Sir, - I should like to congratulate you on your perceptive Editorial of March 9th which marked International Women's Day by calling attention to the plight of women in many parts of the developing world.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) welcomes the support of strong voices such as The Irish Times for United Nations and other efforts to improve the plight and rights of women in developing countries. Like your newspaper, the UNFPA has called for action to improve the rights of those women. It is also taking actions to end gender violence, eliminate female genital mutilation and stop "honour" killings. The fund is working in more than 140 developing countries to provide skilled attendants to help women during childbirth, thereby helping to ultimately reduce from 515,000 those who die each year of pregnancy and childbirth-related causes.
Having called for partnerships to promote the human rights of women, the UNFPA is grateful that is has found some in the Irish people and Government. Their very generous contributions enable the fund to provide life-saving services, promote gender equality and help young people avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, in the developing countries. - Yours, etc.,
Stirling Scruggs, Director, Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilisation Division, UNFPA, New York, USA.
