Source: TheConversation

The African Union has taken several initiatives to demonstrate its commitment to eliminating injustices against women in Africa. The most recent has been a meeting ahead of the African Union (AU) summit scheduled for later this year to highlight the continent’s commitment to gender equality.

Source: UK Government
The Women, Peace and Security agenda and promoting global gender equality internationally is a key priority for the Government. It is in the UK’s national interest; empowering women and girls through the Government’s work improves peace and stability, economic growth and poverty reduction. Read more...

Source: UNFPA
In a simple white tent in the Lóvua refugee settlement in Angola, women and girls who fled the brutal conflict in Kasai, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can find safe haven and support.

Source: ISS
Africa has the highest prevalence of communicable diseases in the world – both in terms of mortality (death) and morbidity (illness). This phenomenon has consequences for the health of both women and men, and increased gender mainstreaming in health programmes can help tailor solutions.

Source: allAfrica
Women are the largest economic opportunity. The most convincing business case for women comes from Silverstein and Sayre (2009), who show that women are a bigger economic opportunity than India and China combined. In 2009, women globally earned $13 trillion which is double the combined gross domestic products (GDP) of China and India ($5,6 trillion). This female income was estimated to be $18 trillion by 2014.

Source: Women's Media Center
In 2015, Francine Mirondo* nearly lost her life when her neighbors in Rwigembe village, northwest Tanzania, accused her of practicing witchcraft.

Source: IPS News
Women, separated from their husbands by the conflict, end up being the sole breadwinners for their families, while also carrying out other necessary tasks, such as, fetching water and firewood, preparing food and raising children.

Source: UNFPA

LOVUA, Angola – In a simple white tent in the Lóvua refugee settlement in Angola, women and girls who fled the brutal conflict in Kasai, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can find safe haven and support.

Source: UNFPA

HABA TSEKA, Lesotho – “Before, I never used a condom, and I would force myself violently onto girls and young women,” said Kabelo*, 22, in rural Lesotho. A herder in Haba Tseka, he grew up in an area where violence is considered a normal, masculine trait.

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation

In western Uganda's Kyangwali refugee settlement, Tamari Mutesi teaches tailoring to young women who do not go to school.

Source: IrinNews

Two consecutive years of failed rains have left 3.4 million Kenyans in need of food aid and 480,000 children requiring treatment for acute malnutrition. It’s the worst humanitarian crisis the country has faced since a major drought scorched the Horn of African region in 2011, and an emergency likely to persist well into 2018.

Source: AllAfrica

Male-headed households continue to own more land and wealth than female-headed households in developing countries, but the picture may be reversing in cities, researchers have found.

Source: UNFPA

NAIKARRA, Kenya – “I woke up one morning, and my father told me that we were poor and needed money,” said Faith, describing the moment she learned she was engaged. She was 11 years old at the time.

Source: UNFPA

KIGALI, Rwanda – Rwanda’s health system has seen great improvements in recent years, yet one area of health care remains underserved, particularly for young people: sexual and reproductive health.

Source: UNFPA

KAKUMA, Kenya – Dalia Asinde was married 16 years ago in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She was 22 and in love, she said. But her husband soon became violent – and relentless. She lost count of the beatings, insults and torments he delivered.

Source: allAfrica

London — Other countries should follow Iceland which has become the first country to make it illegal to pay men more than women, politicians and equal rights campaigners said on Wednesday.

Source: BBC News
For the first time in its history, the self-declared republic of Somaliland has passed a law against rape.

Source: allAfrica

Tandahimba — Five school girls, who were impregnated, together with their parents have been arrested in Tandahimba in a crack down which followed an order by District Commissioner Sebastian Waryuba.

The pupils and their parents were, however released on bail. This was revealed by District Administrative Secretary, Mr Mohamed Azizi, on behalf of Mr Waryuba.

According to Mr Azizi, authorities are still looking for the men who impregnated the girls, who vanished shortly after the DC issued the directive.

"We have managed to arrest the girls and their parents but unfortunately those who impregnated the girls have escaped and we are looking for them," said Mr Azizi.

Child pregnancies in Tandahimba have been on the rise of recently. In 2015 some 20 cases were reported while in 2017, some 27 cases were recorded.

Speaking during a district consultative committee meeting earlier last week, Mr Waryuba said the school children, together with their parents should be detained pending investigations.

His directive is part of efforts to end pregnancies among students in the district.

He said it was intolerable that 55 school girls should be expelled from school because of pregnancy.

Gender and Human Rights activists decried the directive. They argued that the authorities should arrest the culprits rather than the victims.

Source: allAfrica

Malawi has received a boost in addressing the increased cases of the Gender Based Violence (GBV) with financial assistance from the British government through the Department for International Development (DFID) with a maximum of £19 million (MK18,679,961,152).

Source: allAfrica

The ANC finally joins the growing community of sex worker rights activists in recognising that the full decriminalisation of sex work is the only legal model that can respect and protect the rights of people who sell sex.

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