Published On:Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Posted by ARAB GAZETTE. weekly newspaper issued on Sunday morning - London, UNITED KINGDOMمؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK
U.N. appoints Wonder Woman as honorary ambassador amid outcry
ARAB GAZETTE - United Nations ..
The United Nations named comic-book
superhero Wonder Woman as an honorary ambassador to fight for gender
equality on Friday, amid criticism that the scantily clad fictional
character was an inappropriate choice.
U.N. officials at a ceremony formalizing the appointment said Wonder Woman is known for her commitment to justice, peace and equality.
"Wonder Woman is an icon," said U.N. Under-Secretary-General Cristina Gallach. "We are very pleased that this character will help us reach new audiences with essential messages of our empowerment and equality."
U.N. officials have said they hoped the selection of a comic-book hero and movie character would appeal to younger women in its campaign for womens empowerment, and the slogan of the campaign says: "Think of all the wonders we can do."
Wonder Woman, a DC Comics Inc. heroine, first appeared in 1942, fighting villains, rescuing victims and unearthing diabolical plots.
On hand was actress Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in a television series in the 1970s, and actress Gal Gadot, who will play Wonder Woman in a movie to be released next year.
"I couldnt think of a more perfect role for her," said Carter, saying the character shows women can be "smart and beautiful and strong and wise and kind and brave."
But the selection has been met with opposition, and nearly 1,000 people signed an online petition asking U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to reconsider the choice.
"Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent warrior woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the characters current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit," the petition reads.
Several dozen U.N. employees, one holding a sign saying "Women deserve a real ambassador," staged a silent protest in the U.N.s visitors lobby as the ceremony was held.
"Why do we need to use a sexualized cartoon character?" said employee Elizabeth Leff.
MINSK,
October 25. /TASS/. Minsk is prepared to host a meeting of the Contact
Group on the settlement in eastern Ukraine and its three working
subgroups, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dmitry Mironchik, told
TASS on Tuesday.
"We are getting ready for the meetings of the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement in Ukraine and its three working subgroups - on political, economic and security issues - scheduled for Wednesday," the diplomat said.
More:
http://tass.com/world/908493
"We are getting ready for the meetings of the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement in Ukraine and its three working subgroups - on political, economic and security issues - scheduled for Wednesday," the diplomat said.
More:
http://tass.com/world/908493
