Dispatches - April
European MPs Map Out Future Reproductive Health Agenda
 Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director UNFPA Information and External Relations Division |
UPPSALA, Sweden – European experts and decision makers have concluded at a three-day conference that more information, better coordination in words and actions and greater transparency are essential to the survival of the continent’s sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights agenda. The conference, entitled ‘Europe on the Brink: Who Will Decide Over Your Body?’, was designed to take stock of the agenda in the face of a changing political climate in Europe.
Safiye Cagar, Director of the Information and External Relations Division of UNFPA, told a thematic panel that the political climate on gender at the United Nations was shifting.
“The outcome documents from the 1994 Cairo Conference and the 1995 Beijing Conference are strong mandates for gender equality and empowerment of women,” she said. “Sadly, the political winds since those documents have been adopted have become chillier for genders activist at the UN.”
Conference participants discussed a number of new scientific, societal, cultural and political challenges. These included immigration, the integration of minorities and their access to sexual and reproductive health services, the influence of religion in decision-making, the growing opposition movement, the need for a comprehensive sex education in schools, a better integration and a heightened respect for the needs of young people in this process.
Ms. Cagar commended European donors for their steadfast support of UNFPA and its work: “Your support and assistance – indeed your leadership – has been invaluable to us and we be in such a strong position without you,” adding that the networks of parliamentarians, civil society, the media and faith groups were essential to turning up the volume on these issues. She warned, however, that this leadership was being tested by divisions among EU countries, divisions which prevented the EU from speaking with one voice in recent negotiations in the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Population and Development.
More than 70 Members of European Parliament, representatives of UNFPA and the Council of Europe, researchers, scientists, SRHR experts and NGO representatives attended the conference, which took place from 28-30 April.
The conference was organized by the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development, the Swedish Family Planning Association RFSU and the Swedish All-party Parliamentary Group.
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Speech of Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director, Information and External Relations Division |
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Partnering with parliamentarians |
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Partnering with NGOs |
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Push for Change |
Partnering with Finnish Academia - Journalist Students Report about AIDS and Gender Issues in Zambia
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JYVÄSKYLÄ , Finland — Selected journalist students from the University of Jyväskylä took part in a study tour on AIDS in Zambia, where more than one in six adults is infected with HIV. In 2005 almost 100,000 people died of AIDS in that country, and life expectancy has fallen below 40 years.
This was many students’ first experience in Africa, and they were excited about working in a new and challenging environment. One of the students, Johannes Kotkavirta, visited development projects in Zambia ’s Eastern Province. (You can read his complete travel report here).
UNFPA has been partnering with academic institutions for years. This supports knowledge sharing and networking with health, development and communications experts. Since 2000 the Department of Communication at the University of Jyväskylä has held a special course on development journalism with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and several other partners, including UNFPA’s Nordic Office. Most years the course include s a study trip to one of Finland ’s partner countries. The university is also one of 14 members of the Finnish Universities' Partnership for International Development (UniPID), which cooperates worldwide with other universities and institutions, including the University of Zambia .
UNFPA and Family Federation of Finland Launch New Advocacy Campaign
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HELSINKI — 'PUSH! for change' is the message of a unique internet-based advocacy campaign on maternal health launched at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki this week.
The 'PUSH! for change' campaign is a joint UNFPA and Family Federation of Finland (FFF) initiative to raise awareness in Finland about maternal health in developing countries. It also encourages people to take action and push for more awareness, political backing and investment needed to improve maternal health.
Speaking at the launch seminar Tuesday, Dr. Hedia Belhadj, Deputy Director, and Acting Chief of Reproductive Health Branch of UNFPA, said investing in women is the most productive strategy a country can pursue in the fight against poverty: “Study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective, no policy more likely to raise economic productivity, improve nutrition and promote health, or increase the chances of education for the next generation,” she said. She thanked FFF for their strong partnership with UNFPA and the Finnish Government for their hospitality.
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced their intention to support the UNFPA Maternal Health Trust Fund with Euro 500,000.
 Dr. Hedia Belhadj (second from the right) |
PUSH! an innovative internet-based campaign is designed around an interactive web site where visitors can support the campaign and engage in its materials. The campaign will also build on the multiplier effects of email and online social networks – including - the hugely popular Facebook and YouTube - to spread the message that no woman should die giving life.
The campaign will continue until October when the “PUSH! Appeal” signatures will be handed over to Paavo Värynen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.
Campaign champions include Finnish actress and musician Irina Bjorklund, who will dedicate her summer tour to the campaign, as well as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Mikko Kuustonen.
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PUSH! For Change Website |
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Humanitarian Liaison Working Group Highlights Gender-based Violence
GENEVA — The Humanitarian Liaison Working Group (HLWG), a multi-stakeholder forum for discussion on operational issues and coordination in humanitarian settings, focused on gender-based violence at its most recent meeting here today.
Under the chairmanship of HE Ambassador Fujisaki of Japan, the group discussed the links between gender-based violence (GBV) and conflict, concluding that GBV is pervasive and that in conflict situations, its most common manifestations are exacerbated.
“That gender-based violence exists isn’t new – what is new is that there has been dramatically increased awareness and understanding of the problem over the past 10-20 years,” said Siri Tellier, Director of the UNFPA Geneva Office. She pointed to the many initiatives now underway, including the Secretary-General’s campaign to end violence against women. “You might say that the problem has gone from an invisible private matter to a public concern, both nationally and internationally.”
That visibility was intensified through the personal testimony of Zeinabou Mint Taleb Moussa, president of the Mauritanian Association for Maternal and Child Health, who was in Geneva for the event.
“We found girls who said they had been raped and who were being sent to prison for the simple reason that there was no tangible proof of this violence,” said Ms. Moussa, describing harsh legal practices in her country.
Ms. Moussa is featured in Women on the Frontline, a seven-part BBC World series on violence against women that was previewed and launched during the HLWG meeting. The investigative reports will be broadcast to more than 300 million households over the coming weeks.
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Ending Widespread Violence Against Women |
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Ending Violence against Women (multimedia exhibit) |
Danish Government Scales Up Global Support for MDG3
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COPENHAGEN – A high-level conference on women’s economic empowerment has concluded concrete commitments and action are needed to accelerate the implementation of Millennium Development Goal 3 (promote gender equality and women’s empowerment).
“We need to invest more in gender equality,” said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister. “The developing countries must use the resources needed to achieve this goal. But we need to increase the development assistance targeted at women.” He also reminded the conference that Denmark will double its assistance for gender equality from 2008 to 2010. Mr. Rasmussen was speaking at the International High-Level Conference on Economic Empowerment of Women, held in Copenhagen on 17 April.
The conference was opened by Ms. Ulla Tørnæs, the Danish Minister for International Development Cooperation and included several panels on economic empowerment for women.
“Without gender equality, we will never achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, and we will not have lived up to our mutual responsibility to combat poverty,” she said. “Women are an important source of sustainable economic growth. However, unequal education and employment opportunities for women are still slowing economic growth and poverty reduction in many developing countries.”
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The conference included decision makers, private sector leaders, experts, and civil society representatives. Its aim was to address necessary public and private sector initiatives to implement MDG3 with a focus on economic empowerment of women.
The Danish Prime Minister also announced Denmark will contribute 100 million DKK in the coming 3 years in support of Liberia’s poverty strategy in an effort to promote Liberia as a MDG3 pilot country.
Other keynote speakers included H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia and H.E. Luisa Diogo, Prime Minister of Mozambique.
The MDG3 Conference was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark in cooperation with the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI). It is part of “MDG3 Global Call to Action” campaign initiated by the Danish Government.
A preparatory meeting on 16 April provided input to the high-level conference. At that meeting, UNFPA Representative in Malawi, Ms. Esperance Fundira, delivered a statement on behalf of Thoraya Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director. In her speech, Ms. Fundira stressed that empowerment initiatives often work best when they combine different services.
“Providing opportunities for education and training, and for delaying marriage and childbearing, can enable young women to develop their full potential as economic agents,” she said.
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