Women’s participation in peace talks empower Syrians “as a whole”

In order to create a “lasting peace” in Syria, women need to have a seat at the policy-making table, a peace activist from the country has said. Mariam Jalabi is Director of the Syrian National Coalition’s office at UN Headquarters in New York. She took part in a recent UN panel discussion on the role of women in promoting peace and economic development in the war-torn country. Syria’s entering its seventh year of conflict, leaving 13.5 million in dire need of humanitarian aid. Ms Jabali spoke to Lucy Dean first about the role of the media in promoting understanding of the war.

Sexual and reproductive health a ‘human right,’ says young Ghana activist

A youth advocate from Ghana is urging African governments to prioritize the sexual and reproductive rights of the continent’s young people. Asenam Amuzu represents a non-profit called Dance4Life which empowers young people to protect their health and promote safe sexual choices. She took part in the latest session of the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD) held this month in New York. Joseph Msami asked Asenam about her work and the importance of participating in the UN meeting.

UN Women: tackling sexual harassment in public transport in Mexico City

A new campaign in Mexico City aims to combat a touchy subject: sexual harassment on public transportation. A recent national survey found that nearly 90 per cent of women feel unsafe on buses and subways. Faced with these alarming figures, UN Women, in partnership with the city government, launched the campaign #NoEsDeHombres which translates as “this is not what being a man is about,” promoting what the agency says is a more respectful form of masculinity. Ana Carmo has been speaking to Yeliz Osman, Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Programme Coordinator at UN Women in Mexico.

Presenter: Dianne Penn

Production Assistant: Sandra Guy

Duration: 10’00″