World News Summary: ‘Gender racism’ in Afghanistan, rights abuses in Democratic Republic of Congo, afforestation crucial to fight against climate change
Key international organizations, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, have used terms such as “gender racism” to describe high levels of discrimination.
“Gender racism is not merely a theoretical possibility or legal construct but a real threat and lived reality for millions of women and girls worldwide, ” in February.
Although there is currently no common law framework in place in Afghanistan, a series of written and oral decrees issued by de facto authorities forcefully deprives women and girls of their freedom.
United Nations Women is calling for immediate global action to end injustice.
Mounting oppression
Edicts founded on the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law regulate women’s dress, severely restrict their movement and limit their access to education and career opportunities, thereby removing their voices from the public space.
Only 1% of Afghan women feel they have influence in the community and 18% said they have not met women outside their family once in the past three months.
“Women want the power to make decisions, not just at home but in government and other spaces. They want an education. They want to work. They want their rights,” a 26-year-old Afghan woman told UN Women.
This discrimination will lead to inevitable long-term consequences. For example, The ban on girls’ education is correlated The rate of child marriage increased by 25% and the rate of early childbirth increased by 45%.
UN Women gender profile demonstration that keeping 1.1 million girls out of school and more than 100,000 women out of college is associated with at least a 50% increase in the risk of maternal mortality.
Human rights violations against civilians remain widespread in eastern DRC
Human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remain widespread in the country’s war-torn eastern region.
That’s the disturbing finding in a new report by the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCROn Monday, the agency said children had been killed, kidnapped, sexually abused and exploited by armed groups in North Kivu province.
In May, the agency recorded 164 warnings related to children; nearly 90% took place in war zones, including Goma-Nyiragongo.
Clashes are increasing
UNHCR noted that intensifying clashes in Masisi and Rutshuru, along with attacks on civilians in Beni, have forced more than 250,000 people to flee their homes and shelters.
People displaced and returned to their homes are the most common victims of human rights violations, with the territories of Masisi, Beni and Rutshuru the worst affected.
The increase in abuses since April may be due to fighting between the M23 armed group and the rival Allied Democratic Forces in southeastern Masisi and north of Rutshuru, the UN agency said.
As of 27 May, the United Nations Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) conducted more than 50 patrols to protect civilians as well as secure routes from Kilambo, Mirangui, Kanyabayonga, Kania and Kirumba to displaced persons camps.
The Mission has recently increased its presence in the region in response to large-scale displacement, United Nations Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press conference Monday at United Nations Headquarters. .
As part of its mission to support disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts, MONUSCO facilitated the repatriation of six veterans, including one woman, to various localities in the North. Kivu.
UNEP warns that climate action plans are missing forests
Despite global commitments to end deforestation by 2030, only eight of the top 20 countries cutting down trees fastest have relevant quantifiable targets in their national climate action plans. (NDC), United Nations Environment Program (NDC).UNEP) warning on Monday.
That’s according to a UN-REDD report on accelerating climate action to protect forest cover around the world, which is a key part of efforts to capture carbon and slow global warming. .
The report shows major gaps in forest protection, management and restoration in current NDCs, which set out plans to adapt and mitigate climate change.
Shortage
UNEP said commitments made between 2017 and 2023 fell short of global ambitions to stop and reverse deforestation.
Forests have the potential to contribute up to one-third of the emissions reductions needed to close the mitigation gap by 2030.
Although 11 of the NDCs have targets related to tree replacement or reforestation, mitigating the impacts of climate change requires reducing deforestation first because it takes years to recover. amount of carbon lost.
UNEP said it was important for NDCs to integrate existing national strategies to limit emissions from deforestation, which 15 of the 20 countries surveyed have adopted.
