Source: Reuters
Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for heading a 2002-03 campaign of rape and murder in neighbouring Central African Republic.
Source: UNFPA
Mathilde learned she was pregnant under the direst of circumstances: in a displacement camp in the war-ravaged Central African Republic, where she was struggling to support herself with no partner or parents.
Source: Huffington Post
Girls from Sierra Leone who were impregnanted during the Ebola crisis, and consequently expelled, have been allowed back into the classroom. But advocates say that the decision has fallen short, considering that victims of sexual assault who became pregnant are still being banned from mainstream education.
Source: WhatsUpHIV
AIDS 2016 kicks off in Durban in four weeks' time with an ambitious goal: to achieve for HIV prevention what AIDS 2000 achieved for treatment in the same city 16 years ago.
SOURCE:Thomson Reuters Foundation News
“She was sixteen, fifteen, something like that. She had these dreams and aspirations. But her family didn’t have the funds to send her to school. So she had to stop. And then they gave her off to marriage. I put myself in that position…. it was not a good thing. That's why I'm speaking out,” said 17 year-old Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is one of the 30 girls from a girls’ after-school club based in Lusaka Girls School who decided to produce a song, “We are Girls, Not Brides”, about a challenge currently facing a large number of their peers in Zambia: child marriage. I went out to Lusaka, Zambia, to film their song, hear their story, and find out what made them decide to write this song, and why they think young people are key to ending child marriage.
This song was initially a recorded by one of my colleagues on their smart phone during a project visit organised byContinuity-Zambia Organization, a member ofGirls Not Brides. Continuity-Zambia Organization set up a girls club at Lusaka Girls School which plays an important role in providing peer-to-peer support for girls facing pressure at home to get married or teenage pregnancy. Issues can then be escalated to teachers or school guidance councillors, who work closely with families and girls to find solutions. One of the ways the club discusses sensitive issues with young girls is through music and poetry.
Faith, the lead singer in the music video, wrote the words to this song. In the weeks running up to getting it professionally recorded, she and her 29 other classmates, stayed behind after school to rehearse and make sure their harmonies were perfected and the words were clearly articulated.
Getting this group of sassy, determined, confident young girls to sing in front of a camera over and over again was no easy task. Often they would forget the camera can see everything, including someone texting their friends to tell them they are starring in a music video. But their sheer determination to make sure the video was perfect was inspiring. Take after take, the girls would have the same, if not more, energy to make sure they all did Faith’s song and its message justice. This was collective action at its best.
These girls want their peers to feel confident enough to say no to child marriage and yes to staying in school. For Faith, everyone, including young girls, families, communities, and the government, has a choice as to whether or not child marriage is still practiced in Zambia: “Life is all about making choices, and it is the right choices that determine who you will really be”. The hope is that this song will remind girls, their families and their country, that young girls have a voice which must be listened to.
With 42 percent of girls married before the age of 18,Zambia has the 15thhighest rate of child marriage in the world, though this could actually be higher due to thelow birth registration ratemaking it difficult to know the exact age of girls.
Poverty, traditional practices, lack of access to education are the main factors stagnating any progress in lowering the numbers of girls marrying young in Zambia.Over 60 percent of the population live below the poverty line, and some families see child marriage as an opportunity to benefit financially from the bride price they receive for their daughter. Young girls themselves can also see marriage as a way of escaping familial poverty, but grass is rarely greener on the other side. Young girls often end up pregnant, and vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
With almost 200 million people aged 15-24, Africa has the youngest population in the world which is both a challenge, but also an opportunity. The fact is, only if we involve young girls and boys in our efforts to end child marriage do we stand a chance of bringing the actual numbers down.
Everyone plays a part in allowing child marriages to continue, but everyone can also do something to make it stop. If there was one message Faith would want you to take from this song, it’s simple, “speak out, speak out” against child marriage. Remember you have a voice.
Maryam Mohsin is a Communications Officer atGirls Not Brides @GirlsNotBrides
Source: UN
On 19 June 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/69/293) proclaimed 19 June of each year the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, in order to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes.
Source: AllAfrica
No more maiden bursaries. That’s the verdict from the Commission for Gender Equality after its investigation into the awarding of 16 bursaries by the uThukela district municipality on condition that the young women recipients remain virgins. “Any funding by an organ of state based on a woman’s sexuality perpetuates patriarchy and inequality in South Africa,” the commission found. The council has until 18 August to report back on how it has implemented the ban on “maiden” bursaries. But it may not be quite as simple — the council indicated that it would take the report on review to court.
Source: Thomson Reuters
MKURANGA, Tanzania - When Hawa Amiri decided to use her land title to ask for a bank loan to start a poultry business, her fellow farmers thought she was wasting her time.
Source: UN Women
This year, we have celebrated three historic firsts for combatting sexual violence in conflict.
Source: Daily News
TO abort or not to abort? That was the question that lingered in Joyce Lazarus’ mind after she discovered that she was pregnant at 16 and about to write her Form Two examinations seven years ago.
Source: The Daily Vox
A Google search of June 16, 1976 will bring up a myriad of black and white pictures of the Soweto Uprising.
Source: The Root
There’s a resurgence of innovation happening across Africa as mobile phones and the internet spread throughout countries like South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. These technologies aren’t only connecting citizens—they’re also serving as a foundation for the continent’s growing tech culture in its most populous countries.
Source: United Nations News Centre
Despite commitments of the international community, inconsistent levels of political will, resourcing, accountability and gender expertise often hinder the full and meaningful inclusion of women in efforts to prevent conflict, the Security Council said today.
Source: allAfrica
What does it means to celebrate Youth Day in 2016, when many young South African women are little more than second-class citizens?
Young women are disproportionately exposed to gender-based violence. Women aged between 15 and 24 are four times as likely to contract HIV than men in the same age group. In 2013 99,000 female school pupils got pregnant and less than a third reentered school.
Source: The Point
A programme entitled "Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment, 2017-2021," was launched recently by the Gambia government and the UN System in the country.
Source: The Point
The dynamism of culture is articulated by the people's perceptions, attitudes and exposure to knowledge.
Source: The Point
Government representatives and experts recently concluded a high level consultation to share experiences on strategies used in the campaign to end Female Genital Mutilation in the Senegalese capital Dakar.
Source: The Herald
Women in film have been challenged to take challenging roles in the sector and contribute to the growth of the industry.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
GENDER-Based Violence (GBV) acts in Kilimanjaro region are said to be fuelled by superstitious beliefs and alcoholism, obstructing efforts by activists towards having an equitable society.
Source: Daily Monitor
The Speaker of Parliament has called for the appointment of more women to senior Cabinet positions.