ARTICLE 1

U.N. Declares Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women

by Marzieh Goudarzi (United Nations) Wednesday, March 06, 2013 Inter Press Service U.N. agency heads gathered Tuesday to reassert their unified commitment to ending the epidemic of violence against women and girls, and bringing justice and healing to survivors. Grim statistics underscore the urgency of this issue: 70 percent of women worldwide reports experiencing physical and/or sexual violence, 50 percent of reported sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16 years of age, and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence has not been criminalized. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon articulated another fact: "Too many women and girls face intimidation and physical and sexual abuse often from those who should care for and respect them most - fathers, husbands, brothers, teachers, colleagues, and supervisors." Tuesday's forum transpired as a part of the 57th Commission on the Status of Women(CSW), whose primary theme is the elimination of violence against women and girls. It opened with remarks from the secretary-general and continued with a panel of highlevel U.N. agency representatives, including Michelle Bachelet, executive director of U.N. Women, and Irina Bokova, director-general of the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Bachelet stressed the importance of the diverse contributions of U.N. agencies to the efforts of the CSW. "Whether we're talking about UNESCO through education, UNDP (U.N. Development Programme) through government cooperation, UNFPA (U.N. Population Fund) through the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights, or UNICEF (U.N. Children's Fund) through protecting the rights of children, this work is making a difference on the ground," she said. Also represented were the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labor Organisation (ILO), U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and U.N. Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). Perhaps the strongest message of this forum was its unified and indisputable affirmation of violence against women and girls as a priority on the international human rights agenda. The long struggle for recognition of violence against women as a human rights issue first achieved serious global attention at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, quickly followed by the General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Commenting on the development of the issue at the U.N., Bokova told IPS that today, "there is a lot more awareness, commitment, and concrete action... But of course we are not there at all - it's just the beginning." UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta added, "I can tell you that over this past decade, the amount of attention that this issue has received internationally would not have happened if the U.N. had not taken a leadership position."

"I think the major difference is that it has become a public issue. (Violence against women) is not tolerated in the way it was before," Rebeca Grynspan, associate sdministrator of UNDP, told IPS. "Having acknowledged that, I think that we have not had the accelerated progress that we expected," she said. "Many times we are pedaling to stay in the same place and not go backward. That's why I really welcome the fact that this issue has come again to the table of the CSW." A recent milestone was the 2010 establishment of U.N. Women, which last year provided capacity-building for stronger legislation and provision of services to survivors of violence in 57 countries. U.N. Women manages the secretary-general's campaign, United to End Violence Against Women, and works with U.N. Habitat and UNICEF on the Global Safe Cities Initiative, striving to make urban spaces violence-free for women and girls. Speaking on behalf of UNESCO, Bokova stated, "Raising awareness and changing the environment through education is crucial. We have to go deep to the root of the violence," explaining the need to instill within youth the idea that violence is not a "normal" part of life. UNESCO has created international guidelines on sexuality education, HIV education, gender equality in education, and guidelines for teachers on stopping violence in schools. Research shows that violence is a major threat to girls' education, causing poor attendance and forcing many to drop out of school - another reason why the issue is high among UNESCO's priorities.

Grynspan argued that violence against women is also a dangerous obstacle to global productivity, currently preventing seven in 10 women from achieving their greatest potential contribution to society and the economy by making them more likely to be absent from or quit school and work; violence also costs society in terms of health and legal services for victims, she explained. Grynspan cited the 2010-2011 Human Development Report, which showed 49 percent loss in human development due to gender inequality. "There is one thing that will bring productivity up and cost down," she said, "and that is ending violence against women." Director-General Margaret Chan spoke via video on the WHO's commitment to combating this violence and discussed the wide range of health repercussions women face, including injuries to organs/tissues, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, premature birth, maternal mortality, psychological trauma, and increased risk of sexually-transmitted diseases, such as HIV. Deputy Executive Director Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen of UNFPA and Regional Director of UNAIDS Sheila Tlou reiterated the extremely detrimental effects of violence against women on the battle against AIDS, which has come too far to be stopped now. Across the panel, representatives recognised the wide range of causes and perpetuators of the violence against women. They made references to cultural practices of early, forced marriages of girls and female genital mutilation; they pointed to cultural norms that shame women as victims, discourage seeking help, and normalise violence in domestic, educational, and work settings; they discussed the vulnerability of women in conflict and post-conflict societies, where rape often becomes a weapon.

Recognising the vast majority of women both on the panel and in the audience, the representatives also called for greater engagement of men and boys and male ownership of the issues. As Grynspan noted, with her fellow panelists nodding in agreement, "We are still, by and large, talking to ourselves." Inter Press Service (2013) All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2013/03/06/16014

ARTICLE 2

Food Policies Failing the World's Hungry

by Joe Hitchon (Washington) Saturday, March 16, 2013 Inter Press Service WASHINGTON, Mar 16 (IPS) - The world's food security remains "vulnerable", new data suggests, with some 870 million people experiencing sustained hunger and two billion suffering from micronutrient deficiencies. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Washington think tank, says such numbers are "unacceptably high", and warns that anti-hunger programmes have been "piecemeal". In an influential annual report on the state of the world's food policy, released Thursday, the organisation said there were some positive achievements made last year, but that a number of policy changes are still required. Growing jobs The report identifies agricultural development as an important potential job creator, particularly for young people. In developing countries, however, it warns that youths are no longer seeing agriculture as a viable career, looking instead to urban areas for work. Leaders in sub-Saharan Africa a region with the world's fastest-growing population as well as youngest are today looking to create job opportunities in agriculture, using new technology and farming techniques. In doing so, they are hoping to encourage the young and innovative emerging workforce in such a way that they can have a transformative impact on both economic growth and social development.

Higher production yields, after all, would simultaneously create jobs, lower food prices, and reduce hunger and malnutrition. "Agriculture in most developing countries is a labour-intensive sector and makes up a big chunk of the labour force," Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington advocacy group, told IPS. "In recent years, large firms have introduced a type of agriculture that is very capital intensive and highly mechanised, but employs very little labour, so there has been a huge loss of employment. Further, modern agriculture requires modern infrastructure electricity, grain elevators, fertiliser storage and mechanical expertise. To get there requires a lot of investment, but if done properly the nonfarm sector will grow alongside the farming sector." If properly managed, however, food policy experts say the sector's employment potential is significant. "Agriculture in Africa is now recognised as a source of growth and an instrument for improved food security," Sheggen Fan, director-general of IFPRI, said Thursday. "Africa's agriculture can absorb large numbers of new job seekers. But in order for agriculture to be a technically dynamic and high-productivity sector that contributes to food security, it will need an influx of educated and innovative young labour." Conflict fuelling hunger IFPRI's researchers identify violent conflict, particularly in Central Africa, as both a cause and consequence of food security. "Violence in Central Africa, especially in Nigeria, which accounts for more than a quarter of agriculture of sub-Saharan Africa has reduced output growth and food security, and

has had dramatic social and economic consequences," Mary Bohman, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said at a panel discussion Thursday. Armed conflict in northern Mali and renewed violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo reportedly resulted in the displacement of approximately three million people within the region and forced a further 70,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries. Fighting in Somalia and Yemen, the civil war in Syria, and unrest across the region in the aftermath of the Arab Awakening was compounded by low rainfall. Drought in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the United States had a dramatic impact on agricultural production and supply throughout the world. Approximately 80 percent of farmland in the United States was hit by the most severe drought in half a century, while high temperatures and low rainfall reduced wheat production in Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine among the top producers and exporters of wheat. According to many environmentalists, such extremes will only be further exacerbated as global climate change progresses with further risks to food security. "2012 was an extraordinary year for climate change researchers," said Andrew Steer, president of the World Resource Institute (WRI), a think tank. "During the past year, it has become generally accepted that the world will see a twodegree increase in average temperature. But even then, food production, land degradation, deforestation are not the only problems we're talking about water risks across the spectrum and skyrocketing food prices." He said the new IFPRI report propels the issue of food into the centre of the discussion on climate change. Gender factor

Experts are increasingly focusing on the centrality of gender equality in promoting agricultural growth and food security. Indeed, at Thursday's event, presenters exhibited particular excitement over this new emphasis. Over just the past year, new evidence on the role of gender in agricultural productivity has emerged, including in the World Bank's annual World Development Report. This new data indicates that agricultural performance and food security improve through both agricultural and non-agricultural reforms that increase women's access to production resources. Further, women's contributions to agriculture in developing countries have been shown to bring overall gains in agricultural productivity as well as increased nutritional benefits. Such contributions also improve women's access to education, technology and financial services. "When you look at statistics on the number of women farmers in the world, it is commonly anywhere from 40 to 80 percent in developing countries," Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank, a think tank here, told IPS. "These women, however, don't have access to the same resources as men; don't have access to extension services, credit or the ability to make financial transactions, they often don't own land or are prohibited from owning land." Nierenberg says it is very encouraging to see donors and investors beginning to tailor their production projects to the inclusion of women. "While men more commonly grow cotton and maize and other industrial crops, women are the ones who grow the food that feeds the family," she says. "To be effective, initiatives will need to focus on women's overall equality across all sectors, not just the food and agriculture sector. Until we do that, we're not going to see the gains we need

like higher yields, economic growth, the protection of environmental resources or the reduction in malnutrition and poverty." IFPRI director-general Fan agrees that the status of women is "critical" to poverty reduction, particularly in bringing down levels of malnutrition. "Women have higher standards, and have been shown to better allocate the household budget as well as feed their families with more nutritious food," he says. "One of the biggest links between poverty reduction and malnutrition is directly related the status of women."

Inter Press Service (2013) All Rights Reserved

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2013/03/16/16102

CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING TASKS. Identify and analyse at least THREE grammatical items in the articles.
I.

In Preposition E.g. Grim statistics underscore the urgency of this issue: 70 percent of women worldwide report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence, 50 percent of reported sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16 years of age, and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence has not been criminalised. (From article 1)

II.

Range - Common Nouns E.g. Across the panel, representatives recognised the wide range of causes and perpetuators of the violence against women. (From article 1)

III.

That - Conjunction E.g. During the past year, it has become generally accepted that the world will see a two-degree increase in average temperature. (From article 2)

Write FOUR sentences (your own) based on the grammatical items analysed. I. II. III. In There are a lot of outstanding athletes in the red house. In Gary put himself in a suit and prepared to attend Haroros wedding dinner. Range Ji Hyo solved a range of tasks and became the champion of the game. IV. That I believe that everything in the world happens for a reason.

Identify a total of FIVE difficult words from both articles. Give the meaning of each of the word. I. Indisputable (From article 1) not open to question; obviously true (From WordWeb International

Dictionary and Thesaurus.) II. Trauma (From article 1) An emotional wound or shock often having long-lasting effects (From WordWeb International Dictionary and Thesaurus.) III. Reiterated (From article 1) to say, state or perform again (From WordWeb International Dictionary and Thesaurus.) IV. Piecemeal (From article 2) A little bit at a time (From WordWeb International Dictionary and Thesaurus.) V. Exacerbated (From article 2) Make worse (From WordWeb International Dictionary and Thesaurus.)

Write five new sentences using the five words I. II. Indisputable Love is an indisputable criterion to build a nice and warm family. Trauma The loss of her parents in the accident was a severe trauma for the young lady. III. Reiterated The teacher reiterated the announcement to make sure all of her students got the information. IV. V. Piecemeal She did her assignments piecemeal and completed it in time. ExacerbatedThe relationship between Jong Kook and Kwang Soo exacerbated after the unexpected incident.

PRESENT THE MAIN IDEAS OF EACH ARTICLE IN THE FORM OF GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS. Article 1 U.N. agency heads gathered to reassert their unified commitment to ending the epidemic of violence against women and girls, and bringing justice and healing to survivors.

The representatives called for greater engagement of men and boys and male ownership of the issues.

Too many women and girls face intimidation and physical and sexual abuse often from those who should care for and respect them most.

Representatives recognised the wide range of causes and perpetuators of the violence against women

Bachelet stressed the importance of the diverse contributions of U.N. agencies to the efforts of the CSW.

Regional director of UNAIDS reiterated the extremely detrimental effects of violence against women on the battle against AIDS

Raising awareness and changing the environment through education is crucial, go deep to the root of the violence

Unified and indisputable affirmation of violence against women and girls as a priority on the international human rights agenda.

Article 2

The report identifies agricultural development as an important potential job creator, particularly for young people. Higher production yields would simultaneously create jobs, lower food prices, and reduce hunger and malnutrition. growing jobs Large firms have introduced a type of agriculture that is very capital intensive and highly mechanised, but employs very little labour Agriculture in Africa is now recognised as a source of growth and an instrument for improved food security violent conflict particularly in Central Africa, as both a cause and consequence of food security. Drought in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the United States had a dramatic impact on agricultural production and supply throughout the world high temperatures and low rainfall reduced wheat production among the top producers and exporters of wheat. According to many environmentalists, such extremes will only be further exacerbated as global climate change progresses with further risks to food security. Experts are increasingly focusing on the centrality of gender equality in promoting agricultural growth and food security

Food Policies Failing the World's Hungry

conflict fueling hunger

gender factor

Women's contributions to agriculture in developing countries have been shown to bring overall gains in agricultural productivity as well as increased nutritional benefits.
IFPRI director-general Fan agrees that the status of women is "critical" to poverty reduction, particularly in bringing down levels of malnutrition.

WRITE A SUMMARY OF EACH ARTICLE IN ABOUT 150 WORDS. ARTICLE 1: U.N. Declares Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women

U.N. agency leaders gathered to reassert their unified commitment to ending the epidemic of violence against women and girls and bringing justice for the victims. The grime statistic shows quite a number of women and girls face physical intimidation and sexual abuse often from the dearest one. The strongest message of the forum was unified and indisputable affirmation of violence against women and girls as a priority on the international human rights agenda. Bokova, a leader of UNESCO said that we have to go deep to the root of the violence but not only raising awareness and changing the environment through education. Besides, the Regional Director of UNAIDS stated again the extremely harmful effects of violence against women on the battle against AIDS. The representatives recognized the wide range of causes and perpetuators of the violence against women. Meanwhile, they also called for greater engagement of men and boys and male ownership of the issues. (155 words)

ARTICLE 2: Food Policies Failing the Worlds Hungry The organization noticed that a number of policy changes are still required to reduce the number of people sustained hunger. Higher production yields would create jobs, lower food cost, and cut down hunger and malnutrition at the same time. However, large firms employ a little of workers after they introduced highly mechanized agriculture. Meanwhile, researchers identify violent conflict as both a cause and consequence of food security. Besides, the production of wheat decreased among the top producers and exporters due to the high temperatures and low rainfall. Indeed, the risks of food security will be worse as global climate change progresses. Experts are increasingly focusing on the centrality of gender equality in promoting agricultural growth and food security. Furthermore, women's contributions have been shown to bring overall gains in agricultural productivity as well as increased nutritional benefits. By the way, IFPRI agrees that the status of women is "critical" to poverty reduction and bringing down levels of malnutrition. (158 words)