On the occasion of 2011 International Women’s Day, Defend International is drawing attention to the challenges faced by women in the the Middle East and North Africa. DI urges the authorities in MENA region to respect human rights, in particular the rights of women who are showing courage and participating in the protests.

In September 2010, the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, adopted a global action plan to achieve the MDGs by their 2015 target date and launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, aiming to accelerate progress on women’s and children’s health. Defend International welcomes these efforts and encourages State Parties to keep moving toward the attainment of the MDGs with determination.

Dr. Widad addressed the UN Fourth Biennial Meeting of States to consider the implementation of the Programme of Action to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, which was held in New York in June 2010. DI speech roused a lot of attention among member states and civil society organisations. DI represents the voices and experiences of civil society in the MENA region.

DI member Babylon National Human Rights Association based in central Iraq, hosted a meeting in Haadar on the theme “Violence Against Women: Statistics & Challenges.”