Source: Daily News
Dativa Kaimukirwa (24) looks knackered but manages to smile as she speaks to reporters outside her hut at Rukoma village, in Bukoba Rural district.
Source: allAfrica
However, in Liberia, women are yet to take their rightful and equal place in society, and Johnson Sirleaf's presence has not translated into Liberian women rising from the grassroots to be equally represented in decision-making forums. In October 2017, a new government will be elected and Johnson Sirleaf's term will come to an end.
During Liberia's civil war, women emerged as the flag bearers of peace through the 'Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace' initiative at the climax of the 14-year conflict. Through their collective action, women were instrumental in ensuring that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2003) was signed, which was crucial to paving the way to sustainable peace.
However, despite this prominent role in driving peace, greater empowerment for women on the ground is yet to happen. The Liberian National Gender Policy in 2009 noted that women were lagging behind in development, and that gender disparities and imbalances were evident in everyday life.
During Liberia's civil war, women emerged as the flag bearers of peace
Although women account for 54% of the labour force, they remain severely marginalised, and lack the means to ensure a sustainable livelihood because they are underpaid and work within the informal sector. In terms of illiteracy rates, women account for 60%, and the maternal mortality rate in the country is very high when compared to global figures. Furthermore, 48% of Liberian girls fall pregnant before the age 18, which contributes to high levels of unemployment among young women.
Sexual and gender-based violence and exploitation is also very high in the country, especially among young girls. Sexual violence was rampant during the war, and 13 years later, rape and sexual violence remain a major problem.
In 2009, the Liberian government developed a four-year National Action Plan to respond to the recommendations of the United Nations resolution 1325, which pertains to women in peace and security. Yet four years on, little has been implemented.
This is partly because the Gender Policy has not been consistently integrated into national legislature. For instance, the Inheritance Law of Liberia states that a young girl is eligible for marriage at 16 years old, whereas the Penal Code of 2005 stipulates that the age of consent is 18. These pieces of legislation are therefore at odds with one another, and implementing them consistently is not possible.
54% of Liberia's labour force are women, but they remain severely marginalised
Research carried out by the Institute for Security Studies in Monrovia in November 2016 identified additional challenges. These included awareness-raising and educating the public on these new laws, as well as negative cultural traditions that are at odds with human and women's rights.
It is clear that much progress remains to be made to improve gender disparity and place women rights at the forefront of policy development.
Current trends don't bode well.
During the 2011 elections, there seemed to be a growing aversion to appointing women in positions of political leadership. The percentage of women in the National Legislature dropped from 14% to 11.8%. The number of women in the Senate dropped from five to four, while the number of women in the House of Representatives dropped from nine to eight.
Two out of nine women representatives of the 52nd Legislature were re-elected, and an additional six women were newly elected.
A total of 33 female lawmakers lost their seats in the elections, indicating a deteriorating situation where female politicians were losing momentum within their counties. Currently, women hold only one in nine Parliamentary seats.
Liberia is currently listed at number 149 out of 193 on the global ranking of women representation in Parliament. Some of the African countries that do notably better are Rwanda, which is first on the list and Senegal that is seventh.
However, ensuring women empowerment requires more than just adopting quota systems for women in power. If Liberia is serious about addressing inequality, it must first address the social and cultural impediments that prevent women from developing a career and obtaining gainful employment. Civic education implemented at the end of the war in various counties has not yet yielded positive results, due to entrenched traditional norms.
Ensuring women empowerment requires more than just quota systems
As the 2017 elections approach, successfully improving gender equality in Liberia will require a two-pronged approach.
First, women on the ground must be empowered. Women in leadership positions must identify the challenges that stand in the way of empowering women at the grassroots level.
Women's representation in governance structures is important for long-term transformation. Greater attention must be paid at the grassroots level, where young girls must be given the opportunity to complete secondary education. This will require working with the local population to address cultural barriers. International partners can also work with government to offer scholarships to help young girls in furthering their education.
The Liberian government can also work with other African countries that will educate Liberian women in their countries and provide mentorship. This in turn will help develop beneficial experience-sharing among states.
Secondly, the government of Liberia can support women's organisations financially to mobilise and regularly meet, which would enable them to find solutions that are specific to their communities. These conversations should then feed into the national discussion to ensure that women's voices are heard at the highest decision-making tables.
The impact of Liberian women on ensuring peace in the country cannot be underestimated. Through their collective action, a 13-year era of peace has been achieved. The same collective action is now needed to ensure that women's needs are not ignored during this election year.
By Muneinazvo Kujeke and Liezelle Kumalo
Source: The Guardian
Despite social and sporting progress, even the best teams at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations stuggle to fund friendlies.
At least 94 percent of female students in tertiary institutions are experiencing sexual harassment, an organisation working with universities has revealed.
Yvonne Mudapakati, programmes officer for Female Students Network Trust (FSNT), also told the parliamentary committee on Women Affairs that lecturers were also among the top offenders.
7 February 2017 – The highest United Nations official tasked with advocating against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war urged today Libyan authorities to protect migrants from rape and other human rights violations.
In a statement, Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, called on the Libyan Government and on the international community as a whole to protect migrants who are living or passing through Libya.
6 February 2017 – Female genital mutilation denies women and girls their dignity and causes needless pain and suffering, with consequences that endure for a lifetime and can even be fatal, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has said, stressing that the UN Sustainable Development Agenda promises an end to this practice by 2030.
Dar es Salaam — Drama unfolded as a middle-aged woman, Ms Swahaba Shosi, stepped forward waving a placard that drew President John Magufuli's attention during the event to mark the Law Day at Mahakama grounds. Her red dress made it easier for everyone to notice her. Her placard spoke volumes: "Police, the DPP and the Judiciary are conspiring to deny me the right to inherit property left by my husband even though I have all legal documents."
The Africa Ministerial Pre-Consultative Meeting convened in Addis Ababa to prepare for the upcoming 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) concluded successfully with a unified Africa position, “One Africa One Voice”.
Source: Premium Times
A Nigerian, ImeIme Umana, has made history as the first black woman president of the Harvard Law Review, a prestigious legal journal in the United States.
Source: HRW
1 in 4 Girls Marry Before 18 Despite African Leaders’ Efforts.
Source: Amnesty International
Women and girls risk unsafe abortions that can lead to serious health complications, and even death, due to persistent barriers to legal abortion services, according to research by Amnesty International and the Women’s Health Research Unit of the School of Public Health and Family Medicine at the University of Cape Town.
Source: The Namibian
First Lady Monica Geingos has called on schools to include sexual education in their curriculum and to empower young women about their sexual rights.
Source: The Guardian
A national campaign carrying the symbol of a red triangle will be rolled out across the UK to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
SOURCE: UN WOMEN
Thank you very much, Madame Regional Director, and previous speakers. I do want to thank Ethiopia for hosting us so graciously, ECA for accommodating us so warmly, and the African Union for the support, and for the remarks of the Chairperson.
It was early morning when a young sheikh, Abdi Iidan, and his wife joined the long queue leading to a tent in Morodijeex, in north-western Somalia. Mr. Iidan stood out from the crowd; women dominated the queue.
Source:allAfrica
There is a growing global drive to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) in a generation. Ministers, U.N. officials and campaigners from around the world meet in Rome on Monday for a major conference to discuss how to accelerate efforts to end the practice. Here are some facts.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
As climate change pushes men to take over land once left to women, women could get a set aside of government land.
Source: Aswat Masriya
Nearly five years ago, when Safaa* was 26 and a mother of two, she discovered that she had HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) - a disease which destroys the immune system of its host. To her, this was worse than a death sentence - it would force her to keep her medical history secret from even her closest relatives for the rest of her life.
Source: Daily Observer
Ahead of the 2017 General and Presidential Elections, the Liberia National Women's Political Forum (LNWPF), the Coalition of Political Parties' Women in Liberia (COPPWL) and the Women's Legislative Caucus (WLC) have issued strong messages calling for more women as candidates on the tickets of political parties.
Source: MSF
Unsafe abortion one of the 5 main causes of maternal mortality worldwide.