Authors: Léa Gombert & Sabrina NelsonLéa Gombert is a first year student majoring in Strategic Management at Desautels. She aspires to remodel the business industry into a more sustainable and socially responsible field. Apart from that, she is very interested in human rights, literature of all sort and fashion. Sabrina Nelson is a first year student pursuing a major in political science and a double minor in international development and World Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies. Her interests include human rights and social justice issues, authoritarian regimes and politics in the Middle East. What is the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women?
The International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women occurs every year on November 25th and was created by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage people to take a stand against gender-based violence. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 women have been abused in their lifetime. But why is it particularly important to raise awareness on VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) this year? The United Nations explicates that in times of crisis abuse against women increases, which is clearly evident in countries like Afghanistan where the presence of multiple crises has greatly increased the risk of abuse. What is the situation/ status of women in Afghanistan right now? Since the Taliban took over Kabul, women’s lives have drastically changed. Their activities have been restricted, their rights are constantly violated and they face widespread discrimination. Women are not allowed to go to work and cannot leave their homes without a male relative. Despite this, Afghan women are still fighting for their rights and demanding equality, something they have been doing for centuries. Afghanistan ranks among the least favourable on the Gender Inequality Index and the literacy rate for women here is among the lowest in the world. Girls and women in Afghanistan are subject to violence and girls are being deprived from receiving an education. It is certain that depriving Afghan women of their rights is unacceptable and they deserve to live their lives peacefully and freely. What is UNICEF doing to help with their situation? UNICEF has had interventions in Afghanistan for the past 65 years, however, as the humanitarian crisis and conflicts increase in the country, it has expanded its help to protect women from violence over the last year. In order to improve women's life, they are trying to ensure that little girls have access to an education as qualitative as that of boys. Not only do they help reduce inequalities between genders but they also prevent child marriage which is highly prevalent in Afghanistan. According to a 2021 United Nations’ report, 28% of Afghan women between the ages 15 and 49 were married before they reached their 18th birthday. Moreover, UNICEF supports female teachers and doctors and tries more generally to develop as much as possible the implication of women in fields that remain male-dominated in the country. This diversification of genders in the workforce would be a great step forward in the fight against violence against women.
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Author: Sabrina NelsonSabrina Nelson is a first year student pursuing a major in political science and a double minor in international development and World Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies. Her interests include human rights and social justice issues, authoritarian regimes and politics in the Middle East. Image Source: https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/delivering-support-afghanistans-children The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is at a “make-or-break moment”, warns Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General. After two months of the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. The wellbeing and safety of Afghans have been compromised and amongst other things, the country is facing an economic crisis in parallel to a rise in food security, poverty, and violence. In only two months, the situation has quickly deteriorated, and many are concerned with what will happen to the Afghans once the harsh winter months arrive. Why is the crisis in Afghanistan a humanitarian crisis? The Humanitarian coalition defines a humanitarian emergency as being a series of events that represent a critical threat to the wellbeing, safety, security, and health of a community in a region. What is happening in Afghanistan falls into that definition. The ICR estimates that out of a population of 38.9 million, 18.4 million require humanitarian aid. The safety and wellbeing of Afghans have been put at risk. They face starvation and malnutrition due to a rise in food insecurity and prices. Moreover, they lack access to essential services including health care, education, and legal sectors. Many are subjected to abuse, forced labor, and violence. Humans’ rights in Afghanistan are being violated and the populations’ security and survival are at risk. How are Afghan children affected by this? Children are increasingly bearing the burden of the conflict. Faced with a security crisis, severe droughts, Covid-19, and a lack of access to the health system, children are at great risk. Children are the future citizens/leaders of the world, yet 3.2 million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of 2021. Among these, at least 1 million are at the risk of dying without immediate treatment. Thus, we are not giving them the chance to be part of the future. Afghan children are not given the privilege to have a childhood, they are born into adulthood. Deprived of innocence, they are left facing the harsh realities of the world. They witness scenes that no child should ever have to see, shaping them into individuals who suffer from anxiety and fears. Afghans should not have to bear the burden of a conflict. They have the right to have a childhood and be at peace without having to fear and fight for their survival. Women and girls are greatly affected by the crisis. Human rights and freedom under the Taliban government are being violated. Women and girls have particularly been affected by the return to power of the Taliban. Their rights and activities have been restricted, and they face widespread discrimination. Since the takeover, secondary school girls are banned from returning to school, even though boys have returned to class. An estimated 3.7 million children are out-of-school in Afghanistan, among which 60% are girls. Thus, girls are deprived of receiving an education. Women aid workers have been prevented from essential lifesaving aid reaching Afghans, especially women and girls, due to severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban. Not enabling women aid workers to do their job in a context of a humanitarian crisis, is unacceptable. What is UNICEF doing? To tackle the crisis in Afghanistan, UNICEF has taken multiple actions such as providing Humanitarian aid, ensuring access to education, and preserving women and girls’ rights. They are committed to ending violations against children and continue to work with partners to deliver life-saving assistance to children and their families across the country. For instance, in camps for internally displaced individuals, UNICEF has taken measures to support nutrition and mobile health teams, by setting up nutrition hubs and vaccination sites. How can I help? McGill Students for UNICEF (MSFU) works at raising funds and awareness for a different crisis emergency fund every year. This year, Afghanistan is our emergency fund. The fundraising efforts of MSFU go directly to the central UNICEF organisation. Your donation and support truly make a difference. Hey guys! We recently revamped our website: https://unicefmcgill.weebly.com/ and we’re really excited to get the blog kicked off!
Here's the sign-up sheet for the blog: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zdMJPH4dL3wl3foCQVo4SeHxtxM26U2wTbTtCfTZAKE/edit
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AboutThis blog features insights from MSFU members on UN-sponsored days, club events, & the emergency fund. Archives
March 2024
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