United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

E-Newsletter - May 2008

Current UN-INSTRAW work/activities

Colombian Women in Spain Invest in the Well-being of their families

The study Gender and Remittances: Colombian Migration to Spain from the Central Western Metropolitan Area (AMCO), prepared by UN-INSTRAW and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), analyzes the dynamics of the highly feminized migration from the Central-Western Metropolitan Area (AMCO) of Colombia to Spain, the flow of remittances sent and received by women and the impact of those remittances on the development of the AMCO region. The study found that 54%of remittances received in the AMCO region are sent by women. Women send money to their families in Colombia more consistently and more frequently than men, and the women who remain in Colombia constitute 70.7% of all remittance recipients, which shows a marked tendency towards the female administration of remittances. Moreover, gradual changes in traditional roles can be observed, such as the progressive empowerment of women who send remittances and those who receive them, and significant male participation in child-rearing and household tasks in both sending and recipient households.
Read more...

Migration and remittances have positive impacts on gender equality in the Philippines

The study Gender, Remittances and Development: The case of Filipino Migration to Italy, published by UN-INSTRAW, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Filipino Women’s Council (FWC), assesses the impact of remittances sent by Filipino migrants living in Italy on gender-sensitive local rural development in their communities of origin. Italy is the 6th most popular destination country amongst Filipino migrants, who are more feminized than any other migrant group and concentrated in the domestic service sector. Researchers collected qualitative data in Italy and selected rural communities in the Philippines, which showed that Filipino women in Italy send remittances to the Philippines each month, more consistently than their male counterparts, to cover basic consumption needs, education and health. The study also revealed that migration and remittances have had a positive impact on gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and increasing and diversifying employment opportunities for women.
Read more...

Read the media kit...

Voices from the field: How migration improves children’s education in Philippines

This is one of a series of interviews carried out by UN-INSTRAW with migrants who have sent remittances to their countries of origin that looks how they have supported their children’s education and the general well-being of their families. This particular interview was conducted with Boyet, a poor young man from a rural community in the Philippines who migrated to Italy for work, leaving behind his wife and their five children. Boyet’s case is an example of how money earned in a destination country has helped a family to cover basic consumption needs, provide a better education for their children and provide much-needed assistance to other poor children in the community.
Read the interview...

Expert Group Meeting on Tracking and Monitoring Gender Equality and HIV/AIDS in Aid Effectiveness

UN-INSTRAW hosted the “Expert Group Consultation on Tracking and Monitoring Gender Equality and HIV/AIDS in Aid Effectiveness” at its headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 28 to 30 May 2008. The meeting, co-organized by UNIFEM and the European Commission, convened a group of experts to identify and promote approaches to ensure that the aid effectiveness agenda advances greater action on and investment in reducing HIV/AIDS among women and girls. Moreover, during the meeting the experts made recommendations on ways to better integrate gender equality in HIV/AIDS in national development planning, implementation and budgeting.
Read more...

Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2007 Shows Gender Inequality Continues at Great Cost in the Region

The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2007, released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), shows that despite recent gains in gender equality in the region, appalling disparities remain. In addition to the social and personal costs of gender inequality, there are clear economic ramifications: the region is losing $42 to $47 billion per year because of restrictions on women’s access to employment opportunities and another $16-30 billion per year because of gender gaps in education. The survey proposes several specific recommendations to close the gender gap. Good practices highlighted from across the region and elsewhere show that gender balance can be achieved with limited resources, but this requires changes at the household, societal and national levels. In particular, the report stresses the need for political leadership to redress discrimination against women.
Read more...

Women Have a Higher Risk of Depression than Men

For both social and biological reasons, women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. Women earn less than men and have a lower socioeconomic status, which means lack of control over and uncertainty about the future, which can contribute to depression, along with other factors such as a heavy workload. Single mothers have one of the highest poverty rates in the United States and often need to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Women are also more likely than men to shoulder the burden of both paid work and domestic responsibilities and women are increasingly taking on the role of caregiver to older generations, a situation that increases their workload even further. In addition, women experience more sexual and physical abuse, which are also known to increase the risk of depression.
Read more...

Caribbean Action Plan for Gender and Media Advocacy

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and Women’s Media Watch (WMW) held a 3-day Regional Training Workshop on Gender and Media Advocacy from 10 to 12 April, 2008 in Kingston, Jamaica. The event was attended by media representatives from ten Caribbean countries and members of civil society. The workshop was a follow-up to the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP 2005), which mapped the representation of women in the news media in 76 countries. The results of the study showed that women are seriously underrepresented in the media – making up less than a quarter of news subjects, and less than a fifth of news subjects related to government and politics or economy and business. The workshop resulted in an Action Plan of six projects to be carried out at the national and regional levels, including awareness campaigns, workshops, training, and research and gender integration in communication courses.
Read more...

Nominations Sought for 2008 UN Human Rights Prize

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced on 4 April that it is seeking nominations for the 2008 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights. The Prize, established by the General Assembly in 1966 and first awarded on 10 December 1968, is awarded to individuals or organizations once every five years for “outstanding achievements in the field of human rights”. The Prize was first given out on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Male and female leaders who are well known in their home regions or in human rights or humanitarian circles have been awarded this Prize. The closing date for the receipt of nominations is 15 July 2008, and the Prize will be awarded by the UN General Assembly in New York on 10 December 2008 – the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For more details/application...

Press Contact:
Valeria Vilardo
Communications Associate
INSTRAW
Tel: +1 809 685 21 11 ext. 227
E-mail: vvilardo@un-instraw.org
Website: www.un-instraw.org

UN-INSTRAW is an Institute devoted to applied research, training and knowledge management in partnership with governments, the United Nations Agencies, civil society and academia to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Current UN-INSTRAW work/activities

In Southern Africa Women are Changing the Face of Migration

Gender, Remittances and Development: Preliminary Findings from Selected SADC Countries, published by UN-INSTRAW and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), highlights the growing impact of women’s migration on households, families and communities in selected countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The total value of remittances has quadrupled in the past fifteen years and migrants are increasingly women. Most women migrants in this region work in the informal economy, which generally provides low incomes. This, in turn, affects women’s ability to send remittances, which are most often used to purchase essentials such as food, water, healthcare, electricity and education. The study found that women migrants suffer violence, overt hostility, social exclusion, and economic exploitation. The study also calls for increased dialogue on the policy context of migration that takes into account women’s changing role in migration and mobility, access to employment, personal security, and access to financial services

Read more:  http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/press-releases/in-southern-africa-women-are-changing-the-face-of-migra-3.html

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UN-INSTRAW collaborates to strengthen the capacities of Colombian women migrants

As part of its project “Gender and remittances: Strengthening the capacities of Colombian women migrants as development agents from a human rights perspective,” UN-INSTRAW is providing technical assistance to SISMA Mujer, an organization that monitors women’s human rights in Colombia . The project’s aim is to design a tool to analyze the experiences of Colombian women living in Spain who remit their earnings home and the experiences of women who receive remittances from abroad. UN-INSTRAW will then be able to make recommendations on improving the impact of remittances on recipient communities, on fostering better labour and living conditions for migrant women and on strengthening the capacity of women migrants’ associations, enabling them to play a more important role in decision-making on migration-related issues.

Read more:  http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/e-news/un-instraw-collaborates-to-strengthen-the-capacities-of-colombian-women-mig-2.html

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Women and the Media: New Challenges             

The media has incredible potential to be a change agent in relation to gender equality. Considering that women are the central focus of only 10% of news stories, mass media in general does not give an accurate representation of reality or take into account the current changes in perceptions or gender norms and roles. This was one of the central points of the presentation given by Carmen Moreno, Director of UN-INSTRAW, during her participation in the Seminar: “Women and the Alliance of Civilizations: Opportunities and Challenges” that took place on 28 and 29 April, 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Presided over by President Fernández de Kirchner, the seminar covered four themes: 1) women and education, 2) youth as a means of solidarity and mobilization, 3) women and migration, and 4) women and the media.

Read more:  http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/e-news/women-and-the-media-new-challenges-2.html

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Including the needs of women and men means saving lives during disasters

The panel on “Risk Reduction in Disaster Situations” was held on 22 April 2008 at the XI International Book Fair in Santo Domingo ( Dominican Republic ). The Panel was organized by UN-INSTRAW and the Programme to Prevent and Address Disasters (PPD) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and led by Maria Civit Teixido, Specialist in Disaster Prevention of UNDP and Nicola Popovic, Specialist in Gender, Peace and Security of UN-INSTRAW. The panel aimed to show the need for implementing a gender perspective in risk management in order to reduce the vulnerability of the population in general and particularly of women, who are often the hardest hit by disasters such as Tropical Storms Noel and Olga.

Read more: http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/press-releases/including-the-needs-of-women-and-men-means-saving-lives-during-disa-2.html

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Crafting Human Security in an Insecure World
 

The Conference “Crafting Human Security in an Insecure World” is being co-convened by the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ), the Global Justice Center, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW).  This international working conference aims to probe and address global acquiescence to impunity, gender violence and exclusion that continue to obstruct peacebuilding and deny human security. This event will be held 24-26 September 2008 at the IPJ, University of San Diego , California .
The deadline for the submission of applications is 12 September 2008.

Read more:  http://peace.sandiego.edu/events/womenpeace/info.php

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Global Gender News

Crimes of Honor UN Resolution in 19 Languages - Working towards the elimination of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour
 

In October 2004 the United Nations General Assembly passed a historic Resolution (A/C.3/59/L.25: 15 October 2004) on the elimination of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour. The Resolution stressed the need to treat all forms of violence against women and girls, including crimes committed in the name of honour, as a criminal offence, punishable by law; emphasized such crimes are incompatible with all religious and cultural values; called upon all States to continue to intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour, which take many different forms, by using legislative, administrative and programmatic measures; and requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution in his report on the question of violence against women to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. The importance of this General Assembly Resolution has been translated into 19 languages.

Read more:  http://www.wunrn.com/reference/crimes_honor.htm

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“Making Governance Gender Responsive” - Training

The UNDP Pacific Centre is partnering with the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) to run CAPWIP’s course on “Making Governance Gender Responsive” (MGGR) for Pacific civil society organisations.  This course will be held in Suva , Fiji , from 26 to 30 May 2008.  The course aims at improving the skills of participants on general gender principles and issues and on other topics such as gender analysis, gender auditing, gender budgeting and change management. The deadline to submit applications is 5 May 2008.

Read more:

http://regionalcentrepacific.undp.org.fj/Files/Vacancies_08/CAPWIP%20_CSO_EOI_questionnaire.pdf

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Guatemala Approves a Law to Stop Femicide and Violence Against Women                

The Congress of Guatemala unanimously approved a law establishing penalties of 20 - 50 years imprisonment for femicide. Punishments for sexual, physical, psychological and economic violence will vary from 5 to 8 years, depending on the severity of the crime. According to the National Institute for Public Defence, over 22,737 women suffered sexual harassment last year in Guatemala . The majority of the perpetrators were partners or relatives of the victims. Because no law existed against sexual harassment, only 1.8% of cases were defined as criminal conduct in court. The impunity for crimes against women makes Guatemala one of the most violent countries in the world for women.

Read more:

http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/world-gender-news/guatemalan-approves-a-law-to-combat-femicide-and-violence-against.html
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Expert group meeting on violence against women           

From May 26 to 28 at the United Nations in Vienna , the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDAW/DESA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will convene an expert group meeting on lessons learned regarding violence against women legislation. The group will analyze various legal approaches for addressing all forms of violence against women and identify best practices. The group seeks to create guidelines and a strategic framework to assist governments in enhancing and developing new legislation on violence against women. The final report is expected to contribute good practices for the Secretary-General’s database on violence against women.

Read more:   http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw_legislation_2008/vaw_legislation_2008.htm

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retos-para-una-mayor-participacion-de-las-mujeres-en-los-gobiernos-

locales-en-america-l.html
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Bolivia y Ecuador firman un convenio contra el acoso y la violencia 
política de las mujeres
En el marco del Día Internacional de al Mujer, el UN-INSTRAW, en 
coordinación con la Asociación de Concejalas de Bolivia (ACOBOL) y la 
Federación de Asociaciones Municipales de Bolivia (FAM), organizó el 
taller “Equidad en el Poder Local: Fortaleciendo la gobernabilidad y la
 
participación política de las mujeres”, el 6 y 7 marzo 2008 en la Paz, 
Bolivia. Durante este evento, ACOBOL y la Asociación de Mujeres 
Municipalistas de Ecuador (AMUME) firmaron un convenio para coordinar 
acciones de sensibilización orientadas a la lucha contra la
 erradicación 
del acoso y la violencia política. Según el convenio, las dos 
asociaciones promoverán el intercambio de experiencias y una 
participación activa y efectiva de las mujeres políticas en el ámbito 
local. En este contexto, y según los registros de ACOBOL, el resultado 
de una encuesta realizada a 96 concejalas de 35 municipios y 30 
entrevistas a fondo entre el 2004 y el 2004 evidencian que el 65% de
 las 
concejalas de los municipios urbanos grandes de Bolivia, 32% de los 
medianos, el 24% de los pequeños y 22% de aquellos de menos 5.000 
habitantes declararon ser víctimas de acoso político,
Lea más: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/media-center/notas-de-prensa/

bolivia-y-ecuador-firman-un-convenio-contra-el-acoso-

y-la-violencia-politica-de-las-mu.html
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Seminario “Desafíos y Oportunidades en las Operaciones de la Paz: la 
Integración de las Mujeres"
El UN-INSTRAW participó en el Seminario “Desafíos y Oportunidades en
 las 
Operaciones de la Paz: la integración de las Mujeres”, organizado por
 la 
Red de Seguridad y Defensa de América Latina (RESDAL) y el Instituto de
 
Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible (IEPADES), el 11 y 12 de Marzo 
en Antigua (Guatemala). Representantes de los Ministerios de Defensa, 
centros regionales de capacitación, agencias de la ONU, se encontraron 
para discutir sobre la participación de las mujeres en las operaciones 
de paz, en el contexto de la próxima Conferencia Ministerial de las 
Américas. Entre los asuntos debatidos: las operaciones de paz y la 
incorporación de las mujeres en las fuerzas armadas; desafíos y 
oportunidades para la integración de las mujeres en las operaciones de 
la paz. Durante el seminario, el UN-INSTRAW presentó el “Toolkit de 
Género y la Reforma del Sector Seguridad”, un instrumento completo para
 
fortalecer la respuesta del sector de seguridad a la violencia contra 
las mujeres y a otros crímenes basados en el género. Desarrollado por
 el 
UN-INSTRAW, el Centro de Ginebra para el Control Democrático de las 
Fuerzas Armadas (DCAF) y la Oficina para Instituciones Democráticas y 
Derechos Humanos de la Organización para los Derechos Humanos 
(ODIHR/OSCE), este Toolkit incluye 12 Componentes y Notas Prácticas 
fáciles sobre distintas áreas de la reforma del sector de seguridad.
Lea más:
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/media-center/e-news/seminario-

desafios-y-oportunidades-en-las-operaciones-de-la-paz-la-

integracion-de-las-muj.html 

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El UN-INSTRAW participó en el Seminario Internacional Mujer en el 
Desarrollo Humano Sostenible
En el Marco del Día Internacional de la Mujer, el Despacho de la
 Primera 
Dama y la Secretaria del Estado de República Dominicana organizaron el 
“Seminario Internacional Mujer en el Desarrollo Humano Sostenible”, que
 
se llevó a cabo el 6 y 7 de marzo en Santo Domingo, República 
Dominicana. El evento contó con la participación de las primeras damas 
de América Latina, de funcionarias del gobierno, senadoras, 
congresistas, líderes barriales y representantes de ONG de diferentes 
países de América Latina y España. En el evento el UN-INSTRAW presentó 
los principales hallazgos de los estudios del proyecto de 
“Fortalecimiento de la gobernabilidad, género y participación política 
de las mujeres en el ámbito local” que el Instituto está llevando a
 cabo 
en 10 países de la Región Andina y Centroamericana, Méjico y República 
Dominicana. Este proyecto, financiado por la Agencia Española de 
Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), tiene una
 duración 
de 3 años (2006-2009) y desarrolla tres principales líneas de acción: 
investigación, fortalecimiento de capacidades e incidencia en políticas
 
públicas.
Lea más:
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/media-center/e-news/el-un-instraw-

participo-en-el-seminario-internacional-mujer-en-el-desarrollo-

humano-soste.html 

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UN-INSTRAW recibió la visita de la Primera Dama de México
En el marco de las celebraciones del Día Internacional de la Mujer, la 
Sra. Carmen Moreno, Directora del UN-INSTRAW, recibió la visita de la 
Primera Dama de México, Lcda. Margarita Zavala. El UN-INSTRAW organizó 
una presentación de los últimos trabajos realizados por el Instituto, 
incluyendo informaciones sobre sus aportes a conferencias y otros 
eventos internacionales, así como las más recientes publicaciones 
resultado de sus investigaciones y eventos de capacitación. La Lcda. 
Zavala felicitó el UN-INSTRAW para el trabajo que está llevando a cabo 
en las áreas de Género, Paz y Seguridad y Género, Género, Migración, 
Remesas y Desarrollo. Además, ofreció su apoyo al Instituto para la 
Campaña "UNIDOS para poner fin a la violencia contra la mujer” lanzada 
por el Secretario General de la ONU, el Sr. Ban Ki-moon, el 25 de 
Febrero de 2008 con el objeto de intensificar las iniciativas para la 
adopción de acciones concretas para revenir y erradicar la violencia 
contra las mujeres y las niñas.
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/media-center/e-news/un-instraw-received-

the-visit-of-the-first-lady-of-m.html
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Se constituye la Red de Mujeres Municipalistas de Costa Rica
En el marco del Día Internacional de la Mujer y con el objetivo de 
fomentar iniciativas que impulsen una mayor participación política de 
las mujeres en América Latina, el UN-INSTRAW fue una de las instancias 
que apoyaron a la formación de la Red Costarricense de Mueres 
Municipalistas (RECOMM). En el acto inaugural de la Asamblea de la 
Constitución de la RECOMM que se celebró el 6 de marzo 2008 en San José
 
(Costa Rica), se reunieron cerca de 500 mujeres que ejercen cargos de 
elección popular en los gobiernos locales, como alcaldesas, regidoras, 
sindicas, intendentas y concejalas de distrito de todo el país. La 
formación de la RECOMM tiene como objetivo aumentar el número de
 mujeres 
en puestos de toma de decisiones a nivel local e incidir en la 
formulación de políticas públicas municipales a favor de la igualdad y 
la equidad de género.
Lea más:
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/media-center/e-news/se-constituye-

la-red-de-mujeres-municipalistas-de-costa.html
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Anuncios de Puestos Vacantes


Anuncio de Vacante - Director(a) del UN-INSTRAW
Las Naciones Unidas solicita aplicaciones para el puesto de Director(a)
 
del UN-INSTRAW. Los/as candidatos/as interesados/as son invitados/as a 
enviar sus aplicaciones, incluyendo una carta de presentación, un CV, y
 
un Formulario, completado. La fecha límite para someter las solicitudes
 
es el 15 de abril del 2008. Se pueden enviar por fax al 1-809-685-2117
 o 
por e-mail al: diroffice@un-instraw.org
Lea más: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/instraw/opportunities/anuncio-de-

vacante-director-a-del-un-instraw-5.html 

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Puestos disponibles: Investigador/a Principal y Asistente de 
Investigaciones/Proyectos
Reforma de Género y del Sector de Seguridad en Haiti
El UN-INSTRAW está llevando a cabo un proyecto sobre Género y Reforma 
del Sector de Seguridad en Haití con el objetivo de realizar una 
evaluación de las posibles oportunidades para incluir la perspectiva de
 
género en el sector de seguridad haitiano, generar conocimiento sobre 
asuntos de género y la reforma del sector de seguridad entre los/as 
actores/as pertinentes del sector de seguridad; y fortalecer de manera 
sostenible sus capacidades. El UN-INSTRAW busca un/a Investigador/a 
Principal y un/a Asistente de Investigaciones/Proyectos para formar el 
equipo de investigación para la fase de evaluación del proyecto. La 
fecha límite para presentar las aplicaciones es el 30 de abril de 2008.
Lea más: <http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/opportunities/13.html>

Especialista en Comunidad de Prácticas
El UN-INSTRAW está en el proceso de establecer una Comunidad de 
prácticas sobre Capacitación en Género con el objetivo de reunir a 
profesionales-expertos/as en el campo de la capacitación en género para
 
dialogar, intercambiar experiencias y realizar diálogos virtuales sobre
 
este tema. Además, basado en el Wiki de Género 
(<http://www.un-instraw.org/wiki/training/index.psp/Main_Page>) y otros
 
recursos, el UN-INSTRAW tiene como objetivo establecer un centro y una 
plataforma de apoyo de información sobre capacitación en género,
 creando 
un compendio de buenas prácticas sobre la capacitación en género. El 
UN-INSTRAW busca candidatos/as calificados/as con un grado
 universitario 
avanzado en estudios de desarrollo, estudios de género, ciencias 
sociales o un campo relacionado. Se requieren de tres a cinco años de 
experiencia demostrable en aprendizaje/pedagogía y el desarrollo de 
materiales de capacitación y de fortalecimiento de capacidades así como
 
asuntos de género y desarrollo. La fecha límite para presentar las 
aplicaciones es el 30 de abril de 2008.
Lea más:
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/opportunities/13.html
http://www.un-instraw.org/es/instraw/opportunities/9.html
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Noticias Globales de Género


Día Internacional de la Mujer: la Agencia de la ONU para los Refugiados
 
(ACNUR) publica manual para la protección de las mujeres
La Agencia de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) ha 
publicado una importante guía para la protección de las mujeres, como 
informó el dirigente de esa organización, António Guterres, reafirmando
 
el compromiso de la ACNUR a los derechos de las mujeres. Esta 
herramienta de protección que reemplaza la guía de ACNUR del 1991, se 
titula “Directrices sobre la Protección de las Refugiadas" y fue
 lanzada 
en ocasión del Día Internacional de la Mujer. La guía denuncia "una
 gran 
cultura de descuido y negación sobre la violencia contra las mujeres y 
las niñas" y delinea estrategias para dar respuesta a los desafíos 
confrontados en la protección de mujeres y niñas refugiadas. También 
establece estándares internacionales legales y responsabilidades 
relativas a esa área. El documento está diseñado para promover la 
igualdad de género con un enfoque basado en los derechos comunitarios,
 y 
por medio de acciones dirigidas a empoderar a las mujeres y a las niñas
 
en el sector civil, político y económico.
Lea más: http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cff6a44.html
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30 Años de democracia: ¿en la cresta de la ola? La participación 
política de la mujer en América Latina
El Instituto Internacional para la Democracia y la Asistencia Electoral
 
(IDEA, por sus siglas en inglés) ha publicado el informe “30 Años de 
democracia: ¿en la cresta de la ola? Participación política de la mujer
 
en América Latina”. El informe se basa en datos recolectados en 18 
países de la región latinoamericana, examinando el progreso alcanzado
 en 
la participación política de la mujer, y ofrece datos estadísticos
 sobre 
la representación política en áreas anteriormente exclusivas para los 
hombres. El estudio analiza el progreso logrado por las mujeres en los 
cargos políticos, los obstáculos que enfrentan en ejercer sus funciones
 
y ofrece recomendaciones para mejorar la situación de la mujer en la 
vida pública.
Lea más: http://www.idea.int/gender/iwd_2008.cfm
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"El Progreso de América Latina en los ODM sobre la Igualdad de Género: 
La mujer pobre todavía se queda atrás”
Este es el título del artículo publicado en febrero 2008 por el Centro 
Internacional de la Pobreza (IPC, por sus siglas en inglés) del
 Programa 
de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD). El autor, Eduardo 
Cepeda, investigador en el IPC, señala que América Latina y el Caribe 
han tenido un progreso notable en los indicadores de los Objetivos del 
Desarrollo del Milenio sobre la igualdad de género. Sin embargo
 enfatiza 
que cuando los promedios nacionales son desagregados por sexo, el
 cuadro 
es menos impresionante, particularmente para las trabajadoras pobres
 que 
no han logrado un progreso significativo para asegurar un empleo con un
 
ingreso decente fuera del sector agrícola.
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager49.pdf
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


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Instrawnoticias@un-instraw.org
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challenges-for-a-greater-participation-of-women-in-local-

governments-in-latin-am.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Agreement between Bolivia and Ecuador to eradicate harassment and 
political violence
Within the framework of International Women’s Day, UN-INSTRAW, in 
coordination with the Association of Women Mayors of Bolivia (ACOBOL) 
and the Federation of Municipal Associations of Bolivia (FAM) organized
 
the workshop “Equality in Local Power: Strengthening governance and 
women’s political participation”, on 6-7 March 2008 in La Paz, Bolivia.
 
During the event ACOBOL and the Association of Councilwomen of Ecuador 
(AMUME) signed an agreement to coordinate awareness-raising actions to 
fight against harassment and political violence. Through this
 agreement, 
the two associations will promote the exchange of experiences and an 
active and effective participation of women politicians at the local 
level. In this context, ACOBOL registries, a survey made with 96 
councilwomen from 35 municipalities and 30 in-depth interviews in 
2003-2004, reported that 65% of councilwomen from large urban 
municipalities in Bolivia, 32 % of medium-sized municipalities, 24% of 
small municipalities and 22% of those with less than 5,000 inhabitants,
 
declared that they were victims of political harassment.
Read more: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/press-releases/

bolivia-and-ecuador-signed-an-agreement-to-eradicate-harassment-

and-political-viol-2.html 

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Seminar - “Challenges and Opportunities in Peace Operations: The 
Incorporation of Women”
UN-INSTRAW participated in the “International Seminar - Challenges and 
Opportunities in Peace Operations: The Incorporation of Women”, 
organized by the Network for Security and Defence in Latin America 
(RESDAL) and the Training Institute for the Sustainable Development 
(IEPADES), on March 11th and 12th in Antigua (Guatemala). 
Representatives from Ministries of Defense, Regional Training Centres, 
UN agencies and academia met to consider the issue of the participation
 
of women in peace operations, within the context of the next
 Ministerial 
Conference on Defense in the Americas. Among the issues discussed:
 peace 
operations and the incorporation of women in the armed forces; 
challenges and opportunities for the participation and the
 incorporation 
of women in peace operations. As part of the Seminar, UN-INSTRAW 
presented the Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit, a
 comprehensive 
tool to strengthen the security sector’s response to violence against 
women and other gender-based crimes. Developed by UN-INSTRAW, the
 Geneva 
Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the Office
 
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), the Toolkit includes
 12 
Tools and easy-to-follow Practice Notes on different areas of security 
sector reform. The event was organized within the project “Women in the
 
Latin American and Caribbean Armed Forces: A Gender Approach to Peace 
Operations,” financed by the Global Peace and Security Fund (GPSF).
Read more:
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/

press-releases/working-with-the-security-sector

-for-inclusive-security-justice-and-gender-equ-3.html
Read the Toolkit:
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/gps/security-toolkit/introduction.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

International Seminar on Women in Sustainable Human Development
Within the framework of International Women’s Day, the Office of the 
First Lady and the Gender Machinery of the Dominican Republic organized
 
the “International Seminar Women in Sustainable Human Development”,
 held 
on 6-7 March in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. First Ladies from 
Latin America, governmental representatives, members of Congress, 
community leaders participated in the seminar which focused on aspects 
such as health, education, political and social participation and 
economic development. UN-INSTRAW presented the main findings of the 
studies carried out under the project “Strengthening Governance with a 
Gender Perspective and the Political Participation of Women at the
 Local 
Level” that is being implemented in 10 countries of the Andean and 
Central American Regions, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This 
three-year project (2006-2009), financed by the Spanish Agency for 
International Cooperation and Development (AECID), focuses on three
 main 
lines of action: research, capacity-building and influence in public 
policies.
Read more: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/e-news/

un-instraw-participated-in-the-international-

seminar-women-in-sustainable-human-develo-2.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

UN-INSTRAW received the visit of the First Lady of Mexico
In the framework of the celebrations commemorating International
 Women’s 
Day, Ms Carmen Moreno, Director of UN-INSTRAW, received the visit of
 the 
First Lady of Mexico, Ms Margarita Zavala. The Institute presented its 
last works, including information on conferences and other
 international 
events, as well as its most recent publications, result of its research
 
and numerous capacity training events. Ms. Margarita Zavala 
congratulated UN-INSTRAW for the work that it is carrying out in the 
areas of Gender, Peace and Security and Gender, Migration, Remittances 
and Development. Moreover, she offered her support for the Campaign 
”UNITE to end violence against women” launched by the Secretary General
 
of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, on 25 February 2008 in order to 
intensify initiatives for the adoption of concrete actions to prevent 
and eradicating violence against women and girls.
Read more: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/e-news/

un-instraw-received-the-visit-of-the-first-lady-of-m.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Establishment of the Councilwomen’s Network in Costa Rica
On the occasion of International Women’s Day and to foster initiatives 
that will encourage greater participation of women in Latin America,
 the 
UN-INSTRAW gave its support to the establishment of the Network of
 Costa 
Rican Councilwomen (RECOMM). At the inaugural Constituting Assembly of 
RECOMM held on 6 March 2008 in San José, Costa Rica, were present
 almost 
500 women who hold popularly-elected posts in local governments such as
 
mayors, councilwomen, trade unionists, superintendents and district 
councilwomen from all over the country. RECOMM’s establishment aims at 
increasing the number of women in decision-making posts at the local 
level and to influence the formulation of municipal public policies on 
behalf of gender equality.
Read more: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/media-center/e-news/

establishment-of-the-councilwomen-s-network-in-costa-2.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Vacancy Announcements

Director of UN-INSTRAW
The United Nations is currently accepting applications for the post of 
UN-INSTRAW Director. Candidates from every region of the world are 
strongly encouraged to apply. Applications, including a letter of 
intent, full curriculum vitae and completed UN Personal History Form 
must be submitted by COB on 15 April 2008. Incomplete applications will
 
not be considered. Applications can be submitted by fax to 
1-809-685-2117 or by e-mail to: diroffice@un-instraw.org
Read more:
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/opportunities/

vacancy-announcement-director-of-the-un-instraw-2.html
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Posts Available: Lead Researcher and Research/Project Assistant
Project on Gender and Security Sector Reform in Haiti
UN-INSTRAW is implementing a project on Gender and Security Sector 
Reform in Haiti with the objective of: conducting a comprehensive 
assessment of the gender entry-points in the Haitian security sector; 
generating in-depth knowledge on gender and security sector reform 
issues among relevant stakeholders; and sustainably build the capacity 
of security sector actors including the police, justice and penal 
systems and national and municipal government to prevent and respond to
 
gender-based insecurities. UN-INSTRAW seeks a Lead Researcher and a 
Research Project Assistant to form the research team for the assessment
 
phase of the project. The deadline for the submission of applications
 is 
30 April 2008.
Read more: http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/opportunities/13.html
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Community of Practice Specialist
UN-INSTRAW is establishing a Community of Practice on Gender Training 
with the objective of: bringing together practitioners/experts in the 
field of gender training for dialogue and exchange of experiences;
 carry 
out a series of virtual dialogues on gender training, in particular 
identifying challenges and ways to move forward; building on 
UN-INSTRAW’s Gender Training Wiki 
(http://www.uninstraw.org/wiki/training/index.php/Main_Page) and other 
existing resources, set up a virtual clearinghouse and support platform
 
of information on gender training, including an “ask the expert” 
feature; and establish a compendium of good practices in gender 
training. UN-INSTRAW seeks qualified candidates to establish the 
Community of Practice on Gender Training. The deadline for the 
submission of applications is 30 April 2008.
Read more: 
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/opportunities/un-instraw-

community-of-practice-specialist.html
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Global Gender News

International Women's Day: UNHCR launches handbook for protection of
 women
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has launched an important 
guide for the protection of women, as the organization's leader,
 António 
Guterres, reaffirmed UNHCR's commitment to the rights of women. This 
tool, which replaces UNHCR's 1991 "Guidelines on the Protection of 
Refugee Women", was launched on the occasion of International Women's 
Day celebrated on 8 March 2008. The handbook denounces "a massive 
culture of neglect and denial about violence against women and girls" 
and outlines strategies to answer the protection challenges faced by 
women and girls of concern. It also sets out international legal 
standards and responsibilities in this area. The document is designed
 to 
promote gender equality by using a rights- and community-based
 approach, 
by mainstreaming age, gender and diversity, and through targeted
 actions 
to empower women and girls in the civil, political and economic
 sectors.
Read more: http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/47cff6a44.html
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30 Years of Democracy: Riding the Wave? Women's Political Participation
 
in Latin America
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 
(IDEA) has released the report entitled “30 Years of Democracy: Riding 
the Wave? Women’s Political Participation in Latin America. The report 
draws data from 18 countries in the Latin American region, exams the 
progress made in women’s participation in politics, and gives
 statistics 
on women’s political representation in areas which were before
 exclusive 
to men. The study analyzes the progress achieved by women in certain 
posts, why some countries have advanced more than others, presents the 
obstacles encountered by women and offers recommendations for improving
 
women’s situation in public life.
Read more: http://www.idea.int/gender/iwd_2008.cfm
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Latin America's MDG Progress on Gender Equality: Poor Women Still Lag 
Behind"
This is the title of the One Pager published in February 2008 by the 
International Poverty Center (IPC) of the United Nations Development 
Programme (UNDP). The author, Eduardo Zepeda, recently a senior 
researcher at IPC, notes that Latin America and the Caribbean have
 shown 
notable progress on MDG indicators for gender equality. Moreover, he 
emphasizes that when national averages are disaggregated, the picture
 is 
less impressive, particularly for poor women workers. They are not, in 
fact, making significant progress in securing decent wage employment in
 
the non-agricultural sector. As the author declares: “access to 
non-agricultural wage employment, though important, does not
 necessarily 
expand significantly the economic opportunities of poor women”.
Available for downloading at: 
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager49.pdf
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………




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E-Newsletter  -  December 2007-January 2008

Current UN-INSTRAW work/activities

Workshop on Gender and Mine Action Training Kit

UN-INSTRAW participated in the Workshop organized by the Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines held on 15 January 2008, Geneva , Switzerland . The objective of the workshop was to obtain inputs from the participants for the preparation of a training kit on gender and mine action which will help in developing projects and programmes on this issue. UN-INSTRAW’s presentation focused on how to collect data disaggregated by age and sex, how to involve local stakeholder and women's organizations, and how to measure the success of Mine Action Programmes from a gender perspective. The objective is to make such programmes more comprehensive and responsive to the different needs of men, women, boys and girls affected by land mines.  As many as 78 nations are affected by landmines while 85 are affected by explosive remnants of war. Today, there are nearly 500,000 landmine survivors, of whom three quarters are civilians.

First Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

The Director of UN-INSTRAW, Ms Carmen Moreno, attended the First Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations held on 15-17 January 2008 in Madrid , Spain .  The Forum gathered over 300 representatives of international regional organizations, donor agencies, diplomats, media leaders, academia, grassroots and civil society with the objective of presenting twelve strategic points for the promotion of collaboration between East and West through the creation of joint programmes and projects. Amongst the measures proposed at the Forum are: involving foundations and private enterprises in making important economic contributions to the information and communications fields, the creation of a Solidarity Fund that motivates more employment for the youth, the creation of a mechanism whereby global experts will assist the media in dealing with important transcultural crises and the promotion of educational programmes.  In 2009, the Forum will meet again in Turkey .

Read the article of UN News Center
……………………………………………………………

Assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto

UN-INSTRAW joins the world in condemning the assassination on 27 December 2007 of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People’s Party and former Prime Minister, and conveys its most heartfelt condolences to Ms. Bhutto’s family and to the people and government of Pakistan . The global community has lost an important woman leader whose participation in politics and democracy created opportunities for women in Pakistan and throughout the world.

Gender, Migration and Remittances Programme

UN-INSTRAW has continued pursuing activities that fall under the Gender, Migration and Remittances Programme, including the following:

1) Joint project with the Dominican NGO “TU  MUJER” on Remittances and Co-development being implemented in the eastern part of the city of Santo Domingo, whereby UN-INSTRAW provides support in mainstreaming the gender perspective within the project and in joint activities for generating a national political dialogue on the positive impact of migration for gender-sensitive development. Within the framework of this agreement, the Institute presented a paper on “Migration and Development:  Limitations from a gender perspective” at a national seminar on “Remittances and Development held in Santiago de los Caballeros on 4 December 2007;

2)  Joint agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to implement the project “Enhancing the Gender-Sensitive Impact of Remittances for Rural Development”. The Institute’s role in this project is to: a) determine the areas of intervention in order to positively link migration/remittances and rural development; and b) establish a common frame of supervision and follow-up for all intervention projects that are financed by IFAD within this framework.

3) The Institute has signed an agreement with ALMA MATER, a network which gathers 14 public universities from the Coffee-growing Region in Colombia with the objective of including the gender perspective in the Masters Degree Programme on International Migrations, and participating in teaching a module within the Programme, as well as carrying out collaborative research.

4) UN-INSTRAW has recently published on its website four working papers on the Institute’s theoretical framework, guiding its work during 2007: Feminization of migrations; Global care chains; Remittances;

………………………………………………………………………………… 

Gender, Governance and Women’s Political Participation Programme

The printed version of the two studies entitled “Women’s Political Participation in Latin America at the Local Level” by Alejandra Massolo and “Political Participation of Indigenous Women in Governance Processes and Local Governments” by Claudia Ranaboldo, Gilles Cliches and Antonieta Castro, has been completed. Capacity-building activities in connection to these studies are being organized for implementation in Ecuador and Guatemala and it is expected that similar activities will be implemented in Costa Rica and Bolivia in the first trimester of 2008.

………………………………………………………………

Global Gender News

International Human Rights Day

On the occasion of Human Rights Day, December 10th 2007, Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on national actors, governments, civil society and human rights institutions to reaffirm their commitment to the values and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  This Day marks the 60th Anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Over the years, a whole network of human rights instruments and mechanisms has been developed to ensure the primacy of human rights and to confront human rights violations wherever they occur.  In this framework, Ms Arbour referred to the theme of the year-long campaign launched by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - “Dignity and Justice for All of Us” - and expressed her wish that during this period the human rights agenda would be widely endorsed by all United Nations Member States.  Read more
………………………………………………………………

Iran to Launch Police Stations for Women

Iran plans to set up police stations in Tehran that will be run by women police officers who will deal only with offences committed by women.  Two such police stations have already been launched in the religious, northeastern city of Mashad .  Women police officers, who previously had been appointed in administrative departments, have been increasingly involved over the past few years in the enforcement of Islamic rules when dealing with female criminals.

http://www.gulfinthemedia.com/index.php?id=363986&news_type=Top&lang=en

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US$13 Million Grant Boosts African Women Scientists in Agriculture

The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) launched on 5 December 2007 a US$13 million pan-African initiative to increase the role of women scientists in agriculture. One of the main objectives of the initiative is to increase the number of women scientists on the continent, provide role models and address institutional biases that limit women’s participation in agricultural research http://www.scidev.net/gateways/index.cfm?fuseaction=printarticle&rgwid=4&item=News&itemid=4114&language=1

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The Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking

This Forum, which is being organized under the framework of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), aims to mobilize State and non-State players to eradicate human trafficking and will take place on 13-15 February 2008 in Vienna , Austria . Amongst the Forum’s objectives are to:  allow for an open environment to enable all parties involved to take concrete steps to fight human trafficking within their spheres of action; act as a catalyst for solution-seeking ideas; increase knowledge and awareness on human trafficking; promote effective rights-based responses; and build capacity of state and non-state players and foster partnerships and cooperation between the public and private sectors and civil society.  MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.ungift.org" claiming to be http://www.ungift.org:80/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=369&Itemid=681
………………………………………………………………………

The World Conference of Women’s Shelters

The World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be hosted by theAlberta Council of Women's Shelters invites individuals/organizations devoted to the issue of violence against women, to present papers at this event.  The Conference is hosted by the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) and will be held 8-11 September 2008 in Edmonton , Alberta , Canada .  The event will provide the opportunity to share knowledge, ideas about a theme that is often overlooked when discussing family violence and will increase the capacity of shelters worldwide to increase networking and bring about positive changes in their organizations and their communities when dealing with family violence.
Read more about the conference programme, workshop topics and procedure for the presentation of papers at: http://www.womenshelter.ca/home_en.php

…………………………………

Women's World Summit Foundation - Call for Nominations - WWSF PRIZE for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life 2008

The Women’s World Summit Foundation requests nominations for its 15th annual PRIZE for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life Award, honouring creative and courageous women and women’s organisations working to improve the quality of life in rural communities around the world.  Prize winners will again be selected in 2008 and several of them will be invited to Geneva to personally present their work at an award ceremony on 15 October – World Day for rural women, which has been declared last November an official United Nations Resolution Day.  Nominations, following the guidelines attached, should arrive no later than 31March 2008.

E-mail: WWSF Women wrwd@wwsf.ch
Read more: http://www.woman.ch/home.php

Argentina Elects its First Woman President

UN-INSTRAW is honoured to congratulate Ms. Cristina Fernández de
Kirchner, on her election as the first elected female head of State of
Argentina. Ms. Fernández won the elections with almost 45% of the vote,

surpassing her rivals Elisa Carrió of the Civic Coalition and Roberto
Lavagna, former Economy Minister, who received 23% and 17% of the vote,

respectively. Ms Fernández, who has received significant support from
the working and poorer classes in Argentina, will have to address the
challenge of gender inequality and the demands of Argentinean women for

improved reproductive and health services, prevention and attention to
domestic violence and greater support to women who face decreasing
salaries and rising inflation. UN-INSTRAW works to support women in
politics and achieve gender parity in political representation. The
election of Cristina Fernández to the presidency is another step
towards
increasing women’s participation in strategic political positions. Read

Press Release ……………………………………………………

Global Gender News

Economic and Political Institute for Women

In 2008 The Network of East-West Women/Polska (NEWW) will initiate a
two-year project called "Women’s Economic and Political Institute"
aimed
at contributing towards expanding an underdeveloped area of economic
justice for women in Central and Eastern Europe and the
Newly-Independent States (CEE/NIS). The overarching objectives of the
Institute are to articulate regional and country-level economic justice

strategies to improve women’s situation, build the capacity of women
NGO
activists and politicians at regional and national levels, provide
support to ongoing projects in CEE/NIS on the issue of economic justice

and to facilitate strategic relationships among women’s groups involved

in economic justice projects in the region. Read more
…………………………………………………………………………

Increase Women’s Role in Peace and Security

In a meeting held by the United Nations Security Council on 23 October
2007 the importance of women’s participation in decision-making and
formal peace processes was highlighted and recommendations made on
specific steps to protect women and girls from gender-based violence
during conflicts. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to the
importance of “…giving women equal participation and full involvement
in
peace and security matters and the need to increase their role in
decision-making,” and “appointing more women in leadership positions in

UN peace operations”. He also urged the Security Council to establish a

mechanism for monitoring violence against women and girls. Among other
steps suggested by participants on combating gender-based violence in
conflict situations were: encouraging local women to participate in the

development of national protection systems, the approval of “laws that
incorporate women’s rights and judicial systems accessible to victims
of
sexual violence,” women’s participation in post-conflict
reconstruction,
and better protection of women and girls in conflict zones. Read more
………………………………………………………………………….

Evaluating Police Response to Rape and Sexual Assault

The Women’s Justice Center has published a Form for Evaluating Police
Response to Rape and Sexual Assault, designed for use by victims of
rape
and sexual assault, advocates, and law enforcement. The form is
intended
to help victims in evaluating the police response to their individual
rape or sexual assault case, and as a means to provide feedback to
their
police department and their communities on how police response to rape
and sexual assault can be improved. This form can be photocopied and
distributed freely, as long as the text is kept intact and credit is
given to the source: Copyright © Marie De Santis, Women's Justice
Center
Read more - Also available in Spanish
…………………………………………………………………………
Events

Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) Institute for
Gender,
Governance & Leadership – Making Governance Gender Responsive (MGGR),
12-19 November 2007, Manila, Philippines. Objectives: Enhance
understanding of Gender and Development and Governance Concepts;
Identification of gender biases in Governance; Acquisition of skills in

identifying and analyzing gender biases and concerns; Identification
and
formulation of gender biases in Governance.
Read more
………………………………………………………………………………

European Feminist Forum 2008
The Forum will be held on 13-15 June 2008 in Warsaw, Poland. The three
important issue areas will provide the basis for discussions at the
Forum:
a) Economic change in Europe: changes in the economy, the labour
market,
migration and feminist alternatives; b) Women’s physical and sexual
integrity: women’s bodies, abortion and the politics of ending violence

against women; c) Our movement: feminist resource mobilisation and
building political power. Read more
…………………………………………………………………………………

The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) - 11th
International Forum on Women's Rights and Development - The Power of
Movements - will be held November 14-17, 2008, in Cape Town, South
Africa.
Read more - Call for Proposals