scholarly journals Women Empowerment: Perspectives and Views

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr Tanu Tandon

“Empowerment” has been used to represent a wide range of concepts and to describe a proliferation of outcomes. The term has been used more often to advocate for certain types of policies and intervention strategies than to analyze them, as demonstrated by a number of documents from the United Nations (UNDAW 2001; UNICEF 1999), the Association for Women in Development (Everett 1991), the Declaration made at the Micro-credit Summit (RESULTS 1997), DFID (2000), and other organizations. Empowerment has become a widely used word.

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
K. Prabakkar Rajkumar

The United Nations has designated the year 2005 as the "International year of Micro-Credit". The Micro Finance (MF) initiatives of NABARD have evolved as a sustainable social movement over a decade by now. The design and content of these innovations have remained dynamic in tandem with the changing needs of the micro finance sector in the Country. These initiatives have attracted the attention of a wide range of stakeholders. Large number of formal and informal agencies has joined the NABARD in this unique process of soda-economic engineering. The relevance of the micro finance programme was greatly enhanced the interest of all participants through the core strategies of SHG — bank linkage, which was built around a simple but basic aspect of human nature — the feeling of self-worth.


1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Friedheim ◽  
J. B. Kadane

International arrangements for the uses of the ocean have been the subject of long debate within the United Nations since a speech made by Ambassador Arvid Pardo of Malta before the General Assembly in 1967. Issues in question include the method of delimiting the outer edge of the legal continental shelf; the spectrum of ocean arms control possibilities; proposals to create a declaration of principles governing the exploration for, and the exploitation of, seabed mineral resources with the promise that exploitation take place only if it “benefits mankind as a whole,” especially the developing states; and consideration of schemes to create international machinery to regulate, license, or own the resources of the seabed and subsoil. The discussions and debates began in the First (Political and Security) Committee of the 22nd General Assembly and proceeded through an ad hoc committee to the 23rd and 24th assembly plenary sessions. The creation of a permanent committee on the seabed as a part of the General Assembly's machinery attests to the importance members of the United Nations attribute to ocean problems. Having established the committee, they will be faced soon with the necessity of reaching decisions. The 24th General Assembly, for example, passed a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to ascertain members' attitudes on the convening of a new international conference to deal with a wide range of law of the sea problems.


1989 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
Maria Nzomo

The 1985 Nairobi Conference to close the United Nations decade dedicated to women of the world caught Kenyan women (and men) by storm. Indeed, the majority of Kenyan women did not know, until the eve of this conference, that there had been an entire decade dedicated to them, and committed to the achievement of Equality, Development, and Peace. However, the Kenyan policy makers and the enlightened among Kenyan women, especially leaders of women's organizations, were not only fully aware of the decade's developments, but had in various ways participated and contributed to it. On its part, the Kenya government by the end of the decade, had adopted a Women in Development (WID) policy position and created and/or promoted national machineries to develop and coordinate programs for women.


Author(s):  
R.St.J. MacDonald

Speaking in the general debate at the Eighteenth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 19, 1963, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson made the following observation: The United Nations will inevitably remain the central world forum for international discussion and recommendation on a wide range of subjects. We already have on the other hand, regional groupings of states — in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Other groupings conceivably may be formed. The time may have to come to correlate the activities of these regional groupings more closely with those of the United Nations. It is possible to envisage a stage in the evolution of the UN when regional assemblies may be used with regional problems in search of local solutions or in the preparation for broader treatment at the United Nations. The Charter acknowledges the part to be played by regional arrangements or agencies in the conduct of international relations. In the economic and social field there is a growing tendency to delegate responsibility and authority to the UN Regional Commissions. Why not adopt a similar approach to some, though obviously not all, of the political questions which may face us in the United Nations?


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-235
Author(s):  
Magnus Lundgren

Studies of conflict management by international organizations have demonstrated correlations between institutional characteristics and outcomes, but questions remain as to whether these correlations have causal properties. To examine how institutional characteristics condition the nature of international organization interventions, I examine mediation and ceasefire monitoring by the Arab League and the United Nations during the first phase of the Syrian civil war (2011–2012). Using micro-evidence sourced from unique interview material, day-to-day fatality statistics, and international organization documentation, I detail causal pathways from organizational characteristics, via intervention strategies, to intervention outcomes. I find that both international organizations relied on comparable intervention strategies. While mediating, they counseled on the costs of conflict, provided coordination points, and managed the bargaining context so as to sideline spoilers and generate leverage. While monitoring, they verified violent events, engaged in reassurance patrols, and brokered local truces. The execution of these strategies was conditioned on organizational capabilities and member state preferences in ways that help explain both variation in short-term conflict abatement and the long-term failure of both international organizations. In contrast to the Arab League, the United Nations intervention, supported by more expansive resources and expertise, temporarily shifted conflict parties away from a violent equilibrium. Both organizations ultimately failed as disunity among international organization member state principals cut interventions short and reduced the credibility of international organization mediators.


The very concept of human rights implies governmental accountability. To ensure that governments are held accountable for their treatment of citizens and others, the United Nations has established a wide range of mechanisms to monitor compliance, and to seek to prevent as well as respond to violations. The panoply of implementation measures that the UN has taken since 1945 has resulted in a diverse and complex set of institutional arrangements, the effectiveness of which varies widely. Inevitable instances of politicization and the hostile or ambivalent attitude of most governments has often endangered the fragile progress made on the more technical fronts. In addition, there are major problems of underfunding and insufficient expertise. The complexity of these arrangements and the difficulty in evaluating their impact makes a comprehensive guide of the type provided here all the more indispensable. This book critically examines the functions, procedures, and performance of each of the major UN organs dealing with human rights, including the Security Council and the International Court of Justice as well as the more specialized bodies monitoring the implementation of human rights treaties. Significant attention is devoted to the considerable efforts at reforming the UN’s human rights machinery, as illustrated most notably by the creation and operation of the Human Rights Council. The book also looks at the relationship between the various bodies and the potential for major reforms and restructuring.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (03) ◽  
pp. 273-280
Author(s):  
L W. Goddu

This paper discusses the creation and composition of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization and describes the wide range of problems being considered by that organization such as pollution, fire prevention and containerization. The paper explains how the U.S. participates in this specialized agency of the United Nations and how the marine industry is and can be involved in the national and international deliberations. Industry involvement is necessary to assure IMCO actions are in our best interests.


Author(s):  
David Keane ◽  
Annapurna Waughray

The United Nations does not seek a world cut after a single pattern, nor does it consider this desirable. The United Nations seeks only unity, not uniformity, out of the world’s diversity. – Ralph Bunche, Nobel Lecture (1950)1 The collection has charted the forces behind the drafting and entry into force of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in 1965, and in the fifty years of its implementation under the aegis of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), its evolution from a narrow focus on colonialism and apartheid to an instrument governing a wide range of groups and themes. The number of ratifications means that the obligations found in the treaty are near-universal in reach. Its provisions at times betray their age but have nevertheless proven very capable of application to contemporary aspects of racial discrimination. The title of this collection has ensured a focus on the treaty as a ‘living instrument’, but this does not always entail dynamic or evolutive interpertation. Complex questions of treaty interpretation coexist with straightforward applications of clear provisions to contemporary situations that confront the Committee. The text of ICERD has not changed since 1965; there are no protocols to the instrument. Its text has proven capable of a remarkable array of applications, and has framed the development of an in-depth corpus of international standards on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination....


2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lou Pingeot

The un is increasingly relying on private military and security companies (pmscs) for a wide range of services. Until recently, un use of pmscs was not governed by systemwide rules and standards. The establishment of guidelines on the use of armed private security in late 2012 has led to greater accountability and transparency around this practice. The guidelines clarify the decision-making process and the criteria for the selection and hiring of companies providing armed security. However, they are overly reliant on self-regulation by pmscs and remain limited, raising questions about their capacity to avoid companies with objectionable records and prevent potential incidents. Moreover, the guidelines raise concerns that the use of pmscs by the un may become normalised, with yet unexamined effects on the organisation’s security policies and its image.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Hassan ◽  
P. Ventevogel ◽  
H. Jefee-Bahloul ◽  
A. Barkil-Oteo ◽  
L. J. Kirmayer

Aims.This paper is based on a report commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which aims to provide information on cultural aspects of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing relevant to care and support for Syrians affected by the crisis. This paper aims to inform mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) staff of the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing issues facing Syrians who are internally displaced and Syrian refugees.Methods.We conducted a systematic literature search designed to capture clinical, social science and general literature examining the mental health of the Syrian population. The main medical, psychological and social sciences databases (e.g. Medline, PubMed, PsycInfo) were searched (until July 2015) in Arabic, English and French language sources. This search was supplemented with web-based searches in Arabic, English and French media, and in assessment reports and evaluations, by nongovernmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations and agencies of the United Nations. This search strategy should not be taken as a comprehensive review of all issues related to MHPSS of Syrians as some unpublished reports and evaluations were not reviewed.Results.Conflict affected Syrians may experience a wide range of mental health problems including (1) exacerbations of pre-existing mental disorders; (2) new problems caused by conflict related violence, displacement and multiple losses; as well as (3) issues related to adaptation to the post-emergency context, for example living conditions in the countries of refuge. Some populations are particularly vulnerable such as men and women survivors of sexual or gender based violence, children who have experienced violence and exploitation and Syrians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex. Several factors influence access to MHPSS services including language barriers, stigma associated with seeking mental health care and the power dynamics of the helping relationship. Trust and collaboration can be maximised by ensuring a culturally safe environment, respectful of diversity and based on mutual respect, in which the perspectives of clients and their families can be carefully explored.Conclusions.Sociocultural knowledge and cultural competency can improve the design and delivery of interventions to promote mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of Syrians affected by armed conflict and displacement, both within Syria and in countries hosting refugees from Syria.


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