UN reso eyes end to bigotry

Members of the United Nations General Assembly, or UNGA, overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution designed to combat Islamophobia across the globe.

The resolution on “Measures to Combat Islamophobia” garnered 115 votes in favor, zero negative votes, and 44 abstentions.

The vote was held during the observance of International Day to Combat Islamophobia on 15 March.

Pakistan spearheaded the resolution, signaling a united front among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation or OIC member states in tackling Islamophobia on the international stage.

The resolution also calls for the appointment of a UN special envoy to combat religious discrimination.

It urges member states to take decisive action against religious intolerance, particularly that targeting Islamophobia.

The resolution likewise requested the UN secretary-general to submit a report on the implementation of the measures and efforts to combat Islamophobia to the General Assembly this fall.

Last July, the UNGA adopted a resolution condemning Quran burning, calling attacks on the Muslim holy book “religious hatred.”

In the same month, the UNGA passed a resolution deploring all acts of violence against holy books as a violation of international law.

Invest in uplifting women

Meanwhile, the Philippines urged stakeholders during the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women to invest in quality education to accelerate the eradication of poverty among girls.

During an interactive dialogue with youth representatives at UN headquarters in New York on Friday, Philippine representative Mandy Romero lamented that at least one in five Filipino women live in poverty, further limiting their access to education.

“Investing in quality education is one of the most transformative zero poverty strategies to give a platform for diverse female voices,” she was quoted in a news release.

“While the Philippines has proudly achieved gender parity and free access to primary and secondary education, barriers like family responsibilities, malnutrition, hazardous journeys prone to gender-based violence, and disabilities keep one in 10 girls out of basic education,” she said.

Among girls in poverty, Romero said the success gap and gender divide further widen as they move from secondary to tertiary education or the workforce.

To provide them with the right opportunities, she said women can bring transformative change within their communities.

She said that in the Philippines, only 49 percent of Filipino women are in the labor force compared to 73 percent of men, but college-educated Filipino women are “73 percent more likely to participate in the labor force.”