Source: News Deeply
Putting more money into family planning programs in the developing world makes populations healthier and boosts national stability, writes John Bongaarts, vice president of the Population Council.
Source: News Deeply
Developing countries could count for more than 95 percent of cervical cancer deaths by 2035. In Liberia, a pilot HPV vaccination program aims to cut that number – but first has to overcome mistrust, misinformation and a dire lack of resources.
Source: BBC News
A group of South Sudanese artists has warned against the revenge culture following the recent conflict which led to hundreds being killed.
Source: New Times
Rwanda was this week joined by three other African countries in winning accolades in recognition of its outstanding efforts in the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality.
Source: Inter Press Service
United Nations — UN member states "are going beyond rhetoric and earnestly working to achieve real progress" towards the Sustainable Goals, the members of the Group of 77 and China said in a ministerial statement delivered here on 18 July.
SOURCE:allAfrica
A report has shown that women face challenges that often make it more difficult for them than men to adequately save for retirement. In light of the challenges, women need to pay special attention to making the most of their money.
The report published by the US Department of Labour indicated that women tend to earn less than men and work fewer years thereby reducing the amount of savings that accumulate for their retirement.
"Women stay at jobs for a shorter period of time, work part time more often, and interrupt their careers to raise children. Consequently, they are less likely to qualify for company-sponsored retirement plans or to receive the full benefits of those plans," the report said.
On the average globally, women live five years longer than men, and thus need to build a larger retirement nest for themselves.
There are some studies that indicate that women tend to invest more conservatively than men but they are limited by shorter period of time they work.
The report also indicated that women tend to lose more income than men following a divorce, a development that usually compounds their financial problems at retirement.
"Women aged 65 or older are more than 70 percent likely than men aged 65 or older to live on an income below the poverty level," the report said
Source: The New Times
The Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) has renewed commitment to develop sustainable partnerships to improve Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and end HIV/AIDS on the continent by 2030, as expressed during the 17th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLA.
Source: The New Times
The Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) has renewed commitment to develop sustainable partnerships to improve Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and end HIV/AIDS on the continent by 2030, as expressed during the 17th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLA.
Source: Al Jazeera
Rachel is a HIV-positive mother whose goal it is to educate pregnant women in Burkina Faso so that they will not pass on the virus to their children.
Source: The New Times
The ongoing African Union Summit has put women’s rights at the centre stage of this year’s assembly.
Source: Radio Dabanga
Khartoum — The Sudanese No Oppression against Women Initiative strongly denounces the Khartoum state Public Order Act.
Source: Namibian
THE AFRICAN Union has dedicated 2016 as the “Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the rights of Women.” In making this pledge, the AU signalled that the time had come to prioritise the need for real improvements in women and girls' daily lives.
Source:Women's News
The White House announcement, to great fanfare, of nearly $100 million in U.S. aid via the Millennium Challenge Corporation to support school attendance by Moroccan girls is a necessary but insufficient step.
SOURCE:UN Women
World Population Day on 11 July focuses on the importance and urgency of population issues. This year’s theme “Investing in teenage girls,” calls for action to address the enormous challenges faced by teenage girls across the world.
Of the 700 million women alive today who were married as children, more than one in three were married before they turned 15.[1] As young brides, girls have to forgo their youth and adolescence years, as they take on family responsibilities. They are unable to negotiate safe sex practices and vulnerable to early pregnancy, contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Too many girls are denied the right to education and equal opportunities, keeping them in the cycle of poverty.
In 2015, world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to end poverty, combat inequalities and promote prosperity while protecting the environment by 2030. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a real opportunity to drive lasting change for women’s rights and equality. Goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls includes targets on ending all forms of violence and harmful practices against women and girls, including early and forced marriages. Turning the vision of the SDGs into reality starts with investing in girls.
The positive impact that empowered, informed teenage girls can have on their communities is unparalleled, and largely untapped. Alongside government and civil society partners, UN Women is working to break the barriers to leadership, participation and equal opportunities for girls and young women, including ending all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. In 2016, the first Youth Forum at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) drew over 300 youth participants and developed the first-ever “Youth-Agreed Conclusions” for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, drawing attention to the specific needs and potential of young women and girls.
Investing in and unlocking the potential of teenage girls and young women everywhere should be a top priority, so that they can pursue a world of equality: a Planet 50-50 by 2030.
SOURCE: allAfrica
Working women have an unrestricted right to fully-paid maternity leave of at least three months and the law that only gives them a maximum of three periods of maternity with one employer must be struck down as unconstitutional.
In the heads of argument filed at the Constitutional Court by Harare lawyer Mr Caleb Mucheche on behalf of his client Ms Emelda Mhuriro this week, it was also argued that the law that denies newly-employed women of less than one year service from enjoying the right to paid maternity leave must also be deleted from the books of law.
She said Section 65(7) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe guaranteed unlimited right to maternity leave to all female employees, but Section 18(1) and (3) of the Labour Act and Section 39(1), (3) and (4) of the Public Service Regulations, Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 set conditions for the enjoyment of the right, thereby discriminating against newly employed women.
Section 65(7) of the Constitution reads:
"Women employees have a right to fully-paid maternity leave for a period of at least three months."
To that end, Ms Mhuriro, on behalf of the civil servants and other employees at large, argued that the laws were unconstitutional and that they should be struck off the statutes.
In the recently-filed heads of argument, Mr Mucheche said Section 18(1) of the Labour Act denies newly-employed women the right to maternity leave.
"This means that a female employee who has not served for at least one year is not entitled to any fully-paid maternity leave, let alone the maternity leave itself as a right.
"Clearly Section 18(1) of the Labour Act is ultra-vires Sections 65(7) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and runs foul to section 2(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe," argued Mr Mucheche.
He added that Section 18(3) of the Labour Act which puts a cap on the number of times a female employee can go on maternity leave was also unconstitutional.
The Ministers of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development and the Attorney-General were listed as respondents in their official capacities.
Ms Mhuriro, in her founding affidavit, argues that Section 18(1) and (3) of the Labour Act violates women employees' rights in general -- the right to fully-paid maternity leave, while sections of the Public Service Regulations SI 1 of 2000 violates the right of female civil servants to maternity leave.
Ms Mhuriro argued that the limitations to the right to maternity leave occasioned by the labour laws was discriminatory in nature.
It is her argument that the alleged violations of the right to maternity leave was contrary to the International Labour Organisation's conventions on maternity leave and rights of women/female employees, and the international law on the protection of women's rights.
She further argued that the said violation was not reasonably justified in a democratic society.
Source: The Citizen
Japemungo Julienne watches the maternity ward in Nyarugusu refugee camp from her metal bed frame.
Source: The Citizen
Family planning is probably the last thing on the mind of any person struggling to find food and shelter. It is understandably not something that any person tends to think of while trying to navigate challenging circumstances as a refugee.
Source: Refinery29
All too often, we forget about countries that have recently been ravaged by conflict, disease and natural disaster, because the news coverage slows down, and then stops, the online petitions disappear, and the despairing social media statuses vanish from our feeds – and we tell ourselves it's because it's not happening anymore.
After 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths from Ebola, things in West Africa are far from ‘sorted’. The region may have been declared Ebola-free in January 2016, but the underlying problems of public health, social injustice, gender inequality and infrastructure just became more severe after 18 months of contagious disease.
Source: AA
Human rights campaigners in Zambia have expressed concern over soaring levels of violence against women and girls, including sexual harassment and spouse battering in the country. Zambians feel the vice has continued to rise despite progress in the promotion of gender equality, health, education and legal rights for women.
On July 1, several Zambian women held a peaceful protest organized by local rights groups under the theme, “Stop Violence against Women and Girls”.
Source: EIN News
Theme: "The Contributions of Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights in Achieving Gender Equality in Africa: Stocktaking, Opportunities and Accountability"
What: 3rd AU High Level Panel on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment