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	Older women speak out about their rights by HelpAge International   Older women from around the world have spoken out about their human rights in a new report launched by HelpAge International on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.   Entitled to the same rights focuses on older women''s right to non-discrimination and equality, and their right to freedom from violence, abuse and neglect, reflecting the themes of discussion at the forthcoming UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing in July 2017.   Women from across 19 countries and in varying social and economic situations reported discrimination in different areas of their lives, including employment, healthcare and accessing financial services.   Stories of discrimination and abuse   "When old people go to a hospital to see a doctor, the doctor would usually say ''the symptoms are normal for your age''," said a 63-year-old woman from Mongolia, reflecting how medical workers pay little attention to their complaints.   Many of the 250 women consulted said that they or other older women they knew had been subjected to violence, abuse or neglect. They revealed how it happens in different ways, by varied perpetrators and in range of settings, both public and private.   "There''s no one to even see me, no one to bring me a glass of water when I need it. I am old and alone now. No one needs me," said a participant in a group discussion in Serbia, reflecting the neglect older women often endure.   But the violence, abuse and neglect are not restricted to individual acts. The women consulted revealed how it can be systemic across society as a whole.   "The community and society place less value on the contributions of older women and ignore their voices and needs," was said during a group discussion in Cambodia.   While all older women can be subjected to age and gender-based discrimination, it can be exacerbated where multiple forms of discrimination intersect. Single or widowed older women, older women with disabilities, those who live rurally, and migrant and refugee older women are especially at risk.   "My in-laws and society started to discriminate against me after the death of my husband. They took my husband''s land and property, and compelled me to leave my village," said a 62-year-old woman from Nepal.   How can older women''s rights by protected?   The older women said they believe governments can take action to promote equality and end violence, abuse and neglect through the adoption, revision and implementation of laws and policies that protect their rights.   The consultation found that awareness is key. "To ensure there is equality for older women, the Government should provide education to the general public on rights and equality," said a 50-year-old woman from Tanzania, while a 78-year-old woman from Kyrgyzstan added: "Train social workers on how to identify signs of violence and abuse against older people."   The interviewees also appealed to justice and people''s humanity. "Punish the offenders irrespective of who they are," said a 78-year-old woman from Nigeria. "Simply respect us as people and give us systems to protect our rights," added a 58-year-old woman from Panama.   "What this report shows is that discrimination, violence, abuse and neglect are a part of the daily lives of many older women round the world and they know what governments should do to end this," said Bridget Sleap, Senior Rights Policy Adviser at HelpAge International.   "It is critical their experience informs the debate on their rights at the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing in July and we will be using this report as one way to ensure this happens." http://bit.ly/2JlZpby Visit the related web page
	Sustainable Development in Africa will not be achieved without Women’s Full Participation by Gina Din Kariuki Inter Press Service, agencies Kenya   August 2016   In some parts of the world, the proverbial “glass ceiling” is shattering. As Theresa May and, most likely, Hillary Clinton join Angela Merkel at the leadership of three major world powers, women’s leadership in politics is on the ascent.   Unfortunately, improvements in political representation has not been accompanied by improvements in the material conditions of ordinary women’s lives.   As the National Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Kenya, I am well aware of just how far women in Africa still have to go not only in their quest for access to political participation, but also in the fight for the basic rights that will enable them to live healthily and safely. In fact, the advancement of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights is key to achieving their full and equal participation in the social, political, and economic realms.   The good news is that this is now a widely accepted truth: the pursuit of gender equality is not just an abstract ideal, but a prerequisite for human progress.   Throughout the world, UNFPA has been working to change the narrative about the role of women. UNFPA’s message has been that the roles that men and women play in society are not biologically determined, but socially constructed. This means that these roles are man-made and can be changed when circumstances call for it.   That is why UNFPA is working to change the circumstances of marginalized and vulnerable women such as the four in every ten women in Kenya who report being physically assaulted by people known to them. There is a need to change the circumstances of the nine in ten women in the north eastern parts of Kenya who undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), almost all of whom have never gone to school.   A lack of education severely restricts a woman’s access to information and opportunities. Conversely, increasing women’s and girls’ educational attainment benefits both individuals and future generations. Higher levels of women’s education are strongly associated with lower infant mortality and lower fertility, as well as better outcomes for their children.   There is need to give women power over their own bodies; the power to decide who and when to marry, how many children to give birth to and when to do so, the power to stay in school and the opportunity to find employment. When a woman can effectively plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. Protecting and promoting her reproductive rights – including the right to decide the number, timing and spacing of her children – is essential to ensuring her freedom to participate more fully and equally in society.   In its effort to change mindsets and include women as equal partners at the social and political table, UNFPA Kenya has become a key voice in the national discourse, engaging people across both the public and private sectors and mobilising for more resources to be invested in broad gender equality programmes.   I particularly enjoy working with the UNFPA team led by Siddharth Chatterjee, an indefatigable advocate for women’s rights. His career with the United Nations, in some of the most unstable and risky parts of the world, has exposed him to the suffering that conflicts and disasters bring to communities, with the worst affected always being women and children.   The UNFPA Kenya team has shown the desire for attaining real impact on the challenges that women encounter in their day-to-day lives and – most importantly – empowering them to handle these difficulties on their own.   For instance, UNFPA Kenya’s work in 6 high burden counties of Kenya to improve maternal health is bringing real change. I have been humbled to see women in Pokot organize themselves to build a rescue shelter for girls escaping early marriages. I have been amazed at the tenacity of schoolgirls in Baringo who stood firm and convinced their fathers of the harmful effects of FGM. These powerful success stories come out of the activities of UNFPA Kenya, whose leadership has been determined to succeed even in the face of entrenched cultures that deny women any agency.   The task at hand, then, is not to give women strength, but to give society new eyes to perceive the strength that they already possess in abundance. http://www.unfpa.org/ Visit the related web page
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