UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Women's Fund (UNIFEM) on Wednesday announced that outgoing Chilean President Michelle Bachelet will help advocate on behalf of Haitian women in meeting their specific needs during the early recovery stage from the Jan. 12 devastating earthquake.
"President Bachelet, who has prioritized women's issues throughout her presidency, will play a leading role in advocating with donors and actors involved in international cooperation, especially in Latin America, to formulate a common strategy that will include the voices and perspectives of Haitian women in the recovery efforts," the UNIFEM press release said.
"Seeking to amplify the voices of the women of Haiti, the President will travel to the country on 21 February, where she will meet with various women's organizations," said the press release.
Women become more vulnerable to gender-based violence in the event of a natural disaster, where in such instances, UNIFEM works closely with its non-governmental partners (NGOs) on the ground to help provide services and programs for women and their families.
Currently, the UNIFEM team in Haiti is working alongside non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to strengthen services to victims of gender-based violence and their families in women's centers and temporary shelters in Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, the cities most heavily affected by the 7.3-magnitude earthquake.
In addition to the call for funds through the UN system-wide 575-million-U.S. dollar flash appeal, UNIFEM is also seeking more than 7 million U.S. dollars for urgently needed services and support for the protection of women and their communities.
The extra funding is slated for urgent humanitarian assistance, including emergency aid for victims and survivors during the immediate aftermath and early recovery stages; measures to prevent the escalation of gender-based violence; boosting the capacity of NGOs to support women who are victims of violence; and programs to help women gain a livelihood.
