Africa: Women's situation has improved, but serious challenges remain, UN officials say

Women have gained ground in the struggle for equality with men over the past 10 years, but serious challenges remain, including the rise in trafficking of women and girls and their disproportionate representation in the ranks of the poor and those infected with HIV/AIDS, senior United Nations officials said on Monday this week. They were addressing the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which this year is conducting a 10-year review of the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing ("Beijing+10").