Originally published October 14 2005
UN calls for world governments to protect women
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The United Nations Population Fund recently asked world leaders to actively combat sexual discrimination and to improve the position of women around the globe, a feat that would aid many other problems, namely poverty and the AIDS epidemic, which U.N. reports confirm is increasing rapidly among women.
The United Nations Population Fund called on world leaders Wednesday to end sexual discrimination now or risk failing to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and end global poverty.
According to the State of World Population 2005 report, jointly released in London and New York, freeing women from the discrimination, violence and poor health they face in their daily lives will "unleash the power of half of humanity to contribute to economic growth."
"We cannot make poverty history until we stop violence against women and girls," UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said at the release of the annual report in central London.
The report, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the UN Charter that enshrined equal rights for men and women, comes a month after the World Summit in New York.
At it, international leaders proclaimed that "progress for women is progress for all."
"By increasing investments in women and young people -- in their education, economic opportunities, human rights and reproductive health -- we can free hundreds of millions of people from poverty, spare the lives of 30 million children and two million mothers, and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS in the next decade."
According to her, these include ensuring that every country has a national campaign to end violence against women and advancing opportunities to educate girls.
The report says sexual discrimination is not a problem only of the developing world and highlights the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse regardless of geography, race or socioeconomic status and the inequalities apparent from the minimal numbers of women holding parliamentary seats.
Calling on world leaders to live up to their promises to the world's women and girls and close the gap between rhetoric and reality, Obaid said she hopes the report comes as a "reality check."
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml