UN Gender Focus

An 18-year old Indian woman who was trafficked as a child says her personal experience motivated her to fight for the rights of other young girls.

Anoyara Khatun from a village in West Bengal, India recently spoke about her advocacy work at the UN in New York.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), despite the fact that more than 90 per cent of countries have laws which criminalise trafficking, there has been an increase in the number of young girls being sold across borders.

Priyanka Shankar has been speaking to Ms Khatun about her work.

Detainees on Pacific island “completely without hope”

Women’s economic empowerment is “uniquely important”: UN chief

Women’s economic empowerment is a “uniquely important” way to give women more control over their lives and promote genuine equality. That’s the view of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking at the launch of a High-Level Panel report on the issue. The UN chief set the panel up earlier this year, aiming to place women’s economic empowerment “at the top of the global agenda.” Matthew Wells reports.

Caleb Orozco’s story of survival

Five years ago, Caleb Orozco challenged the criminalization of sodomy which is detailed in Section 53, of the Belize criminal code. The statute calls for a 10-year prison term for “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.” Like many former colonies of the British Empire, Belize inherited the law from Britain. Caleb Orozco won the historic case and just last month Section 53 was overturned as a violation of the constitution. But his lonely battle against discrimination continues as he told Jocelyne Sambira.

Film gives voice to indigenous Mohawk women in New York City

The women of Syria: the “backbone” of peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country, and a “glimmer of hope” in a flailing peace process.

Then, we’ll hear the story of a Syrian refugee mother who fled the city of Aleppo with her family.

Presenter: Jocelyne Sambira

Production Assistant: Sandra Guy

Duration: 10’00″.

Time wasted collecting water a “double whammy” for women and girls

Women should have the right to choose to wear a controversial bathing suit known as the burkini without coercion from the state or individuals; that’s according to the UN agency focused on gender issues, UN Women.

The burkini is a full-body swimsuit with a headscarf which is favoured by many Muslim women as well as by non-Muslims.

“Heart-wrenching” testimony from survivors of atrocities in Iraq

Young girls from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro are attending the Olympic Games as part of a programme launched by UN Women.

The ‘One Win Leads to Another’ programme brought 350 girls to attend Olympic events.

The initiative uses sports to empower young women and girls, thus enabling them to take control of their lives.