Child brides limits community growth and calls for major concern

Despite the several and renewed international commitments to end child marriage, it is extimated that one in three girls in developing countries (excluding China) will be married before they turn 18 by 2030 according to the United Nations report on the issue. In 2010, this report shows that a total of 67 million women around the world had gotten married while they were still under 18: that is half in Asia and one-fifth in Africa.

At the seminar which was organized to celebrate the ‘International girl child day’ yesterday,  speakers emphasized on the Sindh government to adopt a law that will enable end child marriage. They suggested that the age should be  enhanced to 18 years from existing age of 16 enshrined in the ‘Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929’. 

End to early child marriage

The considered important event was put together by the Adolescent Girls Empowerment (AGE) project in collaboration with the HANDS, Rutgers WPF and Sindh Women Development Department at a local hotel on Thursday. 

Child brides still on the rise and well practiced; Please save these children as they have no one to turn to!!

Very disturbing image of a 51 year old getting to marry an 8yr old child in the rural Damarda Village, Afghanistan

While the International Day of the Girl Child was going on yesterday October 11  to mark and draw attention to the problem of child brides, some photos emerged with the help of the photojournalist Stephanie Sinclair who teamed up with National Geographic to create  a series of heart-breaking and polling photos clearly showing  girl children as young as five years old being married off to middle-aged men in countries like India, Yemen and Ethiopia. Please see more after the cut and share your views and  comments on this ...

Three men have been jailed for contempt by the UN-backed Sierra Leone war crimes court

The Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown. Photo credit: SCSL

The United Nations-backed court in charge of trying war crimes in Sierra Leone has according to the new report of the UN today sentenced three senior members of the country’s former Armed Forces Revolutionary Council to jail terms ranging from 18 months to two years for contempt in tampering with a former prosecution witness.
 

According to the UN news center 2012), two of them are already serving long prison terms for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the civil wars which as we all know has plagued the West African country, starting in 1996, while a fourth person convicted last month with the other three received a suspended sentence.

Sure the local population and other humanitarian activists are pleased with this outcome but there is still a long way to go in bring others to justice not only in Sierra Leone but in other counties as well.

Good news for the syrians! The United Nations refugee agency is boosting its efforts to protect thousands of uprooted Syrians during this winter

Photo credit : UNHCR. UN and partners step up efforts to protect Syrian refugees during winter montths

Today 12 October 2012, the United Nations refugee agency announced it is boosting its efforts to protect tens of thousands of uprooted Syrians during this upcoming winter months. here is what they said “We are budgeting more than $64 million for winter preparations throughout the region, including for displaced Syrians in their own country,” the chief spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Melissa Fleming, told reporters in Geneva.

Please listen to the Cameroon born Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, the Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

A third of Lesotho' s population has been affected by a food security crisis.

Due to a series of flooding, late rains and early frost, the domestic production of cereal harvest has reduced to only 32 per cent of the national average produced in the last 10 years, causing a major food shortage.

Watch this powerful empowering advert: Because I am a Girl

 A new TV commercial, created free for Plan, demonstrates the impact education has on girls and the world around them. We know that girls are the key to solving world poverty. They have the power to free themselves and their communities from poverty with education and the right support. The 'Because I Am A Girl' campaign transforms communities in developing countries by empowering girls.

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012: Good news! renewed efforts shows hunger had reduced in areas of need.

New estimates show that progress in reducing hunger during the past 20 years has been better than previously believed, and given renewed efforts, it may be possible to reach the MDG hunger target at the global level by 2015. However, the number of people suffering from chronic undernourishment is still unacceptably high, and eradication of hunger remains a major global challenge. 

Republic of Congo gets pneumonia vaccine free of charge

Credit: GAVI Alliance

The Republic of the Congo has taken an important step to improve childrens health by introducing a new vaccine against pneumonia free of charge, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) announced today. Original Article to follow from UN news center (2012).

African rapper, MI (Mr. Incredible) appointed as Goodwill Ambassador

 MI (Mr. Incredible) was entitled as UNODC’s Goodwill Ambassador on Smuggling of Migrants at an event held today in Abuja. The new appointed UNODC’s Goodwill Ambassador had this to say:

 “it was a huge honour and an incredible responsibility”.

Every country in the world is affected by this crime; Smuggling has been defined as the procurement of such peoples into a State for financial or material benefit. The big boy M.I has been chooses to speak against this horrific act.

Because his journey in hip-hop within Africa stands to remind young men and women that even when ttimes are hard and against you, persistence and hard-work pay off.  Therefore, it is no doubt he will serve as a role model capable of speaking strongly against such smuggling.

Nigeria and Africa wishes him all the best in this new journey.