Women central to efforts to deal with climate change, says new UNFPA report

LONDON — Women bear the disproportionate burden of climate change, but have so far been largely overlooked in the debate about how to address problems of rising seas, droughts, melting glaciers and extreme weather, concludes The State of World Population 2009, released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. “Poor women in poor countries are among the hardest hit by climate change, even though they contributed the least to it,” says UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. more

ICPD15 forum in Istanbul on population issues in the region

ISTANBUL - The ICPD at 15 forum was held on 12-13 November 2009, in Istanbul, Turkey and was organized by the Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECARO) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), the European Network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and the State Planning Organization of Turkey (SPO). more

Maternal mortality halved in Eatern Europe and Central Asia, but too many women still die giving life

ISTANBUL – Decision-makers and government officials from 20 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have pledged to step up the fight against needless deaths and suffering resulting from pregnancy and childbirth. In a Statement of Commitment issued in Istanbul late last night, delegates to a high-level meeting recognized that investment in the health and rights of women is smart economics, especially during a financial crisis, and that family planning is one of the most cost-effective investments in reducing the maternal deaths that continue to affect the region. more