Egypt is writing its second constitution in as many years, and the makeup of the 50-person committee has activists worried that gender equality will take a backseat, yet again, with just five female members on board.
Source: The New Vision
The Constitutional petition over maternal deaths is back in court. Over 150 maternal health rights activists, including home-based care providers and community leaders, who lost the petition in the Constitutional Court in 2012, have appealed to the Supreme Court.
Source: VANGUARD
One of the secrets of living to a ripe old age is to prepare for it right from infancy and even while in the uterus during pregnancy.
Global leaders from governments, international organizations and civil society today warned that 28.5 million children in countries affected by conflict are still being denied access to learning – and that they must not be made to wait any longer for an education.
In cities like Rio de Janeiro, where 17 women are raped every day and 89 per cent of people have a cell phone, UN Women is utilizing mobile phone technology to help women identify, report and ultimately prevent violence in urban public spaces.
Source: SouthAfrica.info (Johannesburg)
While South Africa recorded a 0.4% decrease in rapes and a 6.2% decrease in sexual assault in 2012/13, these crimes still remain at an unacceptably high level, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Source: Gender Links (Johannesburg)
Johannesburg — Tomorrow is International Peace Day. The focus this year is peace education pledging, "to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect.
Source: Concord Times (Freetown)
Magistrate Tonia Barnett, presiding at the Freetown Magistrates' court No.2, yesterday issued stern warning to all local media practitioners covering the ongoing alleged rape case involving the former Deputy Minister of Education,
Source: Capital FM (Nairobi)
Nairobi — First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has urged corporations and individuals to support initiatives to establish mobile blood units in the country.
The new head of the U.N. agency promoting women's rights says there is "a definite backlash" against equality for women despite some significant progress, pointing to an upsurge in violence against women and the uphill fight to escape poverty and crack the glass ceiling.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has hailed the Ugandan parliament for enacting laws that criminalize all forms of violence against women and girls.
A poor record on female representation means Zambia lags behind other sub-Saharan African countries. Extravagant electoral campaigns may be to blame.A poor record on female representation means Zambia lags behind other sub-Saharan African countries. Extravagant electoral campaigns may be to blame.
Source: Voice of America (Washington, DC)
Addis Ababa — The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, says Ethiopia has achieved one of the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child mortality by more than two-thirds.
Source: The New Vision
Mulago hospital has only two beds to deliver 80 expectant mothers daily, a shortage that has led to majority of them delivering on the floor, a hospital medical officer has revealed.
In 2010, amid much fanfare, Elena Kagan was nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Kagan would become the fourth-ever female justice, and for the first time in the nation’s history, three female justices would sit on the country’s highest court.
Source: The Hindu
Indian stands by Liberia in its efforts to pursue stability, economic growth and democratic governance, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday.
The 2013 Progress Report on Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed shows that major progress has been made in lowering child mortality in all regions of the world and at all levels of national income. Nonetheless, even bigger gains are needed if the world is to meet Millennium Development Goal 4 – reducing under-5 mortality by two thirds by 2015.
Source: CoastWeek
African women judges have decried the patriarchy system for denying women from being appointed as judges across the continent, urging African countries to work on the system especially when it comes to appointing judges in courts and other justice dispensing units.
Source: UN News Centre
Facilitating access to education for women and girls is vital to lift millions out of poverty and must be a priority for Governments and international organizations, the head of the United Nations entity tasked with advancing gender equality said today.
Failure for Sub-Saharan African countries to work towards achieving Millennium Development Goals on health will impact all other aspects of development including economic growth, Akatsa Bukachi, Director, Eastern Africa Sub-region Support Initiative for the Advancement of women (EASSI) has said.