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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 21 March 2023

U.N. commission calls for closing the gender digital divide

By EDITH M. LEDERER more men than women on-
Associated Press line last year. She also cited
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — a survey of female journal-
The U.N.’s premiere global ists from 125 countries that
body fighting for gender found three-quarters had
equality on Saturday called experienced online harass-
for wide-ranging efforts to ment in the course of their
close the gap between work and a third had en-
men and women in today’s gaged in self-censorship in
technology-driven world response.
and urged zero tolerance The “agreed conclusions”
for gender-based violence document adopted Sat-
and harassment online. urday by the 45-member
In a document approved commission calls for equal
by consensus after all-night quality education for wom-
negotiations at the end of en and girls in science,
a two-week meeting, the technology, engineering,
Commission on the Status mathematics, information
of Women expressed grave and communications tech-
concern at the interrelation nology, and digital literacy
between offline and on- so they can thrive in the
line violence, harassment rapidly changing world.
and discrimination against During lengthy negotiations
women and girls and it on the document, which
condemned the increase The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building, Feb. 28, 2022, at has 93 paragraphs, U.N.
in these acts. United Nations Headquarters. Associated Press diplomats said language
It called for a significant on women’s rights was
increase in investments by United Nations focusing on At the start of the commis- just 19% of women are on- challenged by Russia, In-
the public and private sec- gender equality and the sion’s two-week meeting, line,” Guterres said. “Glob- donesia, Malaysia and the
tor to bridge the gender empowerment, called the U.N. Secretary-General An- ally, girls and women make Holy See and human rights
digital divide. It also called document “game-chang- tonio Guterres said its focus up just one-third of students language was also chal-
for the removal of barriers ing” in promoting a blue- was very timely because in science, technology, en- lenged by those countries
to equal access to digital print for a more equal and women and girls are being gineering and mathemat- as well as Cuba and China.
technology for all women connected world for wom- left behind as technology ics” and men outnumber There were also intense de-
and girls, and new policies en and girls. The challenge races ahead. women two to one in the bates over language on
and programs to achieve now, she said, is for gov- “Three billion people are tech industry. gender-based violence
gender parity in emerg- ernments, the private sec- still unconnected to the in- Bahous told the opening facilitated by technol-
ing scientific and techno- tor, civil society and young ternet, the majority of them meeting that “the digital ogy, they said, speaking
logical fields. Sima Bahous, people to turn the blueprint women and girls in devel- divide has become the on condition of anonymity
executive director of UN “into reality for all women oping countries, (and) in new face of gender in- because negotiations were
Women, an entity of the and girls.” least developed countries equality,” with 259 million closed.q

N. Ireland unionists say no to Sunak’s Brexit deal, for now

By JILL LAWLESS Framework, aims to ease were imposed after Brexit is a key pillar of Northern apply in the region a key
Associated Press customs checks and other to maintain an open bor- Ireland’s peace process. unionist demand.
LONDON (AP) — Northern hurdles for goods moving der between the north and Northern Ireland’s British But the DUP is concerned
Ireland’s main British union- to Northern Ireland from its EU neighbor the Republic unionist politicians strongly that the mechanism does
ist party said Monday it will the rest of the U.K. that of Ireland. The open border opposed the customs bor- not go far enough and
vote against a deal struck der, saying it undermines some elements of EU law
by Britain and the Euro- Northern Ireland’s place will continue to apply in
pean Union to resolve a in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland. Under
thorny trade dispute that The DUP walked out of the the deal, Northern Ireland
vexed U.K.-EU relations and power-sharing semi-auton- is part of the U.K.’s internal
triggered a political crisis in omous Belfast government market but also has access
Belfast. Democratic Union- a year ago in protest, leav- to the EU’s vast single mar-
ist Party leader Jeffrey Don- ing Northern Ireland’s 1.9 ket of 27 nations for trade in
aldson said the deal “does million people without a goods.
not deal with some of the functioning administration. The DUP decision is a blow
fundamental problems at The Windsor Framework is to Prime Minister Rishi Su-
the heart of our current dif- designed to ease the bur- nak’s deal, but likely not
ficulties” and the party’s den on businesses and a fatal one. Wednesday’s
eight lawmakers would not address unionist concerns. vote, on the Stormont
support it when the House It gives Northern Ireland Brake part of the deal, is
of Commons votes on politicians a mechanism, a chance for lawmakers
Wednesday. Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson pauses known as the Stormont to express a view, but not
The U.K.-EU agreement, as he speaks to the media at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Brake, to challenge new essential to the framework
known as the Windsor Belfast, on May 9, 2022. EU trade rules that could being implemented.q
Associated Press