Source: The News
Last week, Liberia joined the world to celebrate the first International Day to End Obstetric fistula with the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealing that more than 50,000 new cases of fistula develop each year.
Source: Cameroon Tribune
Less privileged rural women and youths in Ngoketungia Division of the North West Region as well as victims of the September 2012 floods in Babessi, the Ndop Women Empowerment Centre and Pa Mati's Mental Health Centre jumped for joy on May 25, 2013 with gifts of hope and encouragement from the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) and its founding President and First Lady of Cameroon, Mrs Chantal Biya.
Source: This Day
The former Vice President for Africa, World Bank, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, has called on governments in Nigeria and other African countries to make more provision for women to occupy political positions. According to her, having more women in power would reduce corruption and increase accountability.
Source: VOA
The end of Moammar Gadhafi's 40-year rule in 2011 was a watershed moment for women, said a new report from Human Rights Watch. Women's rights are at contention as the country begins to draft a new constitution following four decades of dictatorship.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Libyan authorities should seize a historic opportunity to promote and protect women's rights as the country transitions from four decades of dictatorship, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
Source: Times of Zambia
MANY, if not most, readers are familiar with malaria. It is one of those diseases the general populace takes for granted, not least of all because it is a disease of antiquity.
The day is long past when malaria took the light of day out of many Zambians to a point where it is slowly but surely becoming a neglected,
Source: Times of Zambia
IN recent memory, Solwezi has witnessed an influx of people from all over and that has taken a toll of the town's social life.
Call it civilisation but it has been a clash of cultures,ideas and lifestyles revolving around an idea of hope and prospect of getting a job in the mines or doing business with the mine.
Source: IPS
"Our daughters are our only source of wealth. Where else do you expect me to get cows from?" asks 60-year-old Jacob Deng from South Sudan's Jonglei state.
Deng's attitude is a widespread one here as the practice of child marriage is still supported in many South Sudanese communities, where girls are seen as a source of wealth because of the bride price families are paid.
Source: Daily Trust
It is important for women to acquire additional skills aside the basic ones for household chores and those required for their careers or jobs. Such skills include, baking, making soaps, detergents and toiletries, beads, weaving, cosmetology, how to make shea butter, candles, decorations, fashion designing and how to make continental and local delicacies just to mention a few.
Source: allAfrica
Invest and empower other women on the continent. This is the key message that came from former South African first lady and head of the Grace Machel Foundation, Graca Machel. Her inspiring words were delivered during her keynote address at the Women Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) symposium in Cape Town, South Africa - attended by some of the continent's most powerful women.
Source: VOA
Two years since Ivory Coast's post-election violence came to an end, rape remains a problem throughout the country. Though such attacks are now occurring outside the context of armed conflict, they show that the security situation for the country's women remains bleak.
On a recent Saturday morning, Durand Coffi delivered instructions to a moving crew as they cleared furniture out of his ground-floor apartment in Bouake - the second-largest city in Ivory Coast.
Source: New Times
N Secretary General, Ban ki-Moon and World Bank president, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, have hailed Rwanda's commitment to end Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The two officials made the remarks yesterday after holding talks with President Kagame at Village Urugwiro.
It was the first time the heads of both institutions travelled together for a common purpose.
Source: The Namibian
SOME of their names have been forgotten, others didn't live long enough to be named at all and still others cower behind closed doors fearing a society in which gender-based violence is the shame of the victim rather than that of the villain.
As the 122 people raped in the first four months of this year began to fade into the nameless and faceless obscurity of mounting statistics, local activists rallied in mini-skirts to call out the Police Inspector General for ostensibly mitigating rape in favour of the perpetrator and, a mere month ago, discussed the immense task of ending gender-based violence on a mountain top.
Source: Daily Trust
Women play crucial roles in developing the society. They have the responsibility of maintaining a healthy society starting from their roles in nurturing the family unit to their contribution in the various sectors of the country.
The first women panel in the country with the theme, 'Women and social responsibility', organised by Ufuk Dialogue Foundation in collaboration with Daily Trust Newspaper was held in Abuja last Saturday.
Source: Leadership
Aisha Jibrin Dukku was a minister between 2007 and 2010 during the administration of late President Umar Musa Yar'Adua. She was Minister of State for Education and belonged to the inner caucus of the president's family. She became one of the first truly conservative Fulani families to attain this position on her on merit.
Source: Leadership
Women's handbags are contaminated with more bacteria than the average toilet, a new study has revealed.
Tests showed that one in five handbag handles is home to sufficient bacteria to pose a risk to human health.
The research also revealed that the dirtiest item in the average handbag is hand cream – bottles of hand cream were found to carry more bacteria than the average toilet seat.
Source: Leadership
President Goodluck Jonathan's administration is now defined by several influential women around him. These women are not only vocal but are assigned responsibilities and positions of authority that are difficult to overlook.
They not only formulate policies; they insist on pushing them through. A sampler: When the president removed subsidy on petrol on January 1, 2012, most Nigerians blamed it on Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , the minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy.
Source: Daily Trust
Over $10,000 worth of antenatal products were on Tuesday given to more than 500 expectant mothers at the Nyanya Genaral Hospital by Zumunta Association, Washington DC chapter in conjunction with Milestone Medical Outreach also based in the USA.
Source: Times of Zambia
ROTARY Club International (RCI) has pledged to work closely with the Zambian Government in reducing maternal and child mortality rate in the country.
Source: Magharebia
Nineteen-year-old Tunisian feminist "Amina" was arrested in Kairouan on Sunday (May 19th).
Tunisia's prosecutor ordered the arrest of the Femen activist after she tried to take off her clothes opposite Uqba Ibn Nafi Mosque. She was also reportedly seen painting the word "Femen" on a wall near the mosque.