According to the 2016 Seychelles Gender-Based Violence National Baseline Study, about four in 10 Seychellois women have experienced physical violence by intimate partners, and more than one in four have suffered sexual violence (Gender Secretariat, 2016; Seychelles Nation, 2016). The study found that women are also disproportionately affected by psychological and economic forms of gender-based violence (GBV). A study by the Commonwealth Secretariat (2019) estimated that violence against women and girls costs Seychelles 1.2% of its gross domestic product.
The Lagos State government has through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, (DSVA) opened the Eko Haven, a 30-bed shelter for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), a non-partisan national network dedicated to promoting women's rights, has called upon the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) to adhere to the Constitution of Zimbabwe and uphold due process about the administration of the forthcoming 2023 general election.
A total of 400 export-oriented women and youth have been equipped with skills in exploring regional and continental markets for their enterprises.
SIAYA, Kenya June 16 – Chief Justice Martha Koome has launched the second specialized Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Court in Siaya County. This becomes the second SGBV court after Shanzu in Mombasa.
The 1st National Women's Convention for Peace in Cameroon, an umbrella group with 80 member organisations, has been awarded the German Africa Prize, according to Deutsche Welle.
The Senate said compulsory inclusion of the SGBV in school curriculum will expose secondary students to the dangers involved in committing the act.
The Senate has passed a bill seeking to mandate authorities of secondary schools to include lessons on how to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in their curriculum for students.
ActionAid Uganda has held a one-day intergenerational dialogue in the Lokales sub-county, Amudat district, and the main objective is to enhance the inter-generational relationship between men and boys, women, and girls, that is supportive of adolescent gender and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRHR).
The Gambia, a small West African country, faces several challenges in the education sector, including limited access to quality education for girls. Despite these challenges, many young Gambian women are striving to obtain better education and improve their lives.
- “Cyclone Freddy was a terrible experience, and now many women who lost their homes and their livelihoods are at increased risk of sexual exploitation and abuse,” warns Caleb Ng’ombo, Director of People Serving Girls at Risk (PSGR), a frontline NGO in Malawi that supports vulnerable women whose lives have been devastated by the record-breaking tropical storm.
The Global Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Learning Forum has commenced in Kigali, marking a significant milestone in the pursuit of assessing and advancing gender equality and social inclusion. The forum, which began on June 5, will continue its deliberations until June 9.
Luanda - National Assembly Speaker Carolina Cerqueira highlighted Wednesday the role of Parliamentary leaders in defending peace, stability, and security in the regions of SADC and the Great Lakes.
The 1st National Women's Convention for Peace in Cameroon has won the German Africa Prize for advocating negotiations to end the Anglophone crisis. In an exclusive interview, the women spoke with DW about their efforts.
MONROVIA – As part of the country’s strategy aimed at tackling the menace of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) under the European Union (EU) funded project with support by Oxfam Denmark, several women ‘s advocacy groups have completed a two-day refresher training on SGBV and are now set and ready for implementation.
Medical experts are sounding an alarm following revelations that nearly 3,000 women in the country die due to cervical cancer every year, putting the country at the highest cervical cancer prevalence rate in the world.
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29- United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has launched ‘Oky Kenya’, an adapted version of the world’s first-period tracker offline app, specifically designed for girls living in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya.
“Allegations of grave cases of sexual violence against civilians, including children, in particular affecting IDPs fleeing conflict in the eastern DRC, is a matter of profound concern which requires immediate action,” said the top UN official who advocates for women and girls impacted by sexual violence.
The representative spoke of how she was “deeply troubled” by some attacks which have been taking place in broad daylight, affecting the daily lives and livelihoods of women and girls in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
Protecting women and girls
She noted that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reported an alarming number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in 2022 and that IDP camps represent a ‘volatile security environment’, especially for displaced women and girls.
“More than 38,000 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported by UNICEF for all of 2022 in North Kivu alone. Humanitarian actors report they have provided assistance to over 600 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in six IDP camps over the course of two weeks in a volatile security environment. In most cases, survivors reported being attacked by armed men and displaced men in and around the camps,” she pointed out.
No immediate ‘life-saving’ aid
Ms. Patten also called attention to how women and girls are disproportionally affected by sexual violence in thousands of cases reported by humanitarian partners, with some unable to “access life-saving services, including Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kits, during the crucial 72-hour window after an attack”.
She said the best way to protect women and girls in such conditions was to provide medical assistance, but also offer routes for escaping violence and other insecurities in the first place.
Africa is on the brink of achieving a major victory over deadly diseases that have plagued its population for generations. With increased access to medical care, improved healthcare infrastructure, and a renewed focus on disease eradication, the continent is closer than ever to rid itself of illnesses that have taken a devastating toll on its people.
Menstrual health is a human rights issue – not just a health one.
The history of electoral violence in Nigeria does not seem to be ebbing away anytime soon. Again, in this scenario, it’s women that mainly suffer whenever this unfortunate incident happens.