December 2007

Register before mid-December: Registration is now open for those who wish to attend the Commission on Social Development, 6-15 February 2008, on the theme of Decent Work for All, or the Commission on the Status of Women, 25 February – 7 March 2008,  on the theme of Financing for Gender Equality.  Any UNANIMA International member who would like to attend all or part of either of these commissions should notify Catherine at fergcf@earthlink.net prior to 15 December deadline.  

Nazmie’s story below illustrates very well the links between the major themes of UN meetings in 2007-2008: gender inequality, lack of decent work, and trafficking into sexual exploitation which is the plight of so many poor women and girls.

 Nazmie's story

 Nazmie, a 12-year-old Roma girl from Korca, in Albania, believed Stephan when he promised to love and care for her. She had just dropped out of school and was working in a cigarette factory. When Stephan, who was 29, suggested that they move abroad to look for a better life, she married him.

Three months after their wedding, the couple travelled to Italy. Then Stephan announced that he wanted Nazmie to work on the street as a prostitute. "I didn't know what 'prostitution' meant," says Nazmie, now 15. "I thought it was only a job. I didn't know what kind of job it was."

Nazmie's husband became her pimp. "I worked morning till night every day," Nazmie recalls. She had to earn the equivalent of US$250 per night, which meant she had to have about 10 ‘clients’ [exploiters] a night. "If I didn't earn that money, he would beat me," she says.

 Returned to abuse

Nazmie thought her nightmare was over when she was arrested by the Italian police. They sent her back to Albania. But as soon as she arrived, her brother-in-law put her on a speedboat back to Italy. This happened three times.

The fourth time Nazmie was sent back her luck changed. She was picked up by a local non-governmental organization (NGO), who persuaded her family not to send her back to her husband.

 Note: Child marriage reduces girls' opportunities to get an education, to move about freely, to receive the support they need, and to have control over  decisions affecting their lives; child marriage greatly increases the vulnerability of girls to abuse, exploitation and violence.

 Source: http://www.unicef.org/voy/explore/cse/explore

 UNANIMA International’s activities at the United Nations in New York during November have focused on 5 inter-related areas, all of which are linked to the Millennium Development Goals.

 1.         Ana Martinez de Luco represents UI on the Working Group for Girls which is preparing for The World Fit for Children review which will take place on December 11th and 12th  with some activities also on the 9th and 10th .  UI will be bringing two young Canadian women to participate in this event.  The group is also particularly pleased that their lobbying has contributed to the UN adopting the draft resolution on the girl child (document A/C.3/62/L.23/Rev.1) which stresses the importance of international cooperation, education, health and poverty eradication in realizing international development and human rights goals, with respect to the girl child.

2.         Participation in the working group on Financing for Development which has followed on from the High Level Dialogue held in October. The focus is on the macroeconomic policies which keep women in dehumanizing conditions of poverty and inequality.

3.         NGO working parties are preparing for the 46th Session of the Commission for Social Development which is to be held from 6-15 February 2008. The theme is: Promoting Full Employment and Decent Work for All”.  For the poorest of women lack of decent work can so evidently led to their vulnerability to trafficking.

 4.         The 52nd Session of the Commission for the Status of Women will be held from 25 February to -7 March, 2008 with the theme of Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Preparation of statements and the organization of a roundtable for this event have been taking place. UI is contributing to organizing a Roundtable during the Commission. It is clear that much work needs to be done if there is to be gender equality in financial policies as they so often limit women’s access to employment, investment opportunities and financial capital.

 5. 2008 will be the review year for the Declaration of Commitment to end the AIDS pandemic.  Catherine has been preparing written statements linking the effects of this pandemic to gender inequality.

 While there have been some advances in the life chances of some of the poorest in our world, e.g.

·                     In the past 40 years, life expectancy in the developing world increased by a quarter except in those countries of sub-Saharan Africa where it has dropped at least 10 years.

·                     In the past 30 years, illiteracy has fallen by half.

·                     In the past 20 years, 400 million people were lifted out of absolute poverty.

·                     Smallpox has been eradicated, and soon maybe polio too.

 There are still huge challenges to be faced, and these impact disproportionately on women and girls.