International Women's Day special
ICYO INDIA
International Women’s Day
We call on countries to “step it up” for gender equality -Message of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, for International Women’s Day 2015.
Mother, child and adolescent health high on Government agenda: Shri J P Nadda
ICYO – Youth Information Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
Platform of Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
We call on countries to “step it up” for gender equality
Message of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, for International Women’s Day 2015.
In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, world leaders committed to a future where women are equal.
One hundred and eighty nine countries and 4,000 civil society organizations, attended the conference.
Women left Beijing with high hopes, with a well-defined path towards equality, and firm commitments at the highest level. Their hope was that we would see this by 2005.
Today, not one single country has achieved equality. It is more urgent than ever that we define – and stick to – a time frame.
There has been some progress in the last 20 years – although it has been slow and uneven.
Countries have narrowed the gender gap in education and some have even reached gender parity in school enrolment.
They have reduced the toll of maternal mortality and morbidity. Many more women survive pregnancy and childbirth than in 1995.
Many countries have created institutions that address gender inequality. Many have passed laws against gender-based discrimination. Many have made domestic violence a crime.
This is all good news.
And yet we are still a long way from achieving equality between men and women, boys and girls.
Implementation of good policies has been patchy. Allocation of the resources needed for effective implementation has been insufficient to fund women’s ministries, gender commissions, gender focal points, and gender-responsive budgeting.
For too many women, especially in the least-developed countries, not enough has changed.
In Africa, 70 per cent of crop production depends on women yet women still own only 2 per cent of the land.
Violence against women continues to blight lives in all countries of the world.
And no country has achieved gender equality.
Women need change and humanity needs change. This we can do together; women and girls, men and boys, young and old, rich and poor.
The evidence is overwhelming of the benefits that equality can bring. Economies grow, poverty is alleviated, health status climbs, and communities are more stable and resilient to environmental or humanitarian crises.
Women want their leaders to renew the promises made to them. They want leaders to recommit to the Beijing Declaration, to the Platform for Action, and to accelerated and bolder implementation.
They want more of their leaders to be women. And they want those women, together with men, to dare to change the economic and political paradigms. Gender parity must be reached before 2030, so that we avert the sluggish trajectory of progress that condemns a child born today to wait 80 years before they see an equal world.
Today, on International Women’s Day, we call on countries to “step it up” for gender equality, with substantive progress by 2020. Our aim is to reach ‘Planet 50:50’ before 2030.
The world needs full equality in order for humanity to prosper.
Empower women, empower humanity. I am sure you can picture an equal world!
Mother, child and adolescent health high on Government agenda: Shri J P Nadda
The health of women, young adults and children is central to the governance agenda the Government and it is not just the concern of the global community. Reaffirming the commitment of the government towards meeting the health needs of mothers, adolescents and children, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda stated this at the inauguration of the two day Global Stakeholders’ Consultation to update the strategy for health of Woman, Children and Adolescents- “Every Woman, Every Child”, held in New Delhi on 26th March 2015. The global consultation is being hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with UN Secretary General’s Office, WHO, Partnership for Maternal, New born & Child Health (PMNCH) and others.
Pointing that improved health outcomes are an economic and social investment which is an integral part for a robust and thriving economy, the Health Minister pointed out that India has made substantial progress on several indicators in the recent years. The under-five mortality rate has come down by over 61 per cent between 1990 and 2013; the neonatal mortality rate has registered a 47 per cent decline between 1990 and 2013, while the maternal mortality indicators have shown reduction of nearly 70 per cent between 1990 and 2013. He stated that India is geared to achieve its targets for both MGD 4 and 5.
Shri Nadda stated that drawing on the lessons learned through the implementation of various targeted programmes under the NHM, existing traditional areas of work have been strengthened and newer focus areas have been identified. India has moved from its earlier focus on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) to a new strategic approach, the RMNCH+A, focusing attention on all the life stages including adolescents. This new approach emphasizes inter-linkages between each of the five pillars under RMNCH+A, and connects community and facility based services.
Speaking at the occasion, Ms Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General said that while tremendous progress has been made during the last decade on several indicators of mother, child and adolescent health, much remains to be done. There is need for deepening and strengthening partnerships between various stakeholders for achieving the goals for a sustainable development agenda. Emerging economies have an important role to play within this framework of partnership, she added.
The updated 2015 Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health seeks to inform the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda with a vision to ensure that by 2030 every woman, child, and adolescent can realize their potential and right to attain the highest level of health and wellbeing, dignity and human security. The new Global Strategy, set to be released at the UN General Assembly in September alongside the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will provide a roadmap for improving the health of women, children and adolescents between 2016 and 2030.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.
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ü To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
ü To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
ü To promote effective youth programmme;
ü To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work;
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ü To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programme and activities
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ü Associate with Foundation for Leadership Initiatives (FLI).
