NEW DELHI
Celebrating International Women’s Day 2012: UNESCO’s efforts for rural women
"Too often marginalised, women living in rural settings face steep challenges to the exercise of their human rights, their personal development and the pursuit of their aspirations.” – Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova on Women’s Day 2012.
Rural households headed by women are among the most vulnerable of the world’s 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty in developing countries. Women and girls constitute 60 percent of people suffering from chronic hunger worldwide. From a new atlas highlighting educational challenges for women, to efforts to empower women journalists, and a partnership with Procter and Gamble for girl’s education in Senegal, UNESCO will celebrate the hopes and dreams of women worldwide on International Women’s Day this March 8th.
New data to be released this Women’s Day in a free interactive atlas highlight the educational challenges women face worldwide, but especially in rural communities. In Burkina Faso, for example, only about 22% of rural girls attend primary school compared to 72% of urban girls or 82% of urban boys. And in Morocco, although in recent years the gender gap has been closing, rural women still lag behind rural men with just over half (55%) of rural males and only a little over a third of rural women (37%) receiving at least 5 years of education. more
UNESCO New Delhi initiatives
1. Three queries have been initiated through Solution Exchange for the Education Community of India
2. Three Posters designed for the occasion in partnership with Breakthrough TV.
3. In collaboration with the Maldives National Commission for UNESCO translate the UNESCO Director General's message to Dhivehi to be read out at the school assemblies and aired on TV and radio on 8 March.
Related Links
- 07-03-2012