|
But nobody from the UN helped the Ogiek women and their
children
But nobody from the UN helped the Ogiek women and their
children, who fled from their burnt houses into the safeguarding of their forest,
when the UN proclaimed today: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATED
COUNTRY-WIDE IN KENYA (08. March 2004)
This year's International Women's Day was marked in week-long celebrations
throughout the country coordinated by the Ministry of Gender, while the
United Nations system in Kenya held a symposium in Nairobi to discuss the
impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.
The symposium, organized by UNIFEM in conjunction with other UN
agencies, attracted hundreds of women and government officials including the Minister
for Gender, Mr. Najib Balala who officially
launched the symposium. Officials of the Kenya Aids Control Council also
participated in the discussions moderated by UNAIDS Country Coordinator
Kristan Schloutz.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on men to assume the
responsibilities that would reduce the "terrifying
pattern" of HIV/AIDS infection among the world's women. In a message
read by the UNICEF representative, Mr. Jacques Adande, Mr. Annan said
that among the positive behavioural changes that would give more
confidence to women would be "change that makes men assume their
responsibility - in ensuring an education for their daughters; abstaining from sexual
behaviour that puts
others at risk; forgoing relations with girls and very young
women; and understanding that when it comes to violence against
women, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses."
Women were experiencing deepening poverty and they would become the
majority of the world's people infected with HIV/AIDS if the current rates
of infection continued, Mr. Annan said.
Source: UN
|
