Girls around the world still face challenges of inequality, UNICEF says

Ten years after the most recent United Nations conference on women’s rights, girls around the world still face such challenges as violence, difficulties getting into and staying in school, and suffering a disproportionate impact from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Ann Veneman will highlight these issues when she addresses the opening ceremony next Monday of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which was held in Beijing, China, in 1995, her office said today.

She will also join other senior UN officials for a roundtable called “Encounter with the United Nations.”

On her fourth visit to the field since she became UNICEF Executive Director, she will also meet with senior Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss the country’s progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 on educating children, especially girls, and improving their general well-being and will also hear about China’s 2001-2010 National Plan of Action for Children.

Before going to Beijing, Ms. Veneman will look at child survival programmes in Ningxia province, one of the least developed areas of China and home to about 6 million people, visiting projects focused on maternal and child health, child nutrition and early child development on Friday and Saturday. She will also see a programme engaging local religious leaders in educating the public on HIV/AIDS prevention.