Almost 20 years ago, in September 1995, thousands of people gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women. From the conference, 189 countries adopted a landmark roadmap “The Beijing Platform for Action”, which was considered as a major achievement to advancing women’s rights and to put women’s rights and gender equality on governments agenda. Ahead of the commemoration of the 20thanniversary of the Beijing conference, UN WOMEN launched a major campaign in 2014 around the world to raise awareness on the challenges that remain for achieving gender equality. African women’s rights organisations and activists gathered in Addis-Ababa,Ethiopia from 14-16th

November 2014 to raise awareness on the challenges that remain for achieving gender equality and to lobby and push African governments to uphold National and International Law and policies to make gender equality a reality.

African Women's Decade: 2014 Annual Review

Извор: WUNRN – 05.02.2015

The Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which sit not in Spain but on the coast of Morocco, are the only two places where the European Union shares a land border with an African country. As such, these Spanish enclaves have the most heavily guarded borders in the EU to keep out African migrants.

On occasion, large groups of African citizens—most of them fleeing war and poverty—will attempt to reach Spanish soil through Ceuta or Melilla. It was such an attempt one year ago that ended in an easily preventable tragedy.

On February 6, 2014, several hundred migrants from sub-Saharan Africa launched themselves off the coast of Morocco in an attempt to make their way around a breakwater and onto Ceuta’s El Tarajal beach. For us at Caminando Fronteras - a rights group based at the borders that has advised the Open Society Foundations on migration issues—this was just another day of monitoring the crossings and documenting any rights violations. We had no idea what we were about to witness.

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We hear regular calls to the “International Community” as for funding, aid, support, but how often are these directly related to women’s issues?

How often are the issues of women and girls caught in a web of politics, military interventions, religions, culture, patriarchy, conflict, and thus the “international community” may not step forward because of power, politics, private interests. There may be petitions and appeals as by NGO’s, human rights programs; but for the “international community” to be identified for support, the dynamics of power and intervention may well be elusive on women’s rights as in Nigeria: Bring Back Our Girls!”

What Does “The International Community” Mean & How Often Is It Focused on WOMEN’S RIGHTS?

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DOKA, Sudan – Like the vast majority of women in Sudan, Haja Aicha underwent female genital mutilation (FGM)  as a child. And like many women, she says the procedure was agonizing. But unlike most people, Haja Aicha has decided to do something about it – help end the practice once and for all.

Tomorrow, 6 February, is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, a day to raise awareness of the practice and to work towards its elimination. Worldwide, there are an estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women who have undergone some form of FGM, and if current trends continue, some 15 million more girls (aged 15-19) will be cut by 2020.

FGM is a human rights violation, and it can cause both immediate and long-term complications, including chronic pain, infections, childbirth complications, infertility and, sometimes, even death. Some 88 per cent of women and girls in Sudan have been subjected to the practice, according to the 2010 Sudan household and demographic survey.

But all this can change when community members – including women and girls – are empowered to take a stand.

More information

Извор: WUNFPA – 05.02.2015

 In Mauritania, the National Association of Midwives has publicly declared their opposition to FGM and their pledge to abandon the practice in the communities they serve. Photo credit: UNFPA Mauritania

Recognizing the importance of engaging health workers in the effort to end FGM, the 2015 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation will be marked under the theme “Mobilization and Involvement of Health Personnel to Accelerate Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation”.

• Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons - , and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

• It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls. The practice also violates their rights to health, security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure results in death.

  KEY FACTS

• Over 140 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM.

• If current trends continue, about 86 million additional girls worldwide will be subjected to the practice by 2030.

• FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15.

• FGM cause severe bleeding and health issues including cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth increased risk of newborn deaths.

• FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

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