Source: The Herald
WOMEN are pillars of family institution in African societies and play a critical role in social and economic development of their nations, the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe has said. She was speaking at the Musha Mukadzi Zimbabwe Armed Forces Foundation Invitational Golf Dinner in Harare last Friday.
With casualties in the long-running conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) now surpassing every conflict since World War II, U.S. policymakers and advocates are stepping up campaigns to raise awareness and push legislation aimed at encouraging new negotiations, assisting in government reforms, and pressuring the neighbouring countries that have propped up the DRC’s government.
Compared to men, women are frequently disadvantaged in their access to and control over forest resources and in their ability to take advantage of economic opportunities, according to an FAO paper that calls for action on gender disparities in the forestry sector.
Source: Daily News
The Women’s Parliament calls on the presidency and government to promote higher levels of participation of women in government decision-making. The presidency and government are not doing enough to empower women and make them a part of the decision-making process, said the Women’s Parliament in a statement issued on Sunday.
This chapter is from a book “Ending Violence against Women: A Challenge for Development,” the book was written by Francine Pickup with Suzanne Williams and Caroline Sweetman and published by Oxfam GB.
The head of Egypt's National Council for Women Mervat al-Tallawy met Wednesday with members of a new special unit of female police officers formed by the Interior Ministry to combat violence against women.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will launch two new initiatives to increase access to family planning and improve maternal health in some of the most-hard-to-reach areas around the world, including post-conflict and post-disaster countries.
Source: Health-e
Hardly a day goes by without a news story on some violation of women's rights. In recent months, appalling incidents of violence against women and girls, from Delhi to Johannesburg to Cleveland, have sparked public outrage and demands to tackle these horrific abuses.
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.