Zhila Bani-Yaghoub is editor of the “Focus on Iranian Women” website. She was summoned in November 2012 to begin serving a one-year sentence at Evin Prison on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “insulting the president” for articles she wrote during the 2009 presidential election.
Ms. Bani-Yaghboub was also banned from practicing journalism for 30 years. She had previously been tried and acquitted on similar charges three previous times since 2009. Learn More
Landmark Agreements Reached at the 57th UN Commission on the Status of Women
“Far too often and for too many years, politics, culture and religion have been used to deflect efforts to address and prevent violence against women and girls. But as the United Nations 57th Commission on the Status of Women drew to a close, members rose above these arguments and found common ground in reaching a set of “Agreed Conclusions.” On March 15, they declared that all states have the unqualified responsibility to protect women and girls from violence so that they can live up to their greatest potential. No excuses”. Read Full Blog Post
GPOI and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security have proven to be a natural fit, particularly in working to address sexual and gender-based violence, which remains a tragic scourge of war zones. Read More
10 facts about women and hunger and the crucial role they play in defeating hunger. Celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday, March 6th! What will you be doing to celebrate?
“The legal empowerment of women and ensuring their access to justice is an important priority for the United States. Women in the United States fought long and hard to achieve laws that protect women from discrimination based on gender and we enjoy the benefits of a justice system that can enforce these laws. While the prevention and prosecution of violence against women is but one aspect of achieving gender equality, it is a critically important one and the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 by the U.S. Congress created a paradigm shift in how the issue of violence against women is addressed nationwide in the United States.” Full Text»
Today, the U.S.-India Joing Working Group on UN Peacekeeping Operations it meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. Following their morning meetings, members of the U.S. and Indian delegations took this photo in the Department’s Ralph Bunche Library. 2/13/13. State Department Photo.
"Sexual violence in our international community is not just a health concern, not just a social issue, and not just a criminal justice issue. It is an attack against human dignity that undermines transitioning states. As the driving force for self-preservation, human dignity is rooted in the right to live a life free from violence or the threat of violence. Syrians and Libyans have the opportunity to re-build their nations—and they must—but this starts by protecting each of their citizens—men, women, boys, and girls—from fear and from harm."
Women’s access to justice: Much more needs to be done and IDLO is working on just that. “What matters is what works. At stake is not the form justice takes: it is that women get justice and are treated equally,” says Irene Khan. See IDLO’s new Global Report on Women’s Access to Justice: http://bit.ly/Yfiokl
UN Photo
Today is the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). An estimated 100 to 145 million women have undergone this brutal procedure, and about 3 million girls are at risk each year. Starting now, watch a live webcast of a panel of experts who will discuss successful efforts and solutions to address this issue. http://goo.gl/wX3xd
When you educate a girl, it changes her world. Learn more about 10x10 - Girl Rising: http://bit.ly/11nDSD4
Check out these great photos from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations showing acknowledging the contributions of female police in Timor-Leste. (Photos by Martine perret/UNMIT 28 May 2009)
