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1. Women parliamentarians and ministers advocate for gender-sensitive policy |
More than 75 women parliamentarians and ministers assembled at the Malaysian Parliament to examine their own actions to promote gender equality and address issues affecting women’s health and rights, including reproductive and sexual health, family planning, and gender-based violence. They gathered on the occasion of the 7th Asia-Pacific Women Parliamentarians’ and Ministers’ Conference from 14-15 November. Hosted by the Parliament of Malaysia, the conference was organized by the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) in cooperation with UNFPA and AFPPD-Malaysia and with support from the Government of Japan.
The conference was opened by Senator Dr Pinit Kullavanijaya, Secretary General of AFPPD, Dato’ Seri Hj. Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, Minister of Finance of Malaysia and Chairman of AFPPD Malaysia, Ms Nobuko Horibe, Regional Director, UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, and Senator Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Malaysia. Also in attendance was Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Minister for Women and Children Affairs of Bangladesh and Deputy Ministers from Mongolia. Dr Jean D’Cunha, Regional Programme Director for UNIFEM, and Ms Roohi Metcalfe, Gender and Governance Specialist, UNDP are among a number of experts who addressed the conference.
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| 2. Eastern European and Central Asian MPs discuss ICPD+15 |
On 14 November, 2009, AFPPD, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population, Development (EPF) and UNFPA with the support of the Japan Trust Fund brought together 21 Members of Parliament from Europe and Central Asia, UNFPA and civil society to discuss the progress made in this region on achieving ICPD Programme of Action and to draw a Roadmap of future Parliamentary activties to improve legislative and factual situation of SRHR in the region in the next 2 years.
After the welcome address by EPF President Mr George Tsereteli, MP (Georgia) and AFPPD Vice-Chair Mrs Aitkul Samakova, MP (Kazakhstan), Ms Thea Fierens, Regional Director of UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office addressed the participants in a keynote address on UNFPA priorities in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian region and the role of Parliamentarians in advancing ICPD Programme of Action. Prof. Hakan Satiroglu, President of the Family Planning Association of Turkey spoke to Parliamentarians and other invited guests on the role of NGOs in the implementation of ICPD Programme of Action.
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| 3. Australian MPs called on to unite against violence against women |
On 11 November, Mr Robert Oakeshott, MP of Australia, White Ribbon Ambassador and Member of AFPPD Standing Committee of Male Parliamentarians on Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls, issued a call to action to fellow Australian parliamentarians to take actions for the 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence. Mr Oakeshott called violence prevention “integral to our national interests.” On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Mr Oakeshott put a notice of motion to the House of Representatives to highlight the role of the Standing Committee and applauded AFPPD’s efforts in initiating it.
Also, on 25 November, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led a bi-partisan swearing of an oath against gender-based violence and called on Australian men to stand up for women’s rights. For more information: http://www.myoath.com.au/
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| 4. UNESCAP high-level meeting celebrates Beijing +15 |
Reaffirming their commitment to women’s empowerment, Ministers and senior officials from 40 countries closed a three day high-level meeting reviewing regional progress in gender equality with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration for Beijing +15 which will intensify the region’s effort to improve the lives of women and girls. “I have been pleased to witness a renewed commitment to seeking common solutions, building upon regional strengths and forging new partnerships to promote regional cooperation,” said Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
The Bangkok Declaration, which represents the outcome document for the Asia Pacific High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action at Fifteen Years, is forward-looking and action oriented reflecting the issues and needs of the Asia-Pacific region. AFPPD was represented by Mr Shiwei Ye. For more information, please visit http://www.unescap.org/ESID/GAD/Events/HLM-2009/index.asp (UNESCAP)
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| 5. World Population Report on climate change and gender |
Climate change strikes it fiercest blow against the poorest, most vulnerable people around the world, according to the UNFPA’s State of the World Population Report 2009, urging policymakers to heed the role of women – who make up the majority of the poor – in combating climate change. The report warned that the poor depend more on agriculture for their livelihoods, risking hunger and loss of income when droughts strike, rains become unpredictable and hurricanes move with unprecedented force. “Poor women in poor countries are among the hardest hit by climate change, even though they contributed the least to it,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. The report can be downloaded at http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2009/en/ (UN News)
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| 6. Climate change web conference for parliamentarians to be held |
Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth and those already in Copenhagen will be joined by climate negotiators and representatives from the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA), Commonwealth Secretariat, and the World Bank Institute, in an online discussion during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark. The World Bank's leading climate expert Dr Ian Noble will facilitate the virtual meeting and anyone with an interest in the role that Parliaments and Parliamentarians can play post-Copenhagen are invited to participate.
To register for the online meeting on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 at 14:00, Denmark Time, please visit the following website:
http://cpa.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT01Mjk2NDMmcD0xJnU9MTAxOTE0MDg2OCZsaT0xOTUxODE5/index.html
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| 7. Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative engages parliamentarians |
EPF and AFPPD brought a Parliamentary Delegation to GAVI’s Fourth Partners’ Forum from 18-20 November 2009 in Hanoi, Vietnam and combined it with mini field visits around Hanoi. The event provided a forum to discuss the role of vaccination and immunisation in achieving the health Millennium Development Goals, review lessons learned in the first 10 years of GAVI's existence and share best practices. Participants reflected on the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the way towards fulfilling GAVI's mission to save children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. (EPF) |
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| 8. EPF raises awareness on the links between climate change and population |
Prior to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 15) to be held from 7-18 December in Copenhagen, EPF has placed an article on the linkages between climate change and population in the November edition of the Brussels Airlines Inflight magazine “Bthere” reaching over one million readers each month. The ad highlights the fact that over 200 million women want, but currently lack access to modern contraceptives. Meeting this demand for voluntary family planning could slow high rates of population growth, thereby reducing demographic pressure on limited resources especially in the countries in the developing world which are least responsible for the growing emissions but will be bearing the greatest toll, with women being the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. (EPF) |
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| 9. AFPPD-IPPF joint parliamentarians meeting on SRHR of border communities |
A Joint Parliamentarians-NGO Meeting on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of Border Communities will be organized by AFPPD and IPPF-ESEAOR from 9-11 December in Mae Sot, Thailand and hosted by the Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand (PPAT). It aims to 1) enhance participants’ knowledge on SRHR issues in border and migrant communities through experience sharing; 2) increase governments’ and related agencies’ support for SRHR initiatives in border and migrant communities through the parliamentarians; and 3) identify sustainability schemes for SRH initiatives in border and migrant communities. Representatives from UNPFA and UNAIDS are also expected to attend and share their thoughts. |
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| 10. World Bank study visit to Burkina Faso |
AFPPD is sponsoring parliamentarians from the India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal and Vietnam to participate in a study visit to Burkina Faso organized by the Burkina Faso World Bank Country Office, the World Bank Parliamentary Relations Team and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) from 30 November to 4 December. The study visit will focus on Burkina Faso’s handling of the impact of the global financial crisis, decentralization and social accountability, extractive industries revenue management, and the impact of reforms on improving investment climate. Parliamentarians will meet with national MPs, government officials, civil society, private and donor community and World Bank projects in the country.
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