Author: watchthedot

SI UN Representative Wilfrida Hendrickx recently attended a CoNGO and Human Rights Council session on women’s rights and the multiple discrimination women face around the world. During this session, the various barriers women and girls face in realising their full rights were reviewed and debated, taking into account the various cultures, legal systems, and traditions…

Last week, SI UN Representative Cinzia Palmi attended the 144th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. She reports back on the latest debates on food security and rural investment. Many of the regional conferences held earlier in 2012 focussed on issues of food security – particularly in rural areas. There was consensus amongst Government…

SI UN Representative Wilfrida Hendrickx attended the 20th Session of the Human Rights Council. She reports back from a side event on Harmful traditional Practices against Women and Girls – Laws vs. practic. During the 20th regular session of the Human Rights Council (18 June – 6 July 2012), special attention was brought to women’s…

SI UNESCO Representative Dominique Mertz attended the annual review of the Global Partnership for Female Education at the end of May. She reviews some of the innovative private sector partnerships which are providing schools and resources in some of the poorest countries. The Global Partnership was launched in 2011, armed with the conviction that education…

Soroptimist International UN Representative Yoko Komori Olson attended an NGO briefing on child labour earlier this month. She reports back on behalf of Soroptimist International. In 2002, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the World Day against Child Labour (June 12th) to focus world attention on the urgent need to eradicate child labour. This year,…

On 5th June 2012, World Environment Day, and only 2 weeks before Rio + 20, the Geneva Environment Network, as part of UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), held a high level discussion on green economy, the development agenda post 2015 and the challenges facing us in the near future. It is widely accepted that we…

On Sunday 24 June 2012, the Women’s Major Group (WMG), representing 200 civil society women’s organizations from all around the world issued a statement to express great disappointment with the results of the Rio+20 conference. Soroptimist International is a member of the Women’s Major Group and an active participant in the process of negotiation and…