On the second day of general debate of the Third Committee on Promotion of Women and the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action of Beijing, the forty countries that have expressed today said on the same voice their hope for the UN-Women, the composite entity on gender equality and empowerment of women created in July by the General Assembly.

Ms. Nicole Romulus (Haiti) has proposed in his speech, the wider dissemination of the idea of empowerment of women. Although the country is still far behind in this area, it has nevertheless made progress to reach 30% participation of women in various fields of social life and politics. In urban and rural areas, women carried the disproportionate burden of childcare. About 45 per cent of families were headed by women, she explained. "Last July, meeting with actress Nicole Kidman, Ambassador Fund Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and UNIFEM Executive Director Ms. Inés Alberdi, showed the need for renewed efforts in protecting women and girls. Decisions have been taken nationally to improve the situation of women" she said. Thus, women entrepreneurs were able to resume their activities, care and educate their children and stay with an action taken on their behalf.

On the other hand, the earthquake has displaced more than a million and half people, which has worsened the situation of farmers who had already struggling to make ends meet and highly threatened food security. She noted in this connection the problem of rising food exports. It denounced, in addition, increased sexual violence against women and girls, especially in camps and tents set up for victims in areas affected by the earthquake of January 2010. Rape and attempted rape and sexual harassment, may now be the subject of complaints under the Penal Code, she said, stressing that the stereotypes in the media and education were also condemned.

HL/ HaitiLibre