Top United Nations officials commemorated this year's International Women's Day by calling on countries to invest more in women and girls, warning that failing to do so will undermine efforts to achieve global development targets.

In his message for the Day, Secretary-General drew attention to the “serious” gap between policy and practice in many countries when it comes to gender equality, as reflected in a lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations.

By: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (Washington, DC)

PRESS RELEASE

Countries must address the critical need to scale up services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and expand pediatric care for children living with the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation at the conclusion of a global meeting on HIV/AIDS today in Washington, D.C. To achieve this, the organizations urged countries to prioritize PMTCT and pediatric care, support and treatment in their grant proposals for Round 8 of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which started accepting applications this week.  

PRESS RELEASE: 

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, OMCT joins women’s groups and individuals campaigning worldwide and calls for full implementation of the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. The 25th of November also marks the beginning of the annual campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence”, which focuses this year on “Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles” to achieve concrete results in improving women’s protection from violence.