Join us to fight another spreading virus: cyber violence

Date: Friday, April 3, 2020

From abuse and harassment to harmful stereotyping and images, women and girls face in the virtual world the same violence that they face in the physical world. In a global survey of 1 million young people, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) found that over 70 per cent are victims of online violence. From 5 to 21 per cent of children and adolescents are targeted by cyberbullying, with girls at higher risk than boys.

Take Five: “The future of fashion can belong to everyone”

Date: Friday, April 3, 2020

Ankiti Bose is CEO of Zilingo, an online fashion retail business (B2B and B2C). She has been featured in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30, Fortune 40 Under 40, and Bloomberg 50 lists. In visiting Chatuchak market in Bangkok, she noticed a gap in the fashion industry: while small- and medium-sized enterprises had a lot to offer and were hungry for growth, they were ill-equipped to scale up or to compete with global players without the right tools and software. She set out to level the playing field by starting Zilingo with Chief Technical Officer Dhruv Kapoor.

I am Generation Equality: Lee Mi-kyung, overseas aid administrator and women’s rights activist

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2020

Gender equality is not a women’s issue but a matter of human rights. The concept of “human right” has been interpreted differently according to society’s definition of who is a human being under which conditions. Women have achieved human rights through endless struggles and efforts; for example, the right to vote, the right to receive the same wages, and the right to wear pants were all rights that women had to acquire. I have been dedicated to the movement throughout my life.

Greater support needed for working families as COVID-19 takes hold – UNICEF, ILO and UN Women

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2020

“In Nepal, a child’s protection and development is strongly correlated with multiple socio-economic deprivations, including access to services and exposure to violence and exploitation. COVID 19 will further exacerbate these vulnerabilities especially among the poorest and most marginalized households,” said UNICEF Nepal’s Representative, Ms Elke Wisch. “Now, more than ever, family and child-friendly employment practices in the private and public sectors, as well as social protection measures adapted to this evolving situation, will be critical to protect children and their families from the most detrimental fall-out of the pandemic.” Family-friendly policies and practices, including employment and income protection, paid leave to care for family members, flexible working arrangements and access to quality, emergency childcare can make a critical difference. They enable workers to protect and care for themselves and their children and enhance workers’ productivity and sense of security.

Asia-Pacific greets safely in times of COVID-19

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Together with other basic protective measures such as washing hands frequently, avoid touching face, eyes or nose, and covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, social distancing is known to be one of the practical actions that can be implemented at all levels to stay healthy and avoid infection. The “Greet Like Me” initiative was inspired by the “Salam for Safety” campaign created by UN Women Afghanistan, which encourages the use of the traditional greeting knowns as “Salam” (peace) that involves the gesture of placing a hand on the chest, instead of shaking hands.

COVID-19: Women front and centre

Date: Monday, March 30, 2020

In a statement, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka calls on governments to recognize both the enormity of the contribution women make and the precarity of so many in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International Women’s Day 2020 key events in Asia Pacific

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2020

The theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights. The theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. The Beijing Platform for Action is recognized as the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere. As the global agency for gender equality and women’s empowerment, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is organizing and supporting a series of different activities around International Women’s Day. See some of our key events.

China’s companies step up support for Women’s Empowerment Principles

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2020

A recent surge in support has brought to 74 the number of companies in China that have become official signatories to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), and started creating fairer conditions for women in the workplace, marketplace and the community. Since July 1, 2019, 44 companies have submitted the CEO Statement of Support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles. Companies become official signatories after that statement is approved. As of March 13, there were 74 official signatories in China, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Rockcheck Puji Foundation and UN Women reach cooperation with intention to support women recover from COVID-19

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Rockcheck Puji Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN Women on 8 March 2020 and reach cooperation with intention to establish a programme to support women recover from COVID-19. Gender perspective is indispensable in humanitarian actions including health emergencies like COVID-19. Existing evidence show that women are more vulnerable, more likely to fall into poverty and lack access to information and resources for recovery.

A woman who learned to cope now helps other women in rural Bangladesh cope

Date: Monday, March 16, 2020

Farida Easmin began her journey of coping and overcoming when she was 16 and her father died suddenly. As the eldest daughter, she had to take care of the others, and she worked in small non-governmental organizations while continuing her studies. “I still remember I used to earn only 1,350 taka per month (about USD15.5 now) and I used that money for expenses for my siblings and family,” she said.