Women often suffer the most in times of conflict, but they are rarely represented in peace negotiations. In fact, no woman has ever been the lead negotiator in U.N.-sponsored peace talks, a situation the United Nations is now seeking to redress through a unique training programme.
Source: Huffington Post
The good news is that Tanzania, helped by Bloomberg Philanthropies, has launched an innovative program to prevent mothers from dying in child birth. The bad news is that 23 women still die every day from birth-related complications.
Source: uReport
While it is quite encouraging that the elections taking place across Africa this year present an opportunity for a rising tide of women to take political office, a lot is yet to be done to empower many women for such posts.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
WOMEN in rural Tanzania have told the Constitutional Review Commission that the envisaged Constitution should have provisions that protect them from societal cruelty, especially the cruelty that emanates from spouses.
WEST AFRICA: WACSI trains West African elections observers on gender sensitive elections observation
Source: Sierra Express Media
The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) provided 28 members of the West Africa Elections Observation Team (WAWEO) with requisite skills to observe and report on the forthcoming presidential elections in Sierra Leone and Ghana in November and December 2012 respectively. This was achieved through a five day training on Gender-Sensitive Elections Observation, Reporting and Policy Advocacy. The training was organized by WACSI with the support of IBIS West Africa, The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and Women in Peace and Security Network Africa. The training took place at the WACSI Training Centre in Accra from September 24 – 28, 2012.
Source: Daily Observer
Liberian women have re-echoed their call for robust steps to be taken by the government, especially the judiciary, to end sexual and Gender based violence (SGBV) against them.
FAO and its partners are helping women in Burkina Faso to better understand the nutritional value of forest products and to run effective community-based forest enterprises in order to boost their incomes and become self-sufficient.
World Habitat Day occurs on the first Monday of October. This year’s theme – “Changing Cities, Building Opportunities” - provides the occasion to reflect and act on how to make our cities and communities smarter, safer and more sustainable especially for women, youth and children.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has received the African-American Institute's (AAI) African National Achievement Award for Literacy to Support Life Skills. The Liberian leader was one of five honorees to have received an AAI award at a dinner in their honor at New York City's Grand Hyatt Hotel on September 26th.
Source: The Star
THE stalemate surrounding the gender parity rule will only be solved by the Supreme Court, the chairman of the Commission on Administrative Justice Otiende Amollo said at the weekend.
The presidential aspirants of three political parties in the country have pledged their commitment to the cause of women and to involve them in decision-making as being championed by women rights activists if elected into power. The parties are the Progressive People's Party (PPP), People's National Convention (PNC) and Convention People's Party (CPP).
Source: The Star
Centre for Multiparty Democracy programmes officer in charge of gender Sarah Muhoya has told Kilifi women to not to shy away from aiming for higher elective political seats.
Source: RNW
The 'abortion boat' is setting sail for the Arab world for the first time. Dutch organisation Women on Waves is launching a campaign in Morocco this week, in cooperation with local youth group M.A.L.I.
Source: Indepth Africa
Women in the Extreme North Region of Cameroon face a brutal nexus of violence and hunger. As long as women remain under the domination of forms of violence – including the denial of their right to food – they will be non-citizens, says Aîssa Ngatansou Doumara.
Almost every woman has a story to tell of violence and abuse, often at the hands of people that purport to love her.
The Somaliland Non State Actors Forum (SONSAF) fully supports the Somaliland women and Minority groups’ rights to participate in the national democratisation process, multi-party elections and the national decision-making structures. SONSAF proposes and underlines the need for the involvement of all the different national institutions, particularly, the law making bodies and the international community and urges their pro-active support in achieving this goal.
Source: BIZ Community
Funded by FNB and under the banner of Sonke Gender Justice Network, the One Man Can (OMC) Campaign was launched in 2006 and developed to support men and boys to take action to end domestic and sexual violence, prevent HIV and to promote healthy relationships that men and women can enjoy.
Source: The Guardian
Nyamizi, a 73-year-old widow from Sukumaland, Tanzania, was returning home from work one night when she was attacked by a man with a machete. He chopped off her hand and slashed her head, knocking her unconscious.
Source: Moroccan American Center for Policy
The 6th Annual Women's International Film Festival came to a close on September 22nd in the northern Moroccan city of Salé. Twelve films from Europe, America, Asia and Africa competed in the six-day event, organised by Association Bouregreg.
Source: Leadership
Never before have so many of our female pilgrims been detained in, and later deported from, Saudi Arabia because they did not have "mahram". A woman can be allowed to perform the Hajj under the care of a constituted authority, not necessarily a mahram.