United Nations Radio

child's hand on a barbwire fence

Civilians continue to flee a conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka as fighting rages between government forces and the Tamil Tigers. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that at least 3,000 pregnant women have escaped the fighting, and 350 of them will give birth in the next month. UNFPA representative in Sri Lanka Lene Christian says they are stepping up support for the health and safety of women and girls affected by the conflict.

pregnant woman in Ethiopia

Ethiopia Takes Steps to Reduce Maternal Mortality

Despite modern medical advances, hundreds of thousands of women still die each year from complications related to giving birth. Maternal mortality is in fact the leading cause of death for young women in sub-Saharan Africa.  Ethiopia-where approximately 20,000 women die each year giving birth - is implementing plans to halt its rate of maternal mortality, thanks to assistance from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

UNIFEM Works to Include Women's Concerns in Global Climate Change Talks

Global warming is a global concern. And UNIFEM -the United Nations Fund for Women- is ensuring that women have a voice in the international negotiations for a new climate change deal to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions which expires in 2012. So far, meetings have been held in Indonesia, Poland and Germany, and they will wind up this December in Denmark. Tracy Raczek, UNIFEM focal point for climate change, explains why it is so important to include a gender perspective in the climate change talks.

Producer: Dianne Penn
duration: 14'00"