Source: UN Women
This week, as the United Nations Security Council holds the annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security to discuss protection of women and girls in conflict and women’s leadership in preventing, resolving, and recovering from conflicts, the war in Syria enters its sixth year, contributing to a global refugee crisis. Iraqi forces enter Mosul amidst a dire humanitarian situation, and peace remains uncertain in countries such as South Sudan and Colombia.
Source: African Peacebuilding Network
Africa faces formidable challenges with regard to the relatively few women influencing decisions and policies related to peace and security.
Source: News Deeply Women & Girls Hub
Studies of women’s political participation tend to focus on totting up MPs and cabinet ministers. A pilot investigation into women’s leadership in African governments and legislatures adds two new indicators to look at their influence, not just the numbers.
Source: Nigeria Today
Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that involvement of women in the Federal Government’s financial inclusion programmes could add about 10 to 12 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Source: allAfrica
Johannesburg — IT was an interesting, though provoking media discussion that was called to debate the role of women in the media.
Source: The Huffington Post
‘Sexual harassment, well that’s everywhere!’ says one schoolteacher in the small dusty town of Mbour. I’m in the small West African nation of Senegal researching how women perceive their access to justice for my foundation Project Monma.
Source: The New York Times
Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar, two young Iraqis who escaped sexual slavery by the Islamic State and became advocates for women’s rights, were honored on Thursday with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union’s top human rights award.
Source: The Herald
New findings presented at the HIV Research for Prevention 2016 conference currently underway in Chicago, United States have revealed how social harms such as gender-based violence, especially intimate partner violence have a negative effect on adherence.
Source: Daily News
The University of Botswana Careers Counseling Centre, in collaboration with gender affairs department, recently held a candlelight session to commemorate gender based violence.
Source: allAfrica
Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor is urging Liberian political parties to be gender sensitive in the composition of their leadership structures.
Source: Daily Nation
Employers in Nakuru County will be compelled to have a 50 per cent representation of women in the decision making structures of their firms if the county assembly assents a new Bill.
Source: DW
Activists and the victims of the Darfur genocide are calling on the international community to do more to end the ongoing violence against women and children in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Source: The Zimbabwean
Zimbabwe joined the AU Campaign to end child marriages in mid-2015. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development with support from UNICEF, UNWOMEN, UNFPA, the Child Rights and Women’s Rights Coalitions has been working on a National Action Plan to End Child Marriages and its related communication for development activities.
Source: allAfrica
Luanda — The Secretary of State for Fisheries, Maria Antónia Nelumba, guaranteed on Monday in Luanda that the Angolan government is working for the women's empowerment in maritime and fisheries sectors.
Source: The Guardian
The authors of a new report forecasting that it could take 170 years to eradicate the disparity in pay and employment opportunities for men and women have called for urgent action to close the gender equality gap.
Source: Daily News
East African Community (EAC)'s citizens encountering violent crimes in foreign countries will get support from their country embassies, thanks to EAC Anti-Trafficking in Persons Bill, 2016.
Source: Daily Trust
The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said the Senate is working on the Agricultural Credit Scheme and the Development Bank bill to help provide funds for entrepreneurs.
Source: Daily Observer
The Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) has commissioned a study on violence against women in three of Liberia's 15 counties.
Source: The New Times
Lack of proper records of teenage pregnancy remains a challenge despite efforts to curb the vice by both government and civil society organisations.
Source: The Guardian
Though sexual violence and harassment are rife in Tunisia, it is seen as a beacon on women’s rights. A draft law could bring reality into line with appearance.