WOMEN MUST PLAY ACTIVE ROLE IN HAITI- UN EXPERTS  New York: UN 1 February 2010 – Women must be given a key role in all aspects of the emergency relief effort in earthquake-ravaged Haiti for it to be effective and to protect the human rights of the most vulnerable, a United Nations committee warned today.
“The needs and capabilities of women must be taken into consideration in all sectors and clusters of the emergency response, as the role of women in early recovery is critical to effective implementation and long term sustainability,” said Naéla Mohamed Gabr, who heads the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Haiti was rocked on 12 January by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated its capital, Port-au-Prince, with the Government confirming that at least 150,000 people have perished, thousands more are still buried under the rubble and an even larger number made homeless.
CEDAW said in a statement that following such natural disasters the responsibilities of women are greater on account of their roles as caretakers of children, the elderly, the disabled, the injured and other survivors. [ Read the rest... ]
Comments are turned off for this item
|
Comments are turned off for this item
Recent Additions