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Happenings

UN Women, Partners Seek to Produce Comprehensive Gender Data

With only 41 per cent of countries regularly producing data on violence against women and only 13 per cent of countries having a dedicated gender statistics budget, the first-ever United Nations World Data Forum recently explored ways to close these data gaps. According to the Director of Policy Division at the UN Purna Sen,”Gender statistics are critical for setting priorities, planning interventions and assessing their impacts. They can put a spotlight on inequality and women and girls who are left behind.” The panel, titled ‘Gender Data for Decision-making: Strengthening the Links,’ was among the nearly 100 sessions and parallel events scheduled throughout the 15-18 January gathering in Cape Town, South African, of more than 1,400 data experts around the world. Ms. Sen said that when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in September 2015, UN Women, formally known as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment…

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Taiwan National Women’s League to Reveal Finances

Taiwan’s National Women’s League recently agreed to provide its financial reports to the Ministry of the Interior following recent speculations about their financial sources. This will be the first time the league will publicize its assets. Following a meeting between league officials and Civil Affairs Department Director Lin Ching-chi at the league’s headquarters in Taipei, the ministry announced that the league had agreed to provide an annual budget and detailed reports on its income and property by Monday. “They said that even though they are willing to provide the information, they will still need a few days to get things in order, because it is a different format to what they have given the National Taxation Bureau,” Civil Affairs Department Deputy Director Luo Rui-ching said, adding that the ministry would publish the league’s submission. The procedure is basically the same as that for political parties under the Civil Associations…

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WiSER Calls on Women to be Drivers of Innovation

Leaders from government, business and academia recently convened in Abu Dhabi for the annual Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy, WiSER, conference under the theme ‘Practical steps towards sustainable innovation.’ The event was organised by Masdar in partnership with the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The conference, a key event at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, sought to discuss the collaborative role that governments and businesses can play in fostering sustainable innovation, and the critical importance of including women in this dialogue. Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, WiSER Programme Director, Executive Director of Sustainability and Brand at Masdar, and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: “At WiSER, we seek to ensure that women are the drivers of change for a sustainable future, enabling them to positively impact innovation and breakthroughs in policy, technology and business. Today’s event helps us understand the way forward to achieving this goal.” “With greater mentoring and…

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Air India to Reserve 6 Seats for Women on Domestic Flights

In a first-of-its-kind move in the aviation industry, national carrier Air India will reserve six seats for women on its flights operating on domestic routes from next week. The move aimed at ameliorating the plight of women who suffer several inconveniences while traveling from one location to the other is a welcome idea which other transport systems are urged to consider. According to Air India Spokesperson, at times, a woman traveling alone gets a middle or window seat on the aircraft, which puts her to inconvenience, particularly while going to the washroom. This necessitated the airline to keep some seats reserved for them on aircraft flying on domestic routes. Keeping this in mind, it has been decided to keep all the six seats in the third row of the economy class on Airbus A320 reserved only for women from January 18, he said. “However, woman travelling with their family members…

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Trump Nominee for Defense Secretary Says He Won’t Oppose Women Serving in Combat

By: Paul D. Shinkman Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, indicated Thursday he would not oppose women serving in combat positions, among the greatest social changes to the armed forces imposed under President Barack Obama’s administration. In response to a question from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Mattis emphasized that no training standards should be changed for female troops. “The standards are the standards, and when people meet the standard, that’s the end of the discussion about that,” Mattis said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mattis, who retired in 2013 after more than 40 years of service, had previously indicated he disagreed with Obama’s decision to open up all combat jobs to women, citing concerns that included male-and-female relationships. Politico reported the issue would be a point of scrutiny for congressional Democrats considering both Mattis’ confirmation and a…

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Egyptian Parliament Introduces Tougher Penalties for Sexual Harassment

In a bid to deter sexual harassment, an Egyptian parliamentary committee has approved a much-needed draft bill to toughen the laws on sexual harassment offenders – who may now face a one-year jail term and up to 10,000 LE in fines. According to Al Ahram, Suzy Nashed, a committee member, submitted the amendments to increase the jail term from six months to one year, and increase the fines by up to 10,000 LE. If the attacker were to repeat the offence, the penalties would be doubled. The bill has defined harassment as verbal or non-verbal act, carried out in private or public areas, that convey sexual or pornographic innuendo. A study released in 2013 by the United Nations found that 99.3% of women surveyed in Egypt were victims of sexual harassment – a behaviour that was not criminalised until 2014. Also agreed upon was the enforcement of tougher penalties on…

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Kenya: Women Target Senior Leadership Positions in 2017

By: Anita Chepkoech and Angela Oketch More Kenyan women are throwing their hats in the ring for political positions in the western and southern parts of the country, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive elections in recent history. The women aspirants, who are mainly professionals, say they are ready to brave the high-octane political season often characterized by hooliganism and mudslinging. According to those who spoke to the Nation, they will be banking on their track records, professionalism and strong leadership skills to trounce their opponents. Those running for governorship include political activist Atieno Otieno (Kisumu), Kakamega businesswoman Mabel Muruli, and Ms. Anne Anyanga (Migori). Other women running for the top county seats include, Sotik MP Joyce Laboso (Bomet) and Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga. Dr. Rose Kisia, the Kisumu County Executive for Tourism, will lock horns with Nyando MP Fred Outa in the fight…

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