INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: ‘ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: UNITED ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!’

"One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime. This is an appalling human rights violation, yet it remains one of the invisible and under-recognized pandemics of our time.” –Nicole Kidman 

Stop and observe your surroundings; your neighbors, your friends or your relatives! You will be surprised to find out that the closest females around you might be victims of violence. Violence against women is blind-folded; it victimizes without discrimination regardless of their geographical, economic, cultural, social or even educational boundaries. This violence is done in all kinds of ways from sexual harassment, rape, genital mutilation, domestic violence, forced marriage to any type of human rights violation that denies both women’s basic freedoms and rights. 

The widespread of violence against women appears to be uncontrollable causing it to be brought up as a major concern of most nations. Globally, up to 70 percent of women are subject to one kind of violence. Simplifying that statistical number, every 7 out of 10 women worldwide are exposed to the risks of being raped, abused, beaten or mutilated. For the case of genital mutilation itself, approximation of 100-140 million girls and women are victims of this inhumane practice. 

Realizing these devastating phenomena, United Nations has specially marked 25th November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Commemorating it annually, United Nations aims to raise public awareness regarding the corrosive consequences of violence against women by encouraging governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and societies to contribute in activities that have a single purpose of eliminating violence against women through projects that can help women to escape from violence-behavior or simply educational campaigns. 

For further exploitation of the motive for halting violence against women, 25thNovember also marks the start of ’16 Days of Activism’ ending on December 10 which is also celebrated every year as Human Rights Day. 

World Assembly of Youth (WAY), have been holding tight on two main missions which are, eliminating gender-inequality and ending violence against women. At the  9thMelaka International Youth Dialogue (MIYD), ‘Youth and Gender Equality’ was one of  the successful activities aimed at  promoting gender equality of opportunities and eliminating unlawful discrimination as well as gender-based harassments .

It is believed that women empowerment is the key to call gender-based violence to halt .Governments should provide more opportunities for women in terms of political, economic, social and even educational aspects to ensure that equality in opportunities is achieved. Laws, policies and any regulations should be reviewed and reconstructed by repealing any section that pose as a threat to discriminate against women. In fact, the support toward women-empowerment could be started at the smallest colony of societies, the family. 

Conducive environment in the family is equally substantial to build up the confidence and breaking down the ‘invisible gender-boundaries’ amongst family-members. By empowering women and girls, they will not be misjudged as subdued targets; instead their status will be upheld by society. Through unity we can stop violence against Women. 

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN! 

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOITATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WAR AND ARMED CONFLICT: ‘ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE’

What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” -  Mahatma Gandhi 

Our earth, with all of its beauty and sumptuousness, has been a home for human beings and other living creatures for over a billion years.Known as the most remarkable planet because of its rich resources, Earth never fails to provide and sustain the lives within it.Unfortunately, as said by Mahatma Gandhi, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed”, we humans remain known for our siphoning of natural resources without considering environmental sustainability. 

According to history, the depletion and damage of our earth and its environment have been highly related to events of war and armed conflict. The environment and natural resources alike have been both the reason, and victim of war and armed conflict. A study conducted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), found that at least 40 percent of conflicts have been driven by the exploitation of natural resources such as gold, oil, and even spices. Forests and crops are normally burned down, water-sources are polluted, soils are poisoned and animals are killed for the sake of gaining military advantage.Understanding the correlation between environmental exploitation and armed conflict, 6th November was declared as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict which serves a purpose of educating and bringing awareness to the damaging effects of war and armed conflict. 

World Assembly of Youth (WAY),supports this year theme of ‘Environmental Governance’ and believe it is one of the solutions towards preventing further depletion of our natural resources as well as promoting both peace keeping and building strategies.Going forward, an insufficiency of natural resources poses a detrimental threat to the human-civilization and its sustainability. A global understanding on the matter is thus instrumental to achieving environmental sustainability and ensuring the longevity of the human population. The implementation of Environmental Governance especially at international level, equipped with cooperation from all countries and preservation of natural resources can be achieved.Distributive management of resources should be followed to control functions of every country’s access. Peace building should be established and every country must respect mutual relations as both producers and consumers of natural resources.

Niger Holds World’sHighest ChildhoodPregnancy Rate, Says UN

20,000 girls below the age of 18 who give birth every day in developing- countries make them and the countries they live in to face economic disadvantages, a UN report said on Wednesday. The report said that it made them face much higher health risks than older mothers. Every year, 7.3 million children become mothers in developing countries, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said in its annual report that was launched in several cities, including Geneva.

Some 70,000 mothers between 15 and 19 die from complications after birth each year. Having children at a young age prevents girls from entering the workforce. If girls waited until the age of 20 before having babies, the gross annual income would be boosted by more than 7.7 billion dollars in India and 3.5 billion dollars in Brazil, the report found.

At the same time UNFPA Chief- Babatunde Osotimehin stressed that poverty was an important cause of childhood pregnancies,along with- discrimination against women. “Too often, society blames only the girl for getting pregnant,’’ he said.“The reality is that adolescent pregnancy is most often not the result of a deliberate choice, but rather the absence of choices, and of circumstances beyond a girl’s control.”

The report said Niger had the world’s highest childhood pregnancy rate, with 51 per cent of women in their 20s reporting that they gave birth before turning 18. In Asia, Bangladesh has the highest rate at 40 per cent. In other regions Nicaragua holds the record in Latin America at 28 per cent and Yemen in the Middle East at 25 per cent. The U.S. accounts for half of the annual 680,000 teenage pregnancies in industrialized countries, the UNFPA said.(NAN)