Reality Unflattering? Ignore It!

That's what U.S. media seemed to do when confronted with the results of the latest UNICEF report. According to the Feminist Daily Newsire, one of the few outlets to cover the story:

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Innocenti Research Center released a report yesterday ranking the well-being of children in the world's most economically advanced countries. Out of 21 countries, the United States came in second-to-last, at number 20.

Looking at the report itself (PDF file), the U.S. is the worst country surveyed for health at birth and for childhood poverty. However, the U.S. ranks respectably on education-related matters (thanks, public schools!).

A Google News search showed that not only did British media actually pay attention to the UNICEF report, they asked how their country could do better. While in the U.S., media outlets either totally ignored the report or wondered why Britain was so bad for children. Wha...?

On another note, celebrate International Women's Day with us, on Monday, March 5. Women for Peace, along with the Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua and the Campus Women's Center, are hosting an evening of film and international women's rights. The event starts at 7 pm, at the Wisconsin Union Play Circle (UW Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St), and includes shorts by local filmmakers and a discussion of global feminism, followed by "View from a Grain of Sand," an acclaimed documentary by Meena Nanji that explores Afghanistan's history through the experiences of three women.