The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has suspended for further investigation the commanding officers of two of its battalions implicated in mass rapes and other human rights violations in what the United Nations today called “an important signal of the commitment of the Congolese authorities to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”
Hundreds of minority groups in Africa are in dire need of strengthened protections, a United Nations independent expert said today, calling on governments to act urgently to safeguard these vulnerable populations.
Source: Star Africa
A two-day summit of the G8 has concluded in the United Kingdom-UK capital London, on Friday, announcing further £10 million to tackle sexual violence in conflict, and violence against women and girls especially in DR Congo, Somalia.
Source: The Namibia Economist
Twenty five climbers, mainly young people, will embark on a mountain climb in the Brandberg area in support of ending gender-based violence.The initiative is organised by Victims 2 Survivors to raise awareness and find solutions to end acts of violence against women.
Soucre: WNN
In a bid to advance the realization of a 'violence free' society, organizations working to end gender-based violence in Zambia are now turning to social media to help raise awareness and educate the public.
Studies show that gender equality and women's empowerment are critical to the achievement of all development goals.
Glamour's Fashion and Diamond Show was the theme of the fashion show at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) on Thursday combining fashion glamour and diamond to shine in the course again gender-based violence.
Source: The Herald
THE Form Four pupil suspected to have been impregnated by a schoolboy from Phakamani High School who committed suicide this week has been admitted to Plumtree District Hospital after failing to handle the news surrounding her alleged boyfriend's death.
Source: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (Washington, DC)
For Immediate Release Contact: Racine Tucker — The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) welcomes Pres. Barack Obama's newly released budget, but is concerned that funding levels for global HIV/AIDS do not match longtime U.S. political commitments to ending the AIDS epidemic.
Source: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle)
The Global Newborn Health Conference (#Newborn2013) taking place next week in Johannesburg, South Africa is an impressive indication of how far the newborn health agenda has come in the past decade.
Source: The Herald
GOVERNMENT is finalising logistics for scrapping user fees for pregnant women at district level, Health and Child Welfare Minister has said.
Source: Health-e (Cape Town)
A young mother here is enduring a lot of hardship while waiting for the Human Settlement Department to construct housing as part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP).
Source: London (CNN)
"Rape is not a women's issue or a humanitarian issue -- it's a global issue."
Source: The Guardian
In a small house on a hill overlooking Lake Kivu, a young Congolese soldier recounts the crimes he and his comrades committed in Minova a few months ago. "Twenty-five of us gathered together and said we should rape 10 women each, and we did it," he said. "I've raped 53 women. And children of five or six years old.
Source: Sudan Tribune
Women play an important role in creating and sustaining peace, the governor of South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state told a women's conference in Bor on Wednesday.
Source: New Democrat
The G8 foreign ministers have an unusual and disturbing subject on their agenda today when they meet in London: sexual violence against children in war zones.
Source: Irin
Despite the significant role midwives play in Uganda's maternal health programmes, they face numerous challenges, including lack of training, inadequate facilities and poor pay.
Source: Daily Trust
Continued clampdown on commercial sex workers, intravenous drug users (IDUs) and men who have sex with men in the FCT is hampering efforts to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, proponents lament.
Source: The Star
Girls from the rural are exposed to high risks of reproductive health issues compared to their counterparts in the urban. A research carried in most African countries has shown increased school dropouts among the girls in the rural linked to reproductive health issues and consequences of corrupting the sexual integrity.
Soucre: UN Women
Some 40 women from the Sahel met today to underline the crucial contributions women from the region are making to economic recovery, political stability and conflict prevention, and to explore ways to enhance their role in these areas.