Nigerian Women organize November London conference against child marriage NIGERIAN women in the UK have convened a special conference to debate the debilitating effects of child marriage among African children in response to recent moves by the Senate to approve underage wedlock. In July, the Nigerian senate approved a bill that would recognise child brides as adults and which would legalise marriages to minors. There has been an national and international outrage at the development with … [Read more...]
CANADA is leader in global food security initiatives, celebrate!
ROME — Canada's leadership on food security and nutrition is contributing to the reduction of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in developing countries. The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, participated today in a round table in Rome to discuss global food security and nutrition, and the role of private sector partnerships. "Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food is a priority of Canada's international assistance to developing countries," said … [Read more...]
Women Taking Action: NGOWG MAP – May 2013
NGOWG MAP - May 2013: BiH, Central African Republic, Central African region, DRC, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Yemen; Counter terrorism, WPS The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the May 2013 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council. For May, in which Togo has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on the situations in Bosnia and … [Read more...]
Ethiopia/Somalia refugees stranded in Yemen with ‘deplorable conditions’
IMAGE: Somali refugees wait on Yemen's Red Sea coast for transport to Aden. Photo: UNHCR/R. Nuri April 2013 – Thousands of destitute migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia are stranded in northern Yemen in deplorable conditions, victims of gross physical abuse and severe economic and sexual exploitation, a United Nations humanitarian official warned today, calling for urgent action to address their plight. “The international community urgently needs to work with and support the Governments in the … [Read more...]
Millennium Development Goals by 2015, have Your Say here!
Did you know that diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five in the world. Around 1.5 million deaths each year - nearly one in five – are caused by diarrhea. It kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined. Should access to clean water and sanitation be a priority for world leaders in the next development goals? Have YOUR say? HERE: www.myworld2015.org Millennium Development Goals, an Introduction For many industrialized nations, … [Read more...]
Women of the Middle East: What Changes Does 2013 Hold?
Women Leaders in Seven Arab Countries ... were asked what political, social and economic changes they expect to see in 2013. Most expected to see political infighting, backsliding in women’s status, or an economic downturn in their respective countries. Women in Iraq and Lebanon projected a deterioration in the security situation if the Syrian conflict spills over. Yemeni women said their country’s democratic transition hinges on a successful national dialogue scheduled for March. Two … [Read more...]
YEMEN: Women die as violence impedes antenatal care in Abyan
TAKE ACTION !!! ABYAN, 24 August 2012 (IRIN) - In June, after spending 11 months in a makeshift camp for people displaced by violence, 19-year-old Dawlah Muslih, then seven months pregnant, returned to her home in an area of Yemen where safety was supposed to have improved. It was a move her family would come to regret. Two months ago, the government announced that the militant group Ansar al-Sharia had been routed from the southern Abyan Governorate by a large-scale military offensive. … [Read more...]
Yemen’s Dangerous Hunger Crisis
Yemen’s Dangerous Hunger Crisis The embattled nation is struggling to find food and water while the world focuses on ending President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s violent campaign to keep power, writes Ellen Knickmeyer. In one of the cities at the center of Yemen’s revolution, tanks and soldiers of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’sloyalist forces occupy the main hospital, turning away the civilian sick and wounded, and using the hospital as a vantage point to shell residential neighborhoods at … [Read more...]
Arab States Share Lessons in Improving Maternal Health
Arab States Share Lessons in Improving Maternal Health Morocco Serves as Model in Reducing Maternal Deaths RABAT, Morocco --- While high rates of maternal mortality continue to plague some Arab States, Morocco has made remarkable improvements in maternal health. The country is among a small group of low- and middle-income nations on track to meet Millennium Development Goal 5 – to reduce by three quarters the number of women dying during pregnancy and childbirth by 2015. Morocco’s … [Read more...]
Morocco Forum on Maternal Mortality: Sharing Experience and Sustaining
The Moroccan Ministry of Health hosted an international forum on maternal mortality in Rabat, from 29 June to 1 July. This scientific meeting, opened by Madame Yasmina Baddou, the Minister of Health and the Director of the Arab States Regional Office of the UNFPA, Mr. Hafedh Cheikh, was held to share Morocco’s experience in reducing maternal mortality and to gain expert input into the next phase of Morocco’s health policies. The meeting brought together leaders in research, policy, and … [Read more...]