March 2013 – As Kenya prepares to go to the polls on Monday, a senior United Nations official has called on authorities to ensure the protection of civilians, especially women and girls, recalling that thousands of cases of rape and other forms of sexual assault were documented during the violence that followed the 2007 elections. “I urge the authorities in Kenya to ensure that civilians of all ethnic and political backgrounds can exercise their right to vote in safety and security, and to … [Read more...]
Scratchylus sings for Mama Africa
February 24, 2013 by
Scratchylus says he wants to reach a particular demographic with Mama Africa. "I'm trying to create awareness among women, get them aware of their royalty," he said in a broad British accent. "They're not been told that, they're been told they are bitches." OnAir.FM | Interview with Scratchylus Dada Mama Africa is among the songs on the latest update of the conversation, made famous by producer Bunny Lee and singer Slim Smith in the early 1970s. Sizzla, Fred Locks and Nerus … [Read more...]
You Did It, Congo Peace is on the White House Agenda
February 8, 2013 by
The Maman Shujaa 'Hero Women' of Congo thank you and everyone who signed their petition calling for a special US presidential envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Your voices have made a difference. As Neema Namadamu toured the US this past fall, heralding a women-led peace movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she had a goal in sight: for her message to reach the White House. Thanks to your signatures on her Change.org petition, Neema's dream has become a … [Read more...]
How ending violence against women and girls became my passion
February 8, 2013 by
A remarkable young man from Tanzania, 24-year-old Mwasapi Kihongosi won the global UNiTE T-shirt design competition in 2011, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in March 2012 and led a Caravan for Change against violence and harmful traditional practices in November 2012. Mwasapi tells us how the plight to end such forms of violence became his passion. “I did not really know just how widespread violence against women and girls is in my country until one morning, approximately one year ago the UN … [Read more...]
World Pulse Joins V-Day !!!
January 31, 2013 by
World Pulse Joins V-Day in calling for the world to rise against gender-based violence. V-Day's Campaign, One Billion Rising began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls. On 14 February 2013, V-Day's 15th Anniversary, activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities and women and men across the world will … [Read more...]
Navi Pillay calls for an end to the violence in Egypt
January 30, 2013 by
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called on all sides in the current unrest in Egypt "to refrain from resorting to violence and to resolve their differences peacefully." More than 50 people are believed to have been killed in Egypt since January 24th, when thousands of Egyptians took to the streets to commemorate the second anniversary of their revolution. Three days later, President Mohammed Morsi declared a state of emergency. Rupert Colville, UN … [Read more...]
Neema Namadamu, Congolese grassroots women leaders
January 24, 2013 by
The Democratic Republic of Congo was recently dubbed 'a never-ending nightmare' by the New York Times, but over 200 Congolese grassroots women leaders---- self-identified as the Maman Shujaa, or 'Hero Women'---- have emerged from the shadows to organize a movement denouncing violence and demanding peace.They have utilized our platform to request a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, and the world is taking notice. As the 20th African Union Summit kicks off this week, with Hero … [Read more...]
Future of Healthcare in Africa
January 22, 2013 by
Improving health outcomes in Africa will require a shift to preventive care and less reliance on international aid, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit A wholesale restructuring of Africa’s healthcare systems will be necessary over the next ten years, including measures to expand access to healthcare, to focus on primary care and prevention, and to manage chronic conditions. These reforms can be achieved by giving local communities more control over their healthcare, by using mobile … [Read more...]
Tanzanian women take matters into their own hands, pooling resources
January 17, 2013 by
“You need to join forces if you want to stand strong,” explains Batuli Massawe, a 46-year-old mushroom farmer who has become a respected entrepreneur due largely to training and solidarity lending in the community of Morogoro, 190 km west of Tanzania’s capital. In a country where agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for a large majority of the population — accounting for more than two-thirds of employment and almost half of Tanzania’s GDP — the the agricultural sector is … [Read more...]
