Latest news with #GenderEquality
Zawya
2 days ago
- General
- Zawya
Peace begins with partnerships as Western Equatorians unite on the International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers
As the sun sets on a week-long build-up to the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, hundreds of people gather at Freedom Square in Yambio, Western Equatoria. Some belong to local women's groups, others are civil society activists, and most are community members supporting efforts to empower women and advocate for gender equality and peace. Under the theme, 'Peace Begins with Me', the event kicked off with a friendly female football match between United Nations peacekeepers and local women, including those serving in security forces. The crowd also enjoyed traditional dances, comedy, and other musical performances which encouraged those present to celebrate their diversity while embracing unity. The importance of partnerships between the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, local authorities and other stakeholders was also emphasized. 'We have seen the presence of peacekeepers for over 10 years. We worked together, we fought together, to ensure that relative peace comes to Tambura. We stand with you to work for peace,' says Western Equatoria, Acting Governor, James Severino. The participants focused on the importance of de-escalating tensions and promoting peace in the conflict-prone area, which has been heavily impacted by military confrontations between forces aligned with the main parties to the peace agreement as well as intercommunal conflict. UNMISS is continuing all efforts to prevent the country from relapsing back into civil war, to preserve and progress the peace agreement, and build sustainable peace so that free, fair, and credible elections can take place. 'We have worked hard together and collaborated in greater Tambura, the eastern counties of the State and here in Yambio to protect civilians and create a safe environment for community dialogue,' said UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer, Emmanuel Dukundane. 'We are committed to continuing to strengthen our partnership to deliver sustainable peace across the State.' Local partners also paid their respects to the peacekeepers serving with UNMISS, who lost their lives while serving the cause of peace in South Sudan over the past year. 'Our brothers and sisters, the peacekeepers, have laid down their lives for the sake of peace,' said Western Equatoria Legislative Assembly Speaker, Wakila Charles. 'Ask yourself, am I in peace in my home? As Members of Parliament, as a leader, we are representing our community. If peace starts with me, that means my home will be peaceful, my community, and the State.' As South Sudan continues to experience political instability and a deteriorating security situation, communities in Western Equatoria remain hopeful that, together, they can lay the foundations for a peaceful and prosperous future. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Khaleej Times
29-05-2025
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Dh500k aviation scholarships launched to empower women, bridge gender gap
A new scholarship programme worth over Dh500K has been launched for women from Arab countries who want to pursue professional careers in aviation — a sector where women comprise just five per cent of pilots globally. Backed by the Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA), the Women in Aviation Middle East scholarship programme targets women from the Middle East facing financial constraints. In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr Zeina Mehyou, Deputy CEO for Academic Relations, Governance and Student Experience, IAA, said, 'We've long recognised the significant gender gap in aviation, particularly in pilot roles, where women remain highly underrepresented. Over the years, we've actively worked to challenge the perception that aviation is a male-dominated field by emphasising that passion, determination, and skill, not gender, are what truly matter. "However, the UAE and other countries in the region have made significant strides in promoting gender equality, and the aviation sector is a powerful example where women now represent up to 48 per cent of the workforce in certain airlines and aviation organisations.' Under the scholarship. the academy is offering for the 2025 launch: One full scholarship valued at over USD 105,000 (around Dh 385,350), covering all tuition and flight training necessary to obtain a full Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Ten fully sponsored scholarships for the Fundamentals of Aviation course, valued at a collective USD 35,000 (Dh128,450), designed to give young women foundational knowledge and early exposure to aviation careers. Dr Zeina Mehyou explained that the programme goes beyond tuition support. It includes mentorship and internship opportunities to ensure recipients are not only trained but also career-ready. 'Recipients will have access to experienced mentors from the aviation industry to guide them throughout their training journey." 'In terms of practical experience, we are also working closely with our industry partners to facilitate internship and potential job placement opportunities for selected scholars, particularly those who demonstrate excellence, to help them transition smoothly from training to the professional aviation environment.' she added. Globally, women remain underrepresented in technical aviation roles. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), women made up just 4.9 per cent of pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians combined in 2021. Regionally, the highest increase in the number of women pilots were observed in Asia Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean, with North America leading at 4.6 per cent. To address this disparity, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the 25by2025 initiative, targeting a 25 per cent increase in female representation in underrepresented and senior roles by 2025. 'The launch of this scholarship programme is a natural next step in our mission. It is designed to remove one of the most common barriers — financial constraints — that may prevent talented women from taking the leap,' said Mehyou. 'By offering this scholarship, we hope to empower more women with the opportunity to start their journey and thrive in the aviation industry.' Applications for the scholarship programme will officially open at the end of May 2025, with those selected to be announced at the Annual Women in Aviation Middle East Meeting in November 2025. All training will be conducted at IAA's facilities in the UAE.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Domo Named to the Women Tech Council Shatter List for 8th Consecutive Year
SILICON SLOPES, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2025-- AI and data products company Domo (Nasdaq: DOMO) announced today that the Women Tech Council (WTC), a national organization focused on increasing the number of women in technology, named Domo on its Shatter List for the eighth year in a row. 'No single company has arrived at the finish line for promoting and engaging women in tech, but many are making important and impactful efforts that are creating progress throughout the economic pipeline,' said Cydni Tetro, WTC president. 'Recognizing this progress and elevating the best practices spurring it drives momentum and accelerates the path to change for the entire tech community.' The WTC Shatter List spotlights companies that are taking measurable action to ensure women continue advancing—leading teams, shaping innovation, and building the future of the tech industry. Domo continued to stand out in what WTC identifies as a company's commitment to key areas including executive engagement, company programming, and community investment. Domo is committed to building and maintaining a culture that allows women to succeed and achieve upward mobility. This includes being a proud participant in the ParityPledge, which creates greater advancements and opportunities for women and people of color. Domo also invests in its employee resource group, Women at Domo, which gives women in the organization a chance to network, mentor, support, and advocate for each other. Domo has been recognized for its unique benefits to help support working mothers and caregivers, such as a $2,000 maternity wardrobe stipend, $1,000 new baby benefit, and 100% paid leave for a mother's final month of pregnancy. 'It is humbling to once again be named to the Women Tech Council Shatter list this year, showcasing Domo's ongoing commitment to attracting and advancing top talent,' said Madison McCord, CHRO at Domo. 'In addition to our mentoring program, community initiatives, and unique benefits that support our employees and their families, Domo's work to drive innovation in AI and data is fueled by our passionate team, who are dedicated to helping our customers deliver immeasurable impact for business.' To learn more about the Shatter List, visit: To learn more about working at Domo, visit: About the Shatter List The Shatter List was created as part of Women Tech Council's commitment to spotlight and accelerate the impact of companies actively advancing women in tech. This list recognizes organizations building high-performing cultures where women can thrive, contribute, and lead at every level. Companies are evaluated across four key areas proven to create momentum in breaking the glass ceiling: executive engagement, company programming, community investment, and women's representation and advancement. Recognition on the list is based on measurable impact and data-backed outcomes that reflect visible, ongoing efforts to support women in tech roles from entry level to the executive suite. For more information about the Shatter List process please visit About Domo Domo is an AI and Data Products platform that helps companies of all sizes leverage data and AI to drive value in today's data-driven world. Built around our customers' preferred data foundation, powered by our award-winning solution, and enriched with our partner ecosystem, the Domo platform enables users to prepare, visualize, automate, distribute and build end-to-end data products that provide solutions across the entire data journey. From hydrating your data foundation, to building fully embedded applications that can be shared with your employees and customers, to deploying AI models across a variety of providers, Domo gives users the ability to build data products that generate measurable value for the business. For more information, visit You can also follow Domo on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook. Domo is a registered trademark of Domo, Inc. View source version on CONTACT: Cynthia Cowen [email protected] KEYWORD: UTAH UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY WOMEN HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOFTWARE DEI (DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION) DATA ANALYTICS CONSUMER DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Domo, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/27/2025 04:05 PM/DISC: 05/27/2025 04:05 PM
Khaleej Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Why abandoning the women, peace and security agenda is a mistake
US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, recently announced that he was ending the Department of Defence's support for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, accusing it of being a divisive, 'woke' and unnecessary programme from the Biden era. But by doing so, he not only risks undermining President Donald Trump's WPS Act, legislation signed during Trump's first term, but is also jeopardising the important gains made by the US defence department, which has seen steady growth in American women serving. That the United States is ending its support for the United Nations-led WPS agenda comes as no surprise amidst a domestic climate where DEI programmes are being rolled back, but the WPS agenda remains important to advocate for women's increased participation in the security sector. It is a multilateral agenda born out of the concern that women were historically left out of negotiations and peace building initiatives despite them being heavily impacted by war. When the WPS agenda was introduced by UNSC Resolution 1325 in 2000, it started an unprecedented movement by the international community to consider women as key partners to peace. The 10 UNSC resolutions adopted since then, nine of which were supported by the US, demanded that women be fully engaged in conflict resolution. It is imperative that we don't abandon the WPS agenda during this seminal year — when the UN observes its 25 th anniversary. Progress and gains made since 2000: While uneven, the gains that were brought by the WPS agenda are substantial and need to be recognised. By 2024, 108 countries had a National Action Plan (NAP) for WPS, which indicates a commitment to applying the agenda domestically and in foreign policy. Various international organisations, including Nato, the League of Arab States, the African Union and the European Union, have also officially adopted their own NAPs and strategies for WPS, embracing its principles. Between 1992 and 2019, women constituted just 13 per cent of negotiators and 6 per cent of mediators in peace processes worldwide. The adoption of the WPS agenda helped increase women's representation, albeit in a modest way, and i n 2023, women made up 13.7 per cent of mediators and 26.6 per cent of signatories of peace agreements. The UN also increased the share of women in its mediation support teams to 43 per cent in 2022, an uptick from 30 per cent in 2019. Another improvement to note is that the presence of gender provisions found in peace agreements also rose since the 1990s. While only 12 per cent of peace agreements made references to women between 1990 and 2000, 31 per cent of agreements now include gender provisions. It is easy to dismiss these numbers as tributes to an elitist agenda that helps women leaders keep their positions. But WPS serves a larger number of women who would otherwise remain invisible. Through subsequent resolutions, the WPS agenda has raised awareness against conflict-related sexual violence and provided mechanisms to hold perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) accountable for their crimes. It has also shed light on, and empowered, women's involvement in informal and community-centered peace processes. For example, Yemeni women formed networks and groups to de-escalate tensions and fighting over resources, and helped with the evacuation of schools during attacks. They also facilitated aid access, reintegrated child soldiers, and helped release over 300 prisoners. The inclusion of women in informal peace efforts and local peacebuilding is important for peace. Women have access to domestic spaces that men do not. They can assist with disbursing aid, protecting victims of GBV and caring for other women and children in conservative contexts that are often overlooked during conflict. By recognising and formalising their efforts, we ensure that peace processes include everyone. Where we go from here: Abandoning the WPS agenda not only wipes out three decades of advocacy, it also erases past and current contributions made by women to global peace. With persistent global conflicts, women's role in finding solutions is key. Women bring local knowledge and access, they command trust within their communities and they offer unique perspectives that would otherwise be lost. We would also be wise to remember that some of the main benefactors of the WPS agenda are women soldiers. The agenda clearly advocates for an increased presence of women in the military and seeks to create more equitable and safer security structures where women would be encouraged to join, serve and lead. In essence, the WPS agenda is compatible with all defence strategies that seek to see more women in combat roles and promoted to senior ranks. By emphasising women's continuous training for various peacekeeping operations, the agenda gives the defense industry valuable insights into how their missions could succeed in difficult contexts. The benefits of the agenda are by no means 'woke'; they are real. And they are needed. The principles of the agenda are not 'divisive', they are inclusive. They make military structures stronger and more prepared to face threats and post-war scenarios where millions of women and children need help. The WPS agenda should not be a mere box-ticking exercise for states to pledge allegiance to women's empowerment when it suits them, or discard when the political tide changes. It is a global and necessary multilateral effort that states have willingly adopted to redress historical gender imbalances that left women victimised and invisible for too long. To abandon it in 2025 is to renounce a moral and strategic imperative that will prove costly to millions. Dr Sara Chehab is a Senior Research Fellow at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nicole Kidman stuns in a red lace gown as she receives the 2025 Kering Women In Motion Award at ceremony during Cannes Film Festival
Nicole Kidman stunned in a floor-length lacy red dress as she accepted the 2025 Kering Women in Motion Award during Cannes Film Festival. Established a decade ago, the honour is given to women who have made a groundbreaking impact on the big screen. Nicole, 57, showed off her sexy yet conservative red dress as she posed for the cameras at the exclusive event. She styled her long strawberry blonde hair straight and minimal makeup, accessorising with a simple gold-strapped watch. As she accepted the honour, Nicole said she would continue to use her platform to fight for continued gender equality in the film industry. She said: 'I'm just an advocate and want to continue to keep moving forward with that.' Previous winners of the Women in Motion Award include Susan Sarandon and Salma Hayek. Nicole added: 'I am proud to join the list of extraordinary women who've received this honour before me - artists and trailblazers I deeply admire. 'The Cannes Film Festival has been a part of my life for over 30 years and I am thrilled to add this incredible recognition to the many memories I've made here.' The dress was Nicole's second striking fit of the day after she sported an all-black ensemble to give her talk for the award. This consisted of a tightly-fitted leather jacket and black denims that were styled with a large belt. The actress explained that as part of her commitment to helping women in the industry, she vowed in 2017 to work with a female director every 18 months. Since then, she revealed, she has worked with 27 women on several projects, including those yet to be released. 'Part of it is protecting and surrounding the women with almost like a force field of protection and support,' she said. Nicole showed off the sexy yet conservative red dress as she posed for the cameras at the exclusive event As she accepted the 2025 Kering Women in Motion Award, Nicole said she would continue to use her platform to fight for continued gender equality in the film industry Nicole was honoured alongside Brazilian film producer Marianna Brennand (L), who won the Emerging Talent Award at the event Nicole has been one of Hollywood's biggest names since making her acting debut way back in 1983 in the Australian film Bush Christmas when she was still a teenager. She has since gone on to star in several blockbusters including Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). Some of Nicole's more recent projects are Babygirl, Netflix's murder mystery The Perfect Couple, season two of Lioness, and the romcom A Family Affair. Having played so many characters over the years, she admitted at Cannes that she'd be up for starring in a TV show featuring them all. 'That's hilarious. I'd be up for it,' she said. 'As you know, I'm up for most things. I like to be able to say I'm game. So I'm always ready to try things.'
