Scars of rape last “longer than the war”: UN Special Representative

Addressing sexual violence in conflict is the “great moral challenge of our time,” the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict has said. Zainab Hawa Bangura, who’s stepping down from her post soon, was speaking at a panel discussion at UN Headquarters about preventing sexual violence in conflict. Following the event, Ms Bangura told Lucy Dean about the most persistent challenges she has faced in her time spent addressing � and trying to prevent � sexual violence in war.

Women farmers can boost “under-performing” food production : FAO

Women need better opportunities and resources to help improve “under-performing” smallholder food production, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. That’s according to Libor Stloukal of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); who specializes in Gender, Equity and Rural Employment issues. He was at UN Headquarters for the Commission on the Status of Women, discussing how rural women can be empowered to help meet the Sustainable Development Goals on ending hunger and poverty. Matthew Wells asked Mr Stloukal what role women in the countryside play in agriculture now.

ITC SheTrades initiative gets Rwanda launch

Rwanda is now part of UN efforts to help one million women-owned businesses to reach more customers within the next three years. Leaders in the East African country have vowed to support women entrepreneurs in joining SheTrades, an initiative by the International Trade Centre (ITC) which is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The online platform and network helps corporations to connect with these enterprises which the ITC says are largely “invisible” in corporate and government supply chains. Dianne Penn has the story.

Source: United Nations Radio