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The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Young Women's Movement calls for urgent action to protect rights
This research engaged with around 600 young women and girls aged 16-30 from across Scotland, with representation from very Scottish local authority and from all of the target age groups. The report explores a wide range of findings about how young women understand, access and advocate for their human rights in Scotland – from the right to education to the right to live a life free from violence. Overall, young women across Scotland are very concerned about a regression in their human rights, expressing fear and anxiety as changes in society, culture and politics make their rights feel more precarious than ever. Many young women raised specific concerns about the feminist backlash we are currently experiencing, and the rise of far-right politics at home and globally. Many young women described frequently not feeling safe in public and online, and the actions they take to protect themselves from the daily threat of violence. The rise of misogyny, particularly online, and the radicalisation of young men in digital spaces, were identified as significant barriers to young women's human rights. One young woman said: 'Women experience sexual and gender-based violence at catastrophic rates, and it has extremely harmful effects on our physical and mental health and wellbeing, safety in our own homes, ability to access healthcare, and ability to achieve justice.' This year marks thirty years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action where 189 governments from around the world unanimously adopted a ground-breaking agenda for gender equality and the human rights of all women and girls. Time alone does not drive progress. As our report shows, young women and girls across Scotland are struggling to have their human rights realised due to poor access to justice, the rise of misogyny, precarious employment opportunities, the prevalence of gender stereotypes in schools and in the workplace, and the persistence of gender-based violence, among many other rights-based issues. We are still waiting for young women and girls' human rights in Scotland to be fully articulated, protected and fulfilled. Against this challenging backdrop, the views of young women in this report give cause for some much-needed optimism. The vast majority of those surveyed identify as feminists, and most believe in the power of collective voice and action to challenge anti-rights actors and increase their confidence and assertiveness in human rights discourse. Dr Rebecca Mason, is the Research & Policy Lead at The Young Women's Movement
Jordan Times
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Jordan Times
Princess Basma launches 13th Women's Film Week
In the presence of HRH Princess Basma, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, the 13th edition of Women's Film Week open on Thursday, celebrating women's voices from around the world through the lens of cinema (Petra photo) AMMAN — In the presence of HRH Princess Basma, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, the 13th edition of Women's Film Week opened on Thursday, celebrating women's voices from around the world through the lens of cinema. Held at the Rainbow Theatre and organised by UN Women in cooperation with the Royal Film Commission (RFC), the event commemorates International Women's Day and marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. For the first time, the event has evolved into a full-fledged film festival, offering a week-long programme of screenings, discussions and creative showcases spotlighting women's experiences, issues and achievements. In her opening remarks, Princess Basma underscored the power of cinema as a force for social change. "This festival sheds light on the pressing challenges facing women, particularly the need for greater participation in decision-making and the breaking of harmful stereotypes," she said, adding: "It is also a powerful space for cross-cultural exchange and the amplification of shared human experiences." The princess also commended the RFC's continued support of the festival, applauding the contributions of women filmmakers, whose work often reflects 'resilience and strength' in the face of adversity. She highlighted the media's vital role in shaping public understanding, amplifying marginalised voices, and advancing gender equality, especially in times of conflict. UN Resident Coordinator in Jordan Sherry Ritsma-Anderson described the festival as "a space where women's stories are told with honesty and power." She noted that this year's film selection reflects a broad spectrum of experiences, from joy and sorrow to resilience and resistance, and opens the door to 'meaningful' conversations on international gender challenges facing women today. Ritsma-Anderson also referred to Jordan's progress in enhancing women's political participation, noting that women now hold 20 per cent of parliamentary seats, surpassing the regional average. UN Women's Representative in Jordan Nicolas Burniat highlighted the festival's significance as a platform for storytelling and advocacy. 'Women's Film Week is more than just a festival; it is a stage for creative expression, dialogue and inspiration," he said. Running through Tuesday, the festival features 14 international films addressing a diverse range of gender-related issues. Each screening is followed by panel discussions and public forums featuring filmmakers, gender experts, diplomats and industry professionals. Page 2
Morocco World
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco Leads Groundbreaking UN Resolution on Women in Diplomacy
Mrirt – The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a significant resolution on 'Women, Diplomacy and Human Rights' during its 58th session. Spearheaded by Morocco, the resolution marks a qualitative milestone in enhancing female representation in diplomatic spheres and multilateral forums. Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has lauded this initiative, which garnered support from a cross-regional coalition including Chile, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Slovenia, and Spain. Amina Bouayach, recently elected as both CNDH President and Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, stressed that the resolution 'reflects a renewed collective commitment to women's participation in decision-making, enabling their full, equal, and safe involvement in international diplomatic work.' During her participation in the International Day of Women in Diplomacy celebrations in Geneva in June 2024, Bouayach highlighted that 'women's participation in diplomatic work is not merely a legitimate right, but essential for ensuring comprehensive defense of human rights.' She stressed the importance of recognizing female diplomats' contributions and eliminating structural barriers preventing women from assuming leadership roles in international organizations. Read also: CNDH Chief Shares Morocco's Human Rights, Gender Reforms with UK Parliament 'This new resolution,' Bouayach said, 'not only represents an additional step in establishing gender equality, thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, but also formal recognition of the historic and symbolic efforts made by pioneering women in diplomacy worldwide.' The resolution addresses women's underrepresentation in diplomacy and multilateral forums despite international commitments. It calls for genuine structural transformation as advocated by human rights bodies, including the CNDH, to ensure fair and effective female participation in international decision-making. The CNDH particularly commends the resolution's institutionalization of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, as an annual occasion to extol women's contributions and dedication to peace, equality, international cooperation, and human rights, while fostering renewed global dialogue on structural obstacles facing women in diplomacy. Meanwhile, the Council renewed its call to all national and international partners to invest more efforts to break the 'glass ceiling' hindering women's access to decision-making positions. It concluded by pointing out that weak female participation reflects not only a representational imbalance but also deprives international work of crucial opportunities to integrate women's perspectives into global policies and decisions. Tags: CNDHMorocco and UNHRCUNHRCWomen diplomacy
Zawya
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission Vice President Damtien Tchintchibidja Lends the Voice of ECOWAS in Support of Women's Leadership on the African Continent
H.E. Damtien Larbli TCHINTCHIBIDJA, on the 17th of March 2025, participated in a High-Level meeting of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Group of Friends to the United Nations in New York. The meeting held on the margins of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In her Goodwill Statement, the ECOWAS Vice President highlighted that Beijing+30 is being commemorated in the same year that marks the milestone of ECOWAS' 50th Anniversary and this presents an opportunity for the Commission to reaffirm its commitment to gender equality and women's leadership as fundamental components of sustainable development and security. The Vice President's engagement culminated in the ECOWAS Permanent Observer Mission to the UN becoming part of the AWLN Group of Friends in New York which includes the AU, EU and OIF Missions to the UN, amongst others. The opening ceremony of the High -Level event had in attendance H.E. Madam Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, H.E. Madam Bineta Diop, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, H.E. Ms Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, H.E. Ms Christina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General, Office of the Special Advisor for Africa (OSAA), H.E. Ms. Antje Leendertse, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations and H.E. Amb. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations. In the course of her Mission to New York, Vice President Tchintchibidja also held bilateral meetings with H.E. Madam Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and with the UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Madam Ahunna Eziakonwa, to discuss areas of collaboration between the United Nations and the ECOWAS Commission. The Vice President was accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, ECOWAS Permanent Observer to the United Nations and a technical team. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Zawya
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
In the face of attacks of boorishness and malevolence, the fight for women's rights continues
In his column published on March 8, International Women's Rights Day, Gilles Yabi, founder and executive director of West Africa Think Tank (WATHI), ( reminds us that the issue of women's rights, equal opportunities and equal rights between girls and boys, between men and women, is raised in much the same terms all over the planet. It warns that everywhere, reversals in public opinion, in the positions of influential political, economic and social actors, in practices and in laws are possible at any time: there is no irreversible progress. There are no final achievements. Violence against girls and women, inequalities in girls' access to and retention in school, early marriages and pregnancies that often lead to girls' permanent exclusion from education and empowerment opportunities, prohibitions on married women from working outside the home or other restrictions on their freedom of choice of occupation, the selective and opportunistic mobilization of religious texts, customs and traditions to justify discrimination against women, the challenge of women's effective participation in decision-making bodies, are all issues that remain priorities in West African countries and far beyond. Thirty years after the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by 189 countries, West African countries have made sometimes spectacular progress in reducing discrimination against girls and women and gender inequalities. However, the progress made is still insufficient and fragile. The key messages of the networks of organizations defending and promoting women's rights, to which WATHI fully subscribes, are clear: we must maintain mobilization, work with progressive men and accept debate with those, both women and men, who openly or not defend the inequality of rights between women and men in our societies. Education, culture, research, awareness-raising and public debate based on facts, analysis and arguments are at the heart of WATHI's mission. This March, we are sharing on all our platforms the dozens of interviews, reference documents and videos of virtual roundtables that WATHI has conducted over the past years on different aspects of gender inequality, women's rights and the well-being of girls and women. Read the full column by Gilles Yabi in English: Link to the column Listen to the full column by Gilles Yabi in French: Link to the audio ( Further Reading: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of West Africa Think Tank (WATHI).
