With the global population on track to reach a staggering nine billion people by 2050, according to U.N. figures, a stronger action plan is needed to address the challenges of ending poverty, ensuring a well-functioning health system and access to education, as well as guaranteeing social inclusion for all.
A top United Nations official today strongly encouraged governments to adopt special temporary measures, such as quotas, to boost the number of women in parliament and decision-making positions, pointing to the progress achieved by women in India as a result of affirmative action.
A year ago, when Peggy*, 23, became pregnant, her boyfriend abandoned her. Unemployed and already a single mother, she decided to terminate the pregnancy - and she nearly died in the process.
It has already been labelled as an "epidemic" by rights groups, but it seems in post-revolution Egypt sexual harassment has become worse rather than better. The harassment of women continues on the streets, at times escalating to mob levels, and it has now reached the point where taking steps to eradicate this social malaise has become an absolute necessity.
Traditionally women cannot own or inherit land in Mali, despite being primary workers on the land, so they have no control over the farms proceeds. However, they can control the income from small-scale processing of agricultural products, provided they buy the raw materials rather than taking them from the family granary. This Panos blog post explores the issues.
Civil society groups express outrage after woman was accused of "immoral behaviour" by policemen jailed for raping her. Tunisian civil society is rallying in support of a young woman who was raped by police officers in what they say is part of a broader assault on women's rights by religious conservatives.
Women often suffer the most in times of conflict, but they are rarely represented in peace negotiations. In fact, no woman has ever been the lead negotiator in U.N.-sponsored peace talks, a situation the United Nations is now seeking to redress through a unique training programme.
Source: Huffington Post
The good news is that Tanzania, helped by Bloomberg Philanthropies, has launched an innovative program to prevent mothers from dying in child birth. The bad news is that 23 women still die every day from birth-related complications.
Source: uReport
While it is quite encouraging that the elections taking place across Africa this year present an opportunity for a rising tide of women to take political office, a lot is yet to be done to empower many women for such posts.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
WOMEN in rural Tanzania have told the Constitutional Review Commission that the envisaged Constitution should have provisions that protect them from societal cruelty, especially the cruelty that emanates from spouses.
WEST AFRICA: WACSI trains West African elections observers on gender sensitive elections observation
Source: Sierra Express Media
The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) provided 28 members of the West Africa Elections Observation Team (WAWEO) with requisite skills to observe and report on the forthcoming presidential elections in Sierra Leone and Ghana in November and December 2012 respectively. This was achieved through a five day training on Gender-Sensitive Elections Observation, Reporting and Policy Advocacy. The training was organized by WACSI with the support of IBIS West Africa, The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and Women in Peace and Security Network Africa. The training took place at the WACSI Training Centre in Accra from September 24 – 28, 2012.
Source: Daily Observer
Liberian women have re-echoed their call for robust steps to be taken by the government, especially the judiciary, to end sexual and Gender based violence (SGBV) against them.
FAO and its partners are helping women in Burkina Faso to better understand the nutritional value of forest products and to run effective community-based forest enterprises in order to boost their incomes and become self-sufficient.
World Habitat Day occurs on the first Monday of October. This year’s theme – “Changing Cities, Building Opportunities” - provides the occasion to reflect and act on how to make our cities and communities smarter, safer and more sustainable especially for women, youth and children.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has received the African-American Institute's (AAI) African National Achievement Award for Literacy to Support Life Skills. The Liberian leader was one of five honorees to have received an AAI award at a dinner in their honor at New York City's Grand Hyatt Hotel on September 26th.
Source: The Star
THE stalemate surrounding the gender parity rule will only be solved by the Supreme Court, the chairman of the Commission on Administrative Justice Otiende Amollo said at the weekend.
The presidential aspirants of three political parties in the country have pledged their commitment to the cause of women and to involve them in decision-making as being championed by women rights activists if elected into power. The parties are the Progressive People's Party (PPP), People's National Convention (PNC) and Convention People's Party (CPP).
Source: The Star
Centre for Multiparty Democracy programmes officer in charge of gender Sarah Muhoya has told Kilifi women to not to shy away from aiming for higher elective political seats.
Source: RNW
The 'abortion boat' is setting sail for the Arab world for the first time. Dutch organisation Women on Waves is launching a campaign in Morocco this week, in cooperation with local youth group M.A.L.I.
Source: Indepth Africa
Women in the Extreme North Region of Cameroon face a brutal nexus of violence and hunger. As long as women remain under the domination of forms of violence – including the denial of their right to food – they will be non-citizens, says Aîssa Ngatansou Doumara.