Meeting on the heels of the Taliban’s new directive prohibiting women and girls from attending public and private medical institutes in Afghanistan, the Security Council examined the impacts of the de facto authorities’ increasingly repressive policies, amounting to “gender apartheid”, as speakers urged the Taliban to reverse course.
Amid an era of conflict and violence, the Security Council and the international community at large must include women and girl peacebuilders in discussions at the highest levels, engage with them at the local levels and provide adequate financial support to help ensure the success of their efforts, delegates heard today during the 15-member organ’s briefing on intergenerational leadership on women, peace and security.
In South Sudan, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there reports that the country has launched its first national task force to combat gender-based and conflict related sexual violence, with the support of the Organization.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the high-level meeting to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, today:
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, heavy rainfall caused flooding in multiple sites in Khan Younis and Gaza City where displaced families are staying. People’s tents and other belongings were damaged by the rains. The United Nations and its humanitarian partners have been carrying out field visits to assess the impact of the latest rains.
In Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that since the war began 19 months ago there, the first domestic UN flight travelled today from Port Sudan to Kassala. The WFP-managed flights will now offer regular flights to transport aid workers and light humanitarian cargo from Port Sudan to Kassala once a week.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed on 25 November:
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) is delighted to announce the launch of its new podcast series, Women, Forces of Change: The Podcast, which is dedicated to highlighting the voices of women from Latin America and the Caribbean who work in disarmament.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, in Manila today:
This morning, the Security Council met to hear from the remaining speakers in its annual open debate on women and peace and security.
