Source: CNN
Last month, a delegation of members from the U.S. House of Representatives, which I was honored to lead, met with inspiring women of North Africa who are helping to change the world.
In Cairo, Egypt; Tunis, Tunisia; and Tripoli, Libya, we held discussions with women who are committed to ensuring that women have a seat at the table and are able to succeed in this rapidly changing and strategically important region. It is an uphill climb, but there is no better time than the present.
The women we met were outspoken in their belief that the new governments must be truly democratic, and that longstanding biases against full participation by women in their society must be abolished. These women came from many different backgrounds and viewpoints, yet they are aware that while their moment is now, the obstacles are great.
Nancy Pelosi
Some had participated in the massive Arab Spring demonstrations that challenged decades of autocratic rule. Others had studied in the United States and other countries and then returned to build a future where women's voices are equal to those of men. Some are already serving in government but spoke about a need for more women to serve and to lead in forming new democracies in the Middle East.
One message came through clearly in every discussion: They look to the United States as an essential partner in their efforts to build democratic societies.
Women journalists played a crucial role in the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Women are already deeply involved in rebuilding the political and economic systems of their country. Although just 10 of more than 500 members of the new parliament are women, the signal we received is that Egyptian women are committed to expanding their influence and their ranks, and to ensuring that the constitution under development will fully protect the rights of women in Egypt.
Similarly in Tunisia, Deputy Speaker Mehrezia Labidi pledged to lead the effort for women's rights and secular law in her nation. Women already hold 26% of the seats in the Constituent Assembly, which is responsible for drafting Tunisia's Constitution.
The determination of Tunisian women has been demonstrated outside the legislative chambers as well. In the midst of unrest at the University of Manouba, a young woman watched outraged as a zealot tore down her country's flag, and she then courageously climbed the flagpole to restore the flag to its rightful place, winning the plaudits of her countrymen.
Fundamental to opening opportunities to women in public and private life is expanding their access to education. The young women with whom we met in Tripoli were unanimous in their belief that improving the quality of education for all Libyans is essential to the success of their revolution and the modernization of their country, particularly in light of the utter failure of the nation's secondary schools and universities under Moammar Gadhafi.
What I heard from the women of North Africa was a refrain I have also heard in Iraq and Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East: Women and young people are weary of war. They are fed up with leaders who use ideology, religion and war to distract from the real challenges to peace, prosperity and democracy: a lack of education, a failure to provide jobs and economic opportunity, and the subjugation of women. They employed social media such as Facebook and Twitter to circumvent the repression imposed for decades by autocratic regimes and demonstrated astonishing bravery to liberate their countries from tyranny.
They have succeeded in that first phase: Gadhafi, Mubarak and Tunisia's Zine el Abidine Ben Ali are gone. These young women are under no illusions about the challenges they face. They are deeply committed to building democratic societies, and they are looking to us. We cannot fail them.
Leaders throughout North Africa and the Middle East must honor the role women played in freeing their countries: All their citizens -- including women -- have important contributions to make at this historic moment. That is a lesson it has taken the United States many generations to learn, but it is surely one of the most important pieces of wisdom we can share with developing democracies around the world.
Editor's note: Nancy Pelosi is the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress. From 2007 to 2011, she was the first woman speaker of the House and is also the first woman in American history to lead a major political party in Congress, having served as House Democratic leader from 2003 to 2007. Pelosi has represented California's 8th Congressional District for 25 years.
Source: VibeGhana
Mrs Faustina Boakye, Regional Gender Advisor of World Vision (WV) has said 109,784 cases of domestic violence were recorded in Accra alone within the past ten years.
Source: IRIN News
Twelve HIV-positive women held a fashion show in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on 30 March to highlight the plight of tens of thousands of people with HIV/AIDS, and challenge donors and the authorities to provide adequate treatment.
Source: IRIN News
Under the sweltering sun, women at Jamam refugee camp, in South Sudan's Upper Nile State, dig through the clay of a dried up waterhole in their search for water.
Source: Ahram Online
Family and personal status issues, particularly in relation to women, remain hotly debated with some seeing a move on behalf of Islamists to rescind recently won rights. Over the past year and a half, much debate has taken place regarding Egypt's Family Law. Whereas some, mostly Islamists, have argued that certain articles must be changed or removed, many, women and men, have taken the streets demanding that rights be added, not stripped away.
Ghana colloquium recommends African governments should increase women’s representation in cabinet, parliament and local government to a minimum of 30 per cent.
Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has called on the National Assembly to pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) Bill and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill.
Poll finds wide public support for female employment, but few actually have jobs
ANOTHER woman just died in childbirth. Sentenced to death by pregnancy! One dies every 10 minutes. For each maternal death in the world's most populous black nation, there are at least two dozen survivors, but they suffer from short or long-term disabilities including obstetric fistulae, ruptured uterus and paralysis and other physical damage caused by complications of pregnancy or childbirth.
Kenyans will usher the new political dispensation with the multi layered vote for new political leaders in March 2013.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has stated that investing in woman is a positive venture that can yield great dividends in relation to the country’s development.
She is a renowned international advocate for women and children’s rights and has been a social and political activist for many decades. She is also the president of the Foundation for Community Development (FDC), a not-for-profit organisation she founded in 1994, which gives grants to civil society organisations to strengthen communities, facilitate social and economic justice, and assist in the reconstruction and development of post-war Mozambique.
THE 2012 International Conference on African Women Development opened here on Wednesday with Vice President Joice Mujuru urging African women to take charge of their own destiny in order to improve themselves.
Source: GroundReport
It will be simply splendid! Splendid indeed to have a Nigerian woman become the president of the World Bank. Three frontline nations and economic powerhouse in Africa - South Africa, Angola and of course Nigeria have endorsed her for this important post. Nigeria has even gone further and has managed to get the African Union to stand by her. To buttress how serious the country of her birth is committed to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal, Nigerian diplomatic mission in Washington DC has started lobbying other foreign diplomats to support her.
Source: ThinkAfricaPress
When Kulah Borbor's daughter was 13 years old, she asked her mother if she could join Liberia's secret Sande Society. Most Liberian women are members of the Sande, so her daughter's request was nothing unusual. But Borbor, a gender-based violence officer with the West Point Women for Health and Development Organisation, immediately discouraged her daughter's interest in the Sande.
Source: NewVision
The world parliamentarians ' meeting in Kampala will be dominated by maternal health issues, as African women and health experts push for more commitment to reduce the high pregnancy related deaths.The one week Inter-Parliamentary Union meet opens tomorrow, March 31. Several consultations by different lobby groups over different issues, including one on maternal health have been taking place in Kampala prior to the IPU meet. The health experts during the consultation at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo, said that they are concerned at the stubbornly high numbers of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth or as a result. They said that there is need to change strategy to tackle the issue from all fronts including Parliament and at societal level.
In Cameroon’s Northwest region, citizens, organizations and local officials are taking part in campaigns and speaking out to encourage women to run for office in the legislative and municipal elections anticipated for this year. Though a date has yet to be set for the elections, International Women’s Day this month stirred up excitement for women’s campaigns.
Introduction of free primary education in 2003 enabled a tremendous increase in number of girls attending school. Kenya is on the verge of achieving one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, data released on Saturday by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) reveals.
A decision by Uganda’s president to pardon an Indian man who in 2000 was sentenced to die for the torture murder of his wife has generated fierce criticism from activists who say it sends the wrong message in a country where women’s rights have long been abused.
Sustainable development will not be achieved without the full participation of women. As government officials met in March to prepare for Rio +20, the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, a special dialogue was hosted by UN Women, with the Women’s Major Group – a formal group representing women’s priorities in sustainable development – supported by the Governments of Brazil and Switzerland.