Women’s rights are under attack 30 years after leaders adopted a blueprint for equality, UN says
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Women’s rights are under attack 30 years after leaders adopted a blueprint for equality, UN says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women’s and girls’ rights are under attack and gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in economies and societies. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.” He said the world must stand firm “in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.” The 189 countries that attended a 1995 Beijing women’s conference adopted a landmark declaration and 150-page platform for action to achieve gender equality, calling for bold action in 12 areas, including combating poverty and gender-based violence and putting women at top levels in business, government and at peacemaking tables. It also said for the first time in a U.N. document that human rights include the right of women to control and decide “on matters relating to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of discrimination, coercion and violence.” In the new review, which includes contributions from 159 countries, UN Women said countries have taken many steps forward on gender equality and women’s rights in the past five years but that such rights still are facing growing threats worldwide. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said that based on the report’s findings, the agency has adopted a roadmap to bring the world closer to the U.N. goal of achieving gender equality by 2030.

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History of this topic

Confronting backlash against women’s rights, 193 nations commit to speed action on gender equality
1 week, 6 days ago

Confronting backlash against women’s rights, 193 nations commit to speed action on gender equality

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Confronting a rising backlash against women’s rights, the U.N.’s 193 member nations made a commitment Monday to accelerate action on more than a dozen fronts to achieve gender equality. Its policy and program director, Sarah Hendriks, told a news conference the number of countries reporting a backlash is likely underreported and reflects “an increasingly hostile environment.” U.N. …

International Women's Day: UN calls for making rights, equality, empowerment a reality for all women
2 weeks, 2 days ago

International Women's Day: UN calls for making rights, equality, empowerment a reality for all women

India TV News  

International Women's Day: UN calls for making rights, equality, empowerment a reality for all women "When women and girls can rise, we all thrive," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message ahead of the International Women's Day. New York: On the occasion of International Women's Day, the UN has called for the international community to stand firm in making …

Women's rights weakened in a quarter of all countries, UN says
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Women's rights weakened in a quarter of all countries, UN says

The Hindu  

Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women's and girls' rights are under attack and gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in economies and societies. The report released on Thursday by the UN agency focused on women's rights and gender equality found that nearly one-quarter of governments worldwide reported …

Fight gender discrimination, patriarchal exploitation, says women’s panel chief
1 month, 1 week ago

Fight gender discrimination, patriarchal exploitation, says women’s panel chief

The Hindu  

Expressing deep concern over increasing patriarchal values in society, State Women’s Commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary has called upon people, especially women, not to accept patriarchy as their fate but to fight gender discrimination and exploitation to assert their rights. If women are aware of their rights and fight back, patriarchal oppression automatically comes down,” she said, after inaugurating a women’s …

War affects over 600 million women and girls, UN says
4 months, 3 weeks ago

War affects over 600 million women and girls, UN says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

The Taliban’s repression of women in Afghanistan is outrageous, the UN rights chief says
6 months, 2 weeks ago

The Taliban’s repression of women in Afghanistan is outrageous, the UN rights chief says

Associated Press  

ISLAMABAD — The Taliban’s repressive control over women and girls in Afghanistan is unparalleled and will jeopardize the country’s future, the U.N. rights chief warned Monday. Volker Türk said new morality laws that ban women’s voices and bare faces in public, along with sweeping bans on education and most jobs, were outrageous and amounted to systematic gender persecution. The Taliban …

Women’s rights will be raised at the UN meeting being attended by Taliban, UN official says
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Women’s rights will be raised at the UN meeting being attended by Taliban, UN official says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. political chief who will chair the first meeting between Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers and envoys from about 25 countries answered sharp criticism that Afghan women have been excluded, saying Wednesday that women’s rights will be raised at every session. Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo stressed to a small group of reporters that the two-day meeting starting Sunday is …

​Afghanistan in a state of gender apartheid as women's rights are being picked apart
11 months, 1 week ago

​Afghanistan in a state of gender apartheid as women's rights are being picked apart

Hindustan Times  

In March 2024 Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, broadcast a message about resuming public stoning and flogging women to death as punishments for adultery-related crimes. It was reminiscent of the Taliban’s first stint in power in Kabul from 1996-2001, during which women and girls were barred from education, employment and going out in public without a …

A meeting of the UN body promoting equality for women starts with 5 male speakers
1 year ago

A meeting of the UN body promoting equality for women starts with 5 male speakers

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The U.N.’s preeminent body promoting equality for women …

UN chief: Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women’s rights
1 year ago

UN chief: Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women’s rights

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Legal equality for women could take centuries as the fight for gender equality is becoming an uphill struggle against widespread discrimination and gross human human rights abuses, the United Nations chief said on International Women’s Day. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a packed U.N. commemoration Friday that “a global backlash against women’s rights is threatening, and in some …

UN chief: Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women's rights
1 year ago

UN chief: Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women's rights

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women’s rights, U.N. chief says
1 year ago

Legal equality for women could take 300 years as backlash rises against women’s rights, U.N. chief says

LA Times  

A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations from an aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan. Legal equality for women could take centuries as the fight for gender equality is becoming an uphill struggle against widespread discrimination and gross human human rights abuses, the United Nations chief said on International Women’s Day. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a …

As mental health worsens among Afghanistan’s women, the UN is asked to declare ‘gender apartheid’
1 year, 5 months ago

As mental health worsens among Afghanistan’s women, the UN is asked to declare ‘gender apartheid’

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N.’s most powerful body must support governments seeking to legally declare the intensifying crackdown by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on women and girls “gender apartheid,” the head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality said Tuesday. The women interviewed said the dramatic shrinking of their influence on decision-making, not just at the national or provincial level but …

Women's Equality Day 2023: History of Women's Rights and Ongoing Global Challenges
1 year, 6 months ago

Women's Equality Day 2023: History of Women's Rights and Ongoing Global Challenges

News 18  

WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY 2023: Women’s Equality Day, observed annually on August 26th, is a momentous occasion. On this day, we reflect on the history of women’s rights, the challenges women face worldwide, and the continued efforts to create a more equitable world for all. Women’s Equality Day serves as a reminder that the struggle for gender equality is far from …

Afghan supreme leader says women 'saved from oppression' by Taliban
1 year, 8 months ago

Afghan supreme leader says women 'saved from oppression' by Taliban

The Hindu  

Afghanistan's supreme leader said Sunday the country's women were being saved from "traditional oppressions" by the adoption of Islamic governance and their status as "free and dignified human beings" restored. In a statement marking this week's Eid al-Adha holiday, Hibatullah Akhundzada – who rarely appears in public and rules by decree from the Taliban's birthplace in Kandahar – said steps …

Taliban treatment of women could be ‘gender apartheid’: UN expert
1 year, 9 months ago

Taliban treatment of women could be ‘gender apartheid’: UN expert

Al Jazeera  

Taliban spokesperson rejects the report and accuses the UN and the West of ‘spreading propaganda’ against its administration. A United Nations expert said on Monday that the treatment of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban could amount to “gender apartheid” as their rights continue to be undermined by the governing authorities. “Grave, systematic and institutionalised discrimination against women and …

Almost nine out of 10 people still hold biases against women, UN report finds
1 year, 9 months ago

Almost nine out of 10 people still hold biases against women, UN report finds

ABC  

Bias against women is almost the same as it was a decade ago and gender inequality is stagnant, according to new, "disappointing" research released by the United Nations Development Programme. Key points: The UN says the findings in the report are disappointing It revealed no improvement in biases against women The report called on governments to fix the gap Almost …

UN draft urges Afghan rulers to reverse bans on women, girls
1 year, 10 months ago

UN draft urges Afghan rulers to reverse bans on women, girls

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — A U.N. resolution that calls on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to swiftly reverse their increasingly harsh restrictions on women and girls and condemns their ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations is set to be voted on Thursday by the Security Council. In late December, the Taliban banned aid groups from employing Afghan women, and on …

World marks Women´s Day but abuses, inequality still rampant
2 years ago

World marks Women´s Day but abuses, inequality still rampant

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres note that …

Governments criticised for keeping women from peace talks
2 years ago

Governments criticised for keeping women from peace talks

The Hindu  

On the eve of International Women's Day, leading women's rights campaigners at the United Nations and the African Union and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate criticised male-dominated governments on March 7 for excluding women from peace negotiations. Sima Bahous, head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality, lamented “the regression in women's rights.” She told the Security Council that “we …

Women's Day: UN says women have been erased from public life in Afghanistan, gender equality 300 years away
2 years ago

Women's Day: UN says women have been erased from public life in Afghanistan, gender equality 300 years away

Op India  

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the progress toward gender equality is “vanishing before our eyes,” and it will take 300 years to bridge that gap, according to the official release from the UN. While addressing the UN session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Monday, Guterres said, “It takes on even greater significance at a …

International Women's Day: Global Initiatives Against Gender Discrimination
2 years ago

International Women's Day: Global Initiatives Against Gender Discrimination

The Hindu  

The idea of a gender equal world seems like a far off reality even in 2023. And if regular rankings may show strong disparities between countries and regions, let’s not fool ourselves—no country in the world is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. The news media plays a crucial role not only in denouncing attacks on women’s rights …

Governments criticized for keeping women from peace talks
2 years ago

Governments criticized for keeping women from peace talks

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — On the eve of International Women’s Day, leading women’s rights campaigners at the United Nations and the African Union and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate criticized male-dominated governments Tuesday for excluding women from peace negotiations. Sima Bahous, head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality, lamented “the regression in women’s rights.” She told the Security Council that …

Governments criticized for keeping women from peace talks
2 years ago

Governments criticized for keeping women from peace talks

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sima Bahous, head of the U.N. agency promoting gender …

UN official says status of women 'under siege'
2 years ago

UN official says status of women 'under siege'

China Daily  

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous speaks during a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb 22, 2023. UNITED NATIONS - The head of the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality said on Tuesday that the status of women is "under siege," more than 20 years after the UN Security Council passed a milestone …

UN official says status of women 'under siege'
2 years ago

UN official says status of women 'under siege'

China Daily  

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous speaks during a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb 22, 2023. UNITED NATIONS - The head of the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality said on Tuesday that the status of women is "under siege," more than 20 years after the UN Security Council passed a milestone …

International Women's Day 2023: History, significance, theme
2 years ago

International Women's Day 2023: History, significance, theme

Hindustan Times  

Every year on March 8, International Women's Day is observed to spread the message of gender equality to create a better society free of gender bias. International Women's Day honours all types of women by focusing on important issues such as women's equal rights, violence and abuse against women, and reproductive rights. History According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, …

UN says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women’s rights
2 years, 2 months ago

UN says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women’s rights

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — A delegation led by the highest-ranking woman at the United Nations urged the Taliban during a four-day visit to Afghanistan that ended Friday to reverse their crackdown on women and girls. The team, headed by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, found that some Taliban officials “have been cooperative and they’ve received some signs of progress,” said U.N. …

UN envoy says ‘progress’ made on Afghan women’s rights
2 years, 2 months ago

UN envoy says ‘progress’ made on Afghan women’s rights

Al Jazeera  

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who held talks with Taliban, tells Al Jazeera some progress in the health sector made but much remains to be done. A UN delegation, which held talks with senior Taliban officials in Afghanistan, has made headway on women’s rights, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told Al Jazeera on Saturday, cautioning that much remains to be …

Senior UN officials in Afghanistan to press for women’s rights
2 years, 2 months ago

Senior UN officials in Afghanistan to press for women’s rights

Al Jazeera  

Top United Nations officials visiting Afghanistan have held talks with the Taliban-led administration to discuss women’s education and work, weeks after authorities banned most women from working at NGOs and female students from attending universities. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the “unprecedented, systemic attacks on women’s and girls’ rights”, which he said “are creating gender-based apartheid”. “FM Muttaqi …

Many women's rights were taken away in 2022, but global feminist solidarity is on the rise
2 years, 2 months ago

Many women's rights were taken away in 2022, but global feminist solidarity is on the rise

ABC  

Looking back at 2022, rights groups, experts and advocates agree that "it's not a very bright picture" for many women around the world. "I think it's a bit sad, in many ways, when we look back at 2022 and see that women have rights than their mothers did in many places," Dr Dulhunty said. "We had almost 30 years of …

U.N. calls on Taliban to drop restrictions on women
2 years, 2 months ago

U.N. calls on Taliban to drop restrictions on women

The Hindu  

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday decried increasing restrictions on women's rights in Afghanistan, urging the country's Taliban rulers to reverse them immediately. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk pointed to “terrible consequences” of a decision to bar women from working for non-governmental organisations. "These unfathomable restrictions placed on women and girls will not only increase the suffering …

UN Calls on Taliban to Drop Restrictions on Women
2 years, 2 months ago

UN Calls on Taliban to Drop Restrictions on Women

News 18  

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday decried increasing restrictions on women’s rights in Afghanistan, urging the country’s Taliban rulers to reverse them immediately. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk pointed to “terrible consequences” of a decision to bar women from working for non-governmental organizations. “No country can develop — indeed survive — socially and economically with half its …

Bill of Rights: It’s not just the US rolling back women’s rights – Britain is too
2 years, 8 months ago

Bill of Rights: It’s not just the US rolling back women’s rights – Britain is too

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I’ve seen people on social media offer American women refuge in safe states or foreign countries …

Fatal backslide on women's rights in US: China Daily editorial
2 years, 8 months ago

Fatal backslide on women's rights in US: China Daily editorial

China Daily  

Demonstrators protest against the Supreme Court's overturning of the Roe vs Wade abortion-rights ruling in San Francisco, California, the United States, on June 24, 2022. The US Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v Wade, a landmark decision that established a constitutional right to abortion in the nation nearly half a century ago. The US Supreme Court's seismic ruling on …

UN holds emergency meeting on Taliban crackdown on women
2 years, 10 months ago

UN holds emergency meeting on Taliban crackdown on women

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council held emergency closed consultations Thursday on the Taliban’s latest crackdown on Afghan women as it considered a presidential statement that would express deep concern at the new ban by Afghanistan’s rulers on women leaving home “without necessity” and wearing head-to-toe clothing when they do go out in public. Norway’s deputy U.N. ambassador Trine …

Taliban broke promises on rights: Outgoing Afghan envoy to UN
3 years, 6 months ago

Taliban broke promises on rights: Outgoing Afghan envoy to UN

Al Jazeera  

Nasir Ahmad Andisha says ‘women’s rights are disappearing from the landscape’ and accuses the group of ‘widespread atrocities’. The Taliban has already broken its promises to safeguard women and protect human rights, and the international community must hold it to account, says the outgoing government’s ambassador to the United Nations. “The Taliban have vowed to respect women’s rights but women’s …

‘Afghanistan has changed, women will fight back’
3 years, 6 months ago

‘Afghanistan has changed, women will fight back’

Deccan Chronicle  

Kabul: At a time that the world is floundering to brainstorm a solution to the humanitarian crisis concerning women in Afghanistan, comes the voice of a valiant former judge. In all countries, being a female judge is a huge argument for women’s role in public life, and most acutely so in Afghanistan. When the mujahideen came to power in Afghanistan, …

On International Women’s Day, we must not let a year of Covid reverse decades of progress in gender equality
4 years ago

On International Women’s Day, we must not let a year of Covid reverse decades of progress in gender equality

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Even so, our values are shared, …

This Women’s Day, I Wish Gender Justice Isn’t Just a Utopian Ideal
4 years ago

This Women’s Day, I Wish Gender Justice Isn’t Just a Utopian Ideal

The Quint  

What I want this International Women's Day is a change in how our system responds to cases of violence against women and girls. As a young woman, it never ceases to amaze me that people still use the term “gender equality” as if it were an unattainable, utopian ideal. Perhaps one of the most important conversations of our time, at …

习近平在联合国大会纪念北京世界妇女大会25周年高级别会议上的讲话（双语全文）
4 years, 5 months ago

习近平在联合国大会纪念北京世界妇女大会25周年高级别会议上的讲话（双语全文）

China Daily  

2020年10月1日，国家主席习近平在联合国大会纪念北京世界妇女大会25周年高级别会议上通过视频发表重要讲话。 以下是讲话双语全文： 在联合国大会纪念北京世界妇女大会25周年高级别会议上的讲话 Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the High-level Meeting on the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of The Fourth World Conference on Women （2020年10月1日，北京） 中华人民共和国主席 习近平 Beijing, 1 October 2020 主席先生， 各位同事： Mr. President, Colleagues, 在联合国成立75周年之际，我们纪念北京世界妇女大会召开25周年，促进性别平等，推动全球妇女事业发展。我对此感到高兴，预祝本次高级别会议取得圆满成功。 On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, we gather to …

25 years after UN women's meeting, equality remains distant
4 years, 5 months ago

25 years after UN women's meeting, equality remains distant

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Unless we act now," he said, "gender equality could be set back by decades.” Ahead of …

Men are dying more from coronavirus. But the lockdown will hurt women and their rights
4 years, 10 months ago

Men are dying more from coronavirus. But the lockdown will hurt women and their rights

CNN  

London CNN — The novel coronavirus seems to be more deadly for men. “Crises like this exacerbate already existing structural inequalities in society – when it comes to women’s rights, women’s health, and women’s economic status, this is exactly what we are seeing now,” said Kristina Lunz, co-founder of The Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy. “What we know from history, …

'Disturbingly misogynistic' conference run only by men pledges to 'Make Women Great Again'
5 years, 2 months ago

'Disturbingly misogynistic' conference run only by men pledges to 'Make Women Great Again'

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A “disturbingly misogynistic” conference that promises to “make women great again” but …

6 Young Women Went To The U.N. With A Bill Of Rights For Girls
5 years, 5 months ago

6 Young Women Went To The U.N. With A Bill Of Rights For Girls

NPR  

6 Young Women Went To The U.N. With A Bill Of Rights For Girls Enlarge this image toggle caption Yana Paskova for NPR Yana Paskova for NPR Six young women went to the U.N. yesterday to present a document that has no precedent: a Global Girls' Bill of Rights. "Many girls in my country don't even know what their rights …

Thanks, Catherine Deneuve, for being brave enough to address the human rights issue of our time: men's right to hit on women
7 years, 2 months ago

Thanks, Catherine Deneuve, for being brave enough to address the human rights issue of our time: men's right to hit on women

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When I scan the international news these days, there’s one human rights …

Anger over Saudi appointment to UN Women's Rights commission
7 years, 10 months ago

Anger over Saudi appointment to UN Women's Rights commission

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Saudi Arabia has been voted …

Women of the world, unite!
8 years ago

Women of the world, unite!

Al Jazeera  

Now is the time to continue marching forward with our heads and placards held high for all to see. Governments must urgently bring harmful culture and tradition closer to international human rights, and dismantle the legal discriminations and barriers that keep and push women back. Governments must urgently bring harmful culture and tradition closer to international human rights, and dismantle …

Women of the world, unite!
8 years ago

Women of the world, unite!

Al Jazeera  

Now is the time to continue marching forward with our heads and placards held high for all to see. Governments must urgently bring harmful culture and tradition closer to international human rights, and dismantle the legal discriminations and barriers that keep and push women back. Governments must urgently bring harmful culture and tradition closer to international human rights, and dismantle …

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