EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

       Progress for all re-emphasizes that equal rights and opportunities lead to improved health outcomes for women and girls. Discrimination towards women and girls or what is known as gender-based discrimination, is one of the most pervasive human rights violations. It severely limits the ability of women, girls and the communities they live in to protect and promote their health. The discrimination and marginalization of women is affirmed as a hard and abiding the reality of life. Women have an irreplaceable role in society, yet their contribution is not acknowledged, nor are they accorded equal rights and opportunities with their male counter parts. This oppression is felt in all sectors of life: economic, social, political, cultural, sexual, religious and even within the family itself. Having become conscious of their human rights and of the injustices perpetrated against them in all these sectors, there is need to team up with them and help them. The key factor in social transformation is education. So get all those girls to school. They should not marry them off early: for this is where they lose out against boys. It is the right thing to do! The women's struggle deeply connected with efforts of all the poor who are struggling for their upliftment in all aspects of life.

Responding to Climate Change

     Climate Change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. At a time when responding to our changing climate is one of the nation's most complex endeavors, reports from national academies provide thoughtful analysis and helpful direction to policymakers and stakeholders through it experts, consensus reports and other activities. Climate Change is a defining challenge of our times. Its impacts and implications will be global for reaching and largely irreversible. Climate Change is already increasing the risk of exposure to hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity among the poorest and most vulnerable people. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense,land and water are becoming more scare and difficult to access, and increases in agricultural productivity are becoming more difficult to achieve. Climate Change exemplifies this conundrum. In many respects, the regulatory, market and technological environment for companies to plan their Climate Change responses is uncertain. In other respects, there are clear signals, not least with regard to the over all direction of travel towards cleaner energy and the imperatives of many national policy requirements.