FIRST Lady Christine Kaseba says gender-based violence (GBV) is a human rights issue that calls for economic empowerment of women to be eradicated.
Dr Kaseba said economic empowerment could only be sustainable if women and girls were equipped with knowledge through education.
Source: The Guardian
What happened to the Egyptian women who were gang raped and sexually tortured in Tahrir Square on 25 January 2013? Not much, other than power holders incriminating the victims as being responsible for bringing the assault upon themselves. Consequently, four leading rights organisations – El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence, the Center for New Woman Studies, Nazra for Feminist Studies and the Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Aid – have filed an official complaint on behalf of seven female clients.
Source: The Daily Beast
In a promising step toward the economic empowerment of women in emerging markets, The Coca-Cola Co. and International Finance Corp, on Monday announced a joint initiative that aims to support female entrepreneurship in Eurasia and Africa.The $100 million, three-year project will provide businesswomen within Coca-Cola’s supply chain with access to critical financial backing. In doing so, the initiative will pool the vast resources and networks of two of the world’s largest corporations. Coca-Cola’s beverage distribution system, which supplies more than 200 countries around the globe, has been held up as a model of efficiency and reach by such luminaries as Melinda Gates, who has urged not-for-profits to take a page from the company’s playbook. Meanwhile, the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, leveraged more than $20 billion in private-sector investments last year to foster sustainable growth.
Source: Premium Times
The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said that the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria dropped from 704 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 487 per 100,000 live births in 2011.
Source: Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)
Domestic violence is a major cause of miscarriages, a problem that afflicts millions of women around the world, a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report has said.According to the report, up to 70 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
Source: Lybia Herald
With its ‘Women on the Frontline’ fund, the Netherlands will seek to help women in the Middle East and North Africa organise themselves better. This was announced on Thursday, March 7, by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, ahead of International Women’s Day.
Source: Daily News Egypt
Nehad Abul Qomsan, director of the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, criticised on Saturday the delegation representing Egypt in the 57th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. An Egyptian delegation arrived in New York last week in order to attend the commission’s session. The delegation was led by Pakinam Al-Sharkawi, presidential assistant for political affairs; it included Mervat Al-Tellawi, head of the National Council for Women (NCW), and Fatma Khafagi, the council’s head of complaints office.
Source: Bikya
“I know what it means to lose your house, to be looted. To look a child in the eye and say, ‘If they come for me, you need to run’,” said the newly appointed United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. “I know what it means to give testimony and to investigate the documents.”
Source: New Times
African Development Bank (AfDB) president Donald Kaberuka has said the International Women's Day is a day of celebration and a day of challenge, often rolled into one.
Source: Weekly Trust
The first female House of Representatives Leader, Representative Mulikat Adeola- Akande (PDP, Ogbomosho North, South/Orire), spoke on the plight of women in Nigeria and the way forward. Excerpts:
Source: Sunday Times
An International charity organisation, Action Aid Rwanda, has pledged more commitment towards supporting rural women in fighting hunger, enhancing their economic strength through building their capacities and attainment of gender equality.
Source: Sunday Times
Anglican Bishops and other leaders of the church across the country have promised to use their influence and responsibilities to preach against Gender Based Violence (GBV) as one of the ways they believe their works will contribute towards eradicating the habit.
Source: New Times
Clerics across the country have been challenged to play a major role in promoting gender equality as they are well-positioned to interact frequently with their followers.
Source: Namibian
THE SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, aimed at promoting women's empowerment and eliminating gender-based discrimination through the achievement of gender equity, came into force at the annual meeting of gender ministers in Mozambique earlier this month.
Source: Premium Times
The skills and capabilities women offer various multi-nationals and indigenous companies cannot be over emphasised and should be recognised and nurtured, Accenture, a multinational management, consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, has said.
Source: Think Africa Press
A frail, pale and breathless woman was bleeding profusely during childbirth at the make-shift maternity ward of Primary Health Care (PHC) centre Dogon Dawa in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Source: The Star
KENYA joins the rest of the world today in marking the International Women's Day - a day set aside to celebrate the advancements and achievements made to promote an equal society.
Source: The Star
Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. Since 1975 this day has been commemorated by millions of people across the world. It is a day to take stock of progress made towards equality for women and girls and to celebrate the important role played in our societies by women from all walks of life.
Source: New Times
TODAY, Rwanda joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day. This year's theme, Gender agenda gaining momentum' is one in which this country has reveled in.
Source: World Bank
Despite the steady economic growth in many African countries over the last few years, gains have not always translated into greater gender equality or poverty reduction, the World Bank announced today.