ALANA ESPOSITO, Author at Women's eNews

Finnish Politician Says Welfare Took Her from Refugee to Lawmaker

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● April 4, 2016

Nasima Razmyar, a member of Finnish parliament and an asylum recipient from Afghanistan, gets asked a lot of questions about refugees these days. But she also wants to stay focused on what makes Finland a global beacon for women.

Three Women on Short List to Take Over Helm at the U.N.

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● March 16, 2016

And this time the selection process is under greater scrutiny. For the first time member states may nominate candidates to act as the U.N.’s de facto spokesperson and leader. In April they will have a chance to ask the candidates questions over three days of informal dialogues.

African Women Key to Ambitious, but Unfunded, Global Energy Shift

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● March 9, 2016

It’s time to shift billions of people onto modern energy sources in ways that help women and the planet. That’s the mantra. But the U.N.’s latest development plan lacks any legally binding mechanism to create flows of finance.

Global Goals Put Women at Heart of Poverty Battle

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● October 1, 2015

But how successful will the new U.N. framework be in raising global living standards? Enthusiasts put faith in technological innovations. Skeptics say the global economic system is inherently exploitive and unjust and needs a real overhaul.

Obama Pressed to Act on Post-Rape Abortion Aid

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● June 4, 2015

Religious and human rights advocates are calling on Obama on June 4 to take executive action to ensure access to abortion for women and girls raped in conflict. “We know he is listening,” says one organizer.

UN Sex Violence Envoy: Focusing on Syria, Iraq

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● May 28, 2015

The U.N.’s special representative on sex violence in conflict zones answers questions about the spread of rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage as a strategy of war and tactic of terror in the Middle East, particularly by the Islamic State, or Daesh.

Dina Kawar: UN Needs More Female Peacekeepers

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● May 19, 2015

The first Arab woman to serve as president of the U.N. Security Council, Dina Kawar talks to Women’s eNews about the U.N.’s role in protecting women in conflict, as well as female Syrian refugees in Jordan.

For Victims of Wartime Rape, Abortion Out of Reach

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● April 28, 2015

Here’s what one Kenyan woman says about being forced to carry through a pregnancy that resulted from a rape during a conflict period. Obama could end such suffering by clarifying that U.S. law actually does allow abortion funding in such circumstances, a health activist says.

UN Women’s Annual Meeting Hits High-Low Notes

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● March 26, 2015

Record turnout and energy at this year’s Commission on the Status of Women clashed with sobering reminders of unfinished business in a 20-year-old gender equality agenda and new virulent threats to girls and women.

2 UN Insiders; 2 Views of Women’s Progress

By ALANA ESPOSITO ● Politics ● March 16, 2015

As those from around the globe converge on U.N. headquarters and sideline events this week for the Commission on the Status of Women, two people who’ve worked with the U.N. offer insights on women’s rights gains.

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