Seeking a New Life, and Finding Hardship, in the Marketplaces of Ghana ACCRA, Ghana --- Sixteen-year-old Sahada was pulled out of school when her family arranged a marriage for her.But it wasn’t what she wanted. “I wanted to remain in school and learn,” she said through a translator. “My family took me from school and told me it is time to be married.”In spite of her resistance, Sahada was kidnapped into marriage with a man from another village. “In some cultures in the North, when a man … [Read more...]
India: Transforming poor rural women into successful business managers
May 22, 2012 by
Ten years ago Pushpa Devi Maurya joined a self-help group to make ends meet in the village of Chak Padri in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. Today this 35-year-old mother of two manages the bulk milk chilling centre set up by the milk producers’ company near her village. The centre collects milk from 56 villages and supplies on average 2000 litres of milk a day to the state’s milk grid. This project was possible because women’s voices are starting to be heard. The lives of 50,000 … [Read more...]
BOGOTA – Margot Wallström hears stories of sexual violence
May 22, 2012 by
Margot Wallström hears stories from survivors of sexual violence in an IDP community, 100 km from Bogota, Colombia. UN Photo/R. Riveros Colombia must increase its efforts to fight impunity for crimes of sexual violence, a United Nations envoy said today, adding that such efforts should be paired with assistance to survivors and victims.“I understand that the country as a whole wants to look to the future, instead of dwelling on the past, but there can be no lasting peace without security … [Read more...]
New Asia – Pacific report focuses on transgender persons
May 22, 2012 by
Bangkok – A lack of targeted research on transgender persons in Asia and the Pacific is significantly hindering their access to health services and blocking effective responses to HIV, says a groundbreaking study released here today to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. In this region, where long marginalized sexual minorities are already bearing the brunt of the HIV epidemic, transgender persons are among the most socially ostracized, lacking fundamental … [Read more...]
UN Women Executive Director visits France
May 20, 2012 by
UN Women Executive Director visits France to strengthen global partnerships for equality Will highlight women’s economic empowerment, political participation and ending violence against women as catalysts for sustainable growth and development 18th May — Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet will travel to France next week to strengthen global partnerships for gender equality. She will meet with France’s senior political leaders, … [Read more...]
BANGLEDESH: women build better roads
May 20, 2012 by
BANGLEDESH: women build better roads One of the exciting things about training that cuts across divisions is that you get to learn stuff from colleagues with very different experiences of IFAD’s work. The gender training that’s been running this week was an excellent opportunity for this because the sessions I attended involved a lot of group work and discussion, as well as giving guidance and insights on the challenging business of gender mainstreaming. That’s how I learnt that poor … [Read more...]
EGYPT – What Women Want
May 19, 2012 by
EGYPT - What Women Want Since Egyptians consider it to be their first experience in decades, presidential elections constitutes to be the main subject in their discussions, especially after some of the most promising candidates have been banned by the Supreme Elections Committee. Apart from plans to change some laws when the candidates be in power, you can hardly find any presence of women issues on their agenda. Three of the most important candidates, Khayrat Al-Shater (Muslim … [Read more...]
Afghanistan is no longer the worst place in the world to be a mother!
May 15, 2012 by
Afghanistan is no longer the worst place in the world to be a mother, according to a new report by Save the Children. I am at once heartened and shocked by this news. If that respected NGO can show that progress has been made in this country, it must be true, and that is a good thing. But then this means that there is a place where women risk even more to have a child than in Afghanistan. My heart goes out to the women of Niger, the new holders of this soul-wrenching title. Even … [Read more...]
NIGERIA: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
May 14, 2012 by
Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Nigeria Sofoluwe, Abayomi Olumade Ph.D, Dept. of Educational Management University of Ilorin, Nigeria E-mail: aosofoluwe@yahoo.com or aosofoluwe@unilorin.edu.ng Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to examine climate change and sustainable development in Nigeria. This was necessary because, Nigerians are increasingly being confronted with number of challenges which demand urgent attention. These challenges tend to be … [Read more...]
Wangari Maathai Award 2012
May 12, 2012 by
Wangari Maathai Award 2012 Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. The first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. Wangari Maathai obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (1964). She subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1966). She pursued doctoral studies in Germany and the University of Nairobi, obtaining a Ph.D. … [Read more...]
Biologist Bryan Ballif, Langereis & Junior blood type proteins
May 12, 2012 by
You probably know your blood type: A, B, AB or O. You may even know if you’re Rhesus positive or negative. But how about I tell you that in addition to those 2 systems (ABO and Rhesus), one could have as far as 28 other types in his blood? Intriguing, isn’t it? 28 in fact, until a week ago. The number has now grown to 30 with the discovery of 2 new blood types, raising the total, alongside the classics we know to 32 blood types discovered so far. MNS, Lewis, Duffy, Kidd, Kell are the … [Read more...]
(WomanACT) – Toronto debut of Ghosts of Violence, Saturday, May 26, 2012
May 12, 2012 by
GHOSTS of VIOLENCE Ghosts of Violence is a groundbreaking multi-media ballet which brings the issue of domestic violence against women into the spotlight. It is an innovative and inspirational call for awareness, understanding and action. This original ballet brings to life stories inspired by women who have died at the hands of a partner. Through movement, theatre, music and videography, this ballet captures their memory –their struggles, their hopes, their joys and our … [Read more...]
