the seven Women’s Empowerment
Principles as guide posts for actions that advance and empower
women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The signers
underscore that equal treatment of women and men is not just
the right thing to do — it is also good for business and
needs to be a priority. Read
more.
AFRICA
 Kenya: Third Phase of Gender and Governance
Programme Launched
The third phase of the UNIFEM-supported Gender
and Governance Programme (GGP) in Kenya was launched in Nairobi
in June. The programme promotes equal opportunities and access
to services for both men and women, addresses the need to include
women’s issues in governance structures, and supports women’s
leadership at national and local levels.
The programme is funded by a group of development partners through
a basket fund, and implemented by a consortium of women’s
organizations, under the management of UNIFEM. GGP III will focus
on providing technical support to government institutions, national
gender machineries and civil society organizations. Read
more.
Mali: Promoting Women’s Participation in Democratic
Governance
In Mali, UNIFEM will be supporting women’s participation
in the upcoming legislative elections in 2012. Funded by Spain,
the second phase of a UNIFEM-supported project, Promoting Gender
Justice in Democratic Governance in Mali, will promote the adoption
of gender-sensitive electoral processes, seek to increase the
political participation of women at national and decentralized
levels, and build the capacity of the Ministry of Women’s
Affairs to mobilize women around a common agenda. Read
more.
Rwanda: National Action Plan on Security Council Resolution
1325 Launched at International Forum
Rwanda’s National Action Plan on UN Security Council resolution
1325 was officially launched during the International Forum on
the Role of Leadership in Promoting, Accelerating and Sustaining
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Kigali in May.
The UNIFEM-supported forum, which was attended by more than 400
participants, was officially opened by the President of Rwanda,
Paul Kagame, with the participation of the UN Deputy Secretary-General,
Asha-Rose Migiro. Read
more.
Senegal: Empowering
Women Living with HIV and AIDS
A project on the political and economic empowerment of women
living with HIV and AIDS in Senegal was launched in Dakar in
June, supported by UNIFEM’s Fund for Gender Equality. The
project aims to contribute to the consideration of women’s
empowerment in key legislation and strategic documents on HIV
and AIDS, through advocacy and policy dialogue. Read
more.
South Africa: UNIFEM Partners with Man Up Campaign to
End Violence against Women and Girls
UNIFEM has partnered with the Man
Up global campaign to activate youth to stop violence against
women and girls. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,
UNIFEM supported Man Up in convening a Young
Leaders Summit in Johannesburg, where around 200 young women
and men from 50 countries came together to learn from human rights
leaders and each other about how to address violence against
women in their communities. During the five-year campaign, they
will be able to share best practices and support through a global
network. Read
more.
 Uganda: Photo Exhibition at AU Summit to Raise Awareness
on Violence against Women
The African
Union (AU) in partnership with UNIFEM presented a photo exhibition
during the 15th
AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda in July. Under the theme “Make
Peace Happen: Prevent Violence against Women and Girls,” the exhibition featured a series of pictures that aimed to raise
awareness on the ruthless reality faced by women in conflict
situations. The thirty photos cast light on the various forms
of gender-based violence and the reasons why women and girls
are particularly vulnerable in conflict and post-conflict situations.
The exhibition also presented strategies that have been developed
to address the issue. Read
more.
Consultations on Women in Cross-Border Trade in Africa
Following a regional
meeting in February on women in informal cross-border trade
in southern Africa, national consultation workshops were held
in Swaziland and Zimbabwe in June, with the aim of devising strategies
to improve their operating environment. A UNIFEM study has indicated
that a fast-growing number of women in southern Africa is
involved in informal cross-border trade. The women face
various challenges, including a complicated trade regime, vulnerability
against corrupt customs officials, harassment and lack of access
to financial services. Read
more. A conference was also held in Monrovia in May, where
an association of women in cross-border trade in Liberia was
established. Read
more.
AMERICAS & THE CARIBBEAN
Brazil: Regional Conference Calls for New Social Covenant
to Achieve Equality in the Workplace
UNIFEM participated in and co-organized events in relation to
the 11th session of the Regional
Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in
Brasilia, Brazil in July. The conference, organized by the UN
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC),
focused on women's autonomy and economic empowerment. In a position
paper, ECLAC proposes a new social covenant to redistribute
total workload between men and women, in order to facilitate
women's access to the labour market. Read
more.
 The Caribbean: Portraying the World through a Gendered
Lens
The Caribbean Sub-Regional Office of UNIFEM announced in May
the results of a regional photo competition, held in celebration
of the 30th anniversary of the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
which has been ratified by all Caribbean countries. Contestants
were invited to capture expressions of gender equality, such
as with images showing boys, girls, men and women challenging
restrictive gender stereotypes. Read
more.
ARAB STATES
Women Share a Vision for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
At a two-day conference in Madrid in June, attended by government
leaders and experts on women’s rights and the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, the International Women’s Commission for a
Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IWC) reaffirmed
its commitment to a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians
living side by side in peace. The conference was supported
by the Government of Spain and hosted by UNIFEM and the IWC,
a commission that brings together Israeli, Palestinian and
international women leaders to speak in one voice for a just
and sustainable resolution of the conflict. Read
more.
 Occupied Palestinian Territory: Towards a National Strategy
to Combat Violence against Women
The Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs and UNIFEM
organized a workshop in Ramallah in May to discuss the first
draft of a four-year National Strategy to Combat Violence against
Women. The National Strategy is the first of its kind in the
Arab region, developed through a participatory process that has
involved a wide range of actors from the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip. Building on the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
the National Strategy presents violence against women as a public
problem, affecting Palestinian society as a whole. Read
more.
ASIA & THE PACIFIC
India: Survey Casts Light on the Problem of Harassment
in Delhi
A survey supported by UNIFEM as part of the Safe Delhi for Women
project in India has confirmed that sexual harassment is
common in New Delhi and affects a large proportion of women.
The survey included more than 5,000 respondents and the results
revealed that two-thirds of women had experienced 2-5 incidents
of sexual harassment in the past year. Nine out of ten respondents
had witnessed acts of harassment. Read
more.
Timor-Leste: Law Passed on Domestic Violence
The National Parliament in Timor-Leste passed a long-awaited
law on domestic violence in May. UNIFEM provided support to
the Government in drafting the legislation and worked with
the Parliament to inform legislators about the issue. Domestic
violence is prevalent in Timor-Leste, and the most common form
of gender-based violence reported to the police. Read
more.
Viet Nam: Improving Climate Change Strategies by Including
Gender Perspectives
Viet Nam is one of the nations most vulnerable to the effects
of climate change, and women tend to disproportionately suffer
from the negative impacts. Yet, the specific concerns of women
have largely been absent from the climate change debate. To address
this gap, UNIFEM and the Women’s
Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) organized
a three-day training workshop on gender and climate change in
May, attended by representatives from government ministries,
the National Assembly, the Viet Nam Women’s Union and national
and international non-governmental organizations, as well as
UN agencies and donors. Read
more.
EUROPE & THE CIS
 Georgia: Facilitating the Delivery of Assistance to
Conflict-Affected Women
As part of a UNIFEM project in Georgia, a series of meetings
has been organized in cooperation with local authorities and
government bodies, to facilitate the delivery of effective assistance
to internally displaced and conflict-affected women and their
families. The meetings give conflict-affected women the opportunity
to voice their concerns directly with representatives from government
agencies and other decision-makers, in order to receive prompt
response and redress. Read
more.
 Kyrgyzstan: Flash Appeal
In the aftermath of the deadly violence that rocked Kyrgyzstan
in June, UNIFEM has issued a call for US$670,000 to provide
urgently needed services. Specifically, UNIFEM seeks to provide
assistance to women survivors of sexual violence and conduct
an assessment to obtain accurate data on the immediate needs
of women in the conflict-affected areas. The call for funding
is made through the UN
system-wide flash appeal for US$73,045,639 to provide assistance
over the next six months to more than 1 million people
affected by violence and displacement in the country. Read
more.
Russian Federation: Memorandum of Understanding Signed
with Academy of Public Administration
A Memorandum of Understanding between UNIFEM and the Russian
Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian
Federation was signed in Moscow in June, during the official
mission of a UNIFEM delegation to Russia. The Memorandum of Understanding
focuses mainly on introducing gender issues, including gender-responsive
budgeting, into the curriculum and professional training for
civil servants, university students, experts and civil society
activists from Russia and other countries within the Commonwealth
of Independent States. Read
more.
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Latest News web feed.
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Recent Speeches & Statements
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Recent Publications
 UNIFEM
Annual Report 2009–2010 (2010).
The Annual Report documents UNIFEM’s work to foster
women’s empowerment and gender equality around
the world. The 2009–2010 edition highlights the
efforts at the grassroots and policy level to enhance
women’s political and economic empowerment, improve
women’s safety and security, and involve the private
sector in advancing women’s rights. It also commemorates
the 10th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council
resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
|
 Addressing
Conflict-Related Sexual Violence – An Analytical
Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice (2010).
This publication captures best practices and emerging
elements for a more effective response by peacekeepers
to women’s security concerns, especially in combating
sexual violence, the premise of Security Council resolutions
1820 and 1888. It is also part of a broader agenda to
improve the capacities of peacekeepers to protect civilians
effectively.
|
 Democracy:
With Women, for Women (2010).
This publication presents an overview and analysis of
the first round of grants issued by the UN Democracy
Fund (UNDEF) in partnership with UNIFEM in 2006. The
following pages probe, in a concise fashion, what was
achieved through seven grants to improve women’s
political participation in a diverse set of countries
and regions.
|
 Evaluation
Report: UNIFEM’s Work on Gender-Responsive Budgeting (2010).
The evaluation, split into three sets of reports, provides
critical lessons on what conditions and mechanisms enable
or hinder UNIFEM’s work in increasing gender equality
in budget processes and practices. It also analyses UNIFEM’s
overall approach to gender-responsive budget programming.
|
 Evaluation
Report: United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions
to Eliminate Violence against Women (2010).
This evaluation looks into the implementation and overall
effectiveness of the 2005–2008 United Nations Trust
Fund Strategy in advancing the fund’s work on ending
violence against women at country levels.
|
 Evaluation
Report: UNIFEM’s Partnerships with Regional Organizations
to Advance Gender Equality (2010). This
report assesses UNIFEM’s partnerships with regional
organizations in order to affect progress towards gender
equality at regional and national levels. It reviews
existing partnerships and discusses areas for development,
and includes profiles of six partners and the work undertaken
by the organizations to promote and enchance gender equality.
|
Subscribe to the UNIFEM:
Recent Publications and Tools web feed.
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Featured
UNIFEM Videos
UNIFEM on YouTube: Spanish, French and Russian Playlists
Released
In August, UNIFEM introduced its first language playlists in French, Spanish and Russian.
The playlists come packed with the latest language additions of the following
videos:
 Timor-Leste: Women Make a Difference in Politics
Women risked their lives to gain Timor Leste's independence. Today,
they are succeeding in changing the politics of this tiny South-East
Asian island, but many issues have yet to be addressed within
this sphere to advance women’s rights.
Watch video: English | French | Spanish | Russian
 On the Move: Nepal's Women Migrant Workers
Millions of women work overseas each year — almost half a
million from Nepal alone. The money they send home is supporting
their families, but sometimes the women are cruelly exploited.
Now, Nepal is helping its female migrant workers fight for their
rights.
Watch video: English | French | Spanish | Russian
 Sosan's Story: Domestic Violence in Afghanistan
Eight years after the fall of the Taliban, targeted violence against
women in Afghanistan is back at an alarming level. This video
takes a look at one of the country’s six shelters where
women enduring abuse find refuge.
Watch video: English | French | Spanish | Russian
Subscribe to the UNIFEM
videos web feed.
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Current & Upcoming
Events
Job Vacancies
- Communication
Consultant for Assisting in Developing Communication Strategies and Products
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Post Level: National Consultant
Application Deadline: 22 August 2010
- Web
Writer/Editor
Location: New York - Home-based, United States of America
Post Level: International Consultant
Application Deadline: 22 August 2010
- Project
Coordination Specialist - Governance Peace and Security (GPS) - Readvertizement
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: P-3
Application Deadline: 22 August 2010
- Women’s
Economic Rights and Security Unit Manager
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Post Level: P-3
Application Deadline: 23 August 2010
- International
Consultant to Support a Study of the Costs of Domestic Violence in Croatia
Location: Home-based with travels to Croatia, Croatia
Post Level: International Consultant
Application Deadline: 24 August 2010
- Administrative
Assistant
Location: New York, United States of America
Post Level: GS-5
Application Deadline: 24 August 2010
- Women,
Peace and Governance Unit Manager
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Post Level: P-3
Application Deadline: 26 August 2010
- Regional Programme
Director
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Post Level: P-5
Application Deadline: 27 August 2010
- Gender
Responsive Budgeting Project Officer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Post Level: SB-4
Application Deadline: 31 August 2010
- Trainer for
the UN Trust Fund’s regional skills-building workshop in evidence-based
programming, monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management of programmes
to end violence against women and girls
Location: home based + Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Post Level: International Consultant
Application Deadline: 31 August 2010
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 (part of UN Women) 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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