The Religious Consultation
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Associated Press, March 9, 2005 DATELINE: UNITED NATIONS In Haiti, mothers clutched photographs of their dead sons. In Washington, first lady Laura Bush promoted women's rights in the Middle East. In Bangladesh, hundreds of men joined protests against acid attacks that disfigure scores of women every year. Across the globe, women and men marked International Women's Day, which fell during a two-week U.N. meeting to give new momentum to a blueprint adopted 10 years ago to achieve equality for women. "Despite tragedy and hardship, despite conflict, exclusion, economic exploitation, violence and the ravages of HIV/AIDS which increasingly is acquiring a female face, women's issues have made progress over the last decade," Nafis Sadik, a special adviser on AIDS to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, told over 1,000 women at the U.N. meeting. "Women in many settings are showing a new confidence and sense of entitlement. We are moving on and we will not be stopped," she said to loud applause. "The question is will the international community make it easy for women, or always put difficulties in our paths? Will governments recognize that they have a stake in women's empowerment and equality and act accordingly?" European leaders marked the day by calling for equal working rights for women and agreeing to set up a gender institute to combat sex discrimination. In Paris, French President Jacques Chirac announced that the government would present a draft law on workplace equality within days. Across Europe, the day was marked by events underlining the fight against discrimination. In Dublin, hundreds of women in science and technology demanded that the government appoint more women to state policy-making bodies. In Sweden, which prides itself on promoting gender equality, prominent female politicians and union leaders launched a new feminist network called Feminista, saying the country was "far away" from having a truly equal society. Turkish leaders urged police to exercise restraint after they used truncheons and beat and kicked women and other protesters at an unauthorized demonstration Sunday to mark International Women's Day. Iranian dissident groups reported clashes Tuesday between militia members and women trying to demonstrate for women's rights. In Pakistan, Canadian Ambassador Margaret Huber marked the day by visiting a school where a rape victim is teaching and donating $37,000 to build more classrooms. In nearby Bangladesh, hundreds of men, including some celebrities, joined a rally organized by the Acid Survivors Foundation, a voluntary organization that helps victims of a common revenge crime in the country. Some 3,000 supporters of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, including mothers dressed in white who claimed police killed their sons, marked the day at a rally in the capital, Port-Au-Prince, to protest alleged police killings. In Moscow, the U.N. refugee agency held a conference for Afghan, Iraqi and Nigerian refugee women to discuss their options to return home and work opportunities - with a hairdressing contest as part of a training project to help them become more self-reliant. In a speech to mark the day, Mrs. Bush said human rights in Iraq stand a better change because nearly one-third of the members of the new interim assembly are women, and they will help draft the country's constitution. She said President George W. Bush's campaign to promote democracy is part of a wider effort to support women's advancement across the Middle East and North Africa. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the international community to remember that promoting gender equality isn't only women's responsibility - it's the responsibility of "all of us." << Associated Press -- 3/9/05 >> Home About Us Newsletters News Archives Donate
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