UN Women estimates that there are more than 250 million widows globally, with one in ten facing discrimination and extreme poverty.
UN Women Push for Policies to Address Widows’ Plight
British Council Partners with Leading UK Universities to Support Malaysian Female Students in STEM
The British Council has launched a postgraduate scholarship programme in partnership with three leading UK universities — University of Glasgow, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Stirling, aimed at benefiting Southeast Asian women with a background in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). According to UNESCO, fewer than 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 percent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. The British Council seeks to increase this number by establishing programmes to support women in STEM around the world, from inspiring young girls to stay in the field to supporting working women in STEM to reach positions of leadership. Its latest programme provides fifteen full scholarships to women from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam who can demonstrate their need for financial support and who wish to inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM. The scholarships will cover full tuition…
South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee Drops Bid to Become WTO Chief
South Korea’s top trade official is dropping her bid to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, making it likely the job will go to former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She would become the first woman to lead the organization. South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement Friday that its minister for trade, Yoo Myung-hee, will soon tell the WTO she is withdrawing her candidacy. The WTO, which makes world trade rules, announced in October that Yoo and Okonjo-Iweala were the two finalists to become its next director-general, ensuring a woman will fill the top job for the first time. The WTO had ben expected to announce a winner before the end of 2020, but the process dragged on because of disagreements between member states over the candidates, the South Korean ministry said. While it appeared Okonjo-Iweala had broader support, the WTO…
India: Zomato Paid Period Leave Policy Spark Debate
India’s largest food delivery company, Zomato launches new policy to give its female employees paid “period leave” has sparked a debate, polarising women in a country where menstruation is still considered a taboo.
India: Mumbai Place Green Lights Women Figures On Traffic Signals
Mumbai has become the first Indian city to introduce female figures on its traffic lights, a move welcomed by women’s rights campaigners as a step towards greater inclusivity.
Respect for Bangladesh Women Workers’ Rights, News Report Appeals
A recently released report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Bangladeshi rights group Odhikar calls for greater respect for the rights of women workers in the ready-made garment and construction sectors in Bangladesh.
China Women’s Federation Strengthens Pairing-Up Assistance to Promote Anti-Poverty Battle
The Women’s Federation of Xuhui District in Shanghai has made great efforts in the battle against poverty in the district’s pairing-up counties in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
