"WOMEN WORKERS"

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Guest: Máximo Torero, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He will brief reporters virtually on the latest FAO report on the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems. 

Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN, said, “At a time when the Afghan people are facing a set of profoundly difficult challenges, the Council has responded with a strong and unified message – Afghanistan and, in particular, its women and its girls will not be abandoned.” UNIFEED

The UN Secretary-General warned, “Rather than presenting facts and addressing bias, technology based on incomplete data and badly-designed algorithms is digitizing and amplifying sexism – with deadly consequences.” UNIFEED

In Fiji imported food prices have gone up on average by 7 percent, leaving families searching for cheaper alternatives. To address the problem, women farmers in Fiji have been learning how to substitute imported goods like flour with homegrown varieties. IFAD

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said, humanitarian agencies will continue to work in Afghanistan, “unless and until there is a blanket opposition to the role of women.” UNIFEED

Commenting on guidelines expected to be issued by Taliban authorities to allow women to work in humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, the United Nations top humanitarian official said “Let’s see if these guidelines do come through. Let's see if they are beneficial. Let's see what space there is for the essential and central role of women in our humanitarian operations.” UNIFEED

Virtual Press Conference by Mr. Hamid Rashid, Lead Author and Chief, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Ms. Helena Afonso, Economic Affairs Officer, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on the World Economic Situation and Prospects Mid-year Update.

The number of working hours lost across the world in the first half of 2020 was significantly worse than previously estimated, while the highly uncertain recovery in the second half of the year will not be enough to go back to pre-pandemic levels, even in the best scenario, and risks seeing continuing large-scale job losses, warns the International Labour Organization (ILO). ILO