UN Poised to Close Gender Gap and Create Women's Agency
The UN is poised to create a powerful new department for women who say they have been sidelined for decades, to rectify a glaring omission in the world body.
Advocates for women's rights are looking for a fully-fledged agency with a budget of $1bn (£639m) on a par with other high-profile UN departments, to address crucial areas such as violence against women, property rights and HIV/Aids.
"The UN record on women has been abysmal," said Stephen Lewis, co-director of Aids-Free World, and an advocate of gender equality. "It has neglected the rights and needs of women everywhere. It's clear to everyone that the marginalisation of women over decades is unacceptable and the best way to correct it is a UN agency like Unicef for children."
Although the UN has poured billions of pounds into agencies for refugees (UNHCR) and for children (Unicef), no equivalent exists for women. Women's issues are currently dealt with by several small departments that lack the resources and clout of a fully-fledged agency....
"This is all about the struggle for gender equality," Lewis said. "A UN women's agency will give meaning and force to that struggle. The UN cannot continue to marginalise 52% of the world's population. It's unacceptable." READ MORE

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