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The Forum of the Empowerment of Women (FEW) – A Non- Profit
Organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa, which aims to articulate, advance, protect, promote the rights of black lesbian, bisexual and transgender women (LBT) has launched a project, Tech Voices, which uses Facebook as a tool to mobilise. The Tech voices project was launched with seed funding from Women’sNet and is in response to the need to mobilise against hate crimes through educating, raising awareness and feeding to a body of knowledge about the lived experiences of lesbian, bisexual and trans women in South Africa.
Just Published: From Talk to Action: Review of Women, Girls, and Gender Equality in National Stratigic Plans in Southern and Eastern Africa. From Talk to Action highlights that the majority (16 out of 20) of National Stratigic Plans on HIV and AIDS across southern and eastern Africa fail to comprehensively address women, girls, and gender equality. Where National Stratigic Plans on HIV and AIDS do address women and girls, it is in the context of the prevention of vertical transmission services and programmes - National Stratigic Plans on HIV and AIDS fail to identify and respond to the full needs of women and girls.
An inaugural summit on the use of mobile communications to support healthcare opens in Cape Town on Monday. This emerging field is often called "mHealth" and the four-day summit is organized by the mHealth Alliance, founded by the United Nations Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation. It is sponsored by the cellphone industry body serving the world's more than five billion mobile subscribers, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GMSA). For mobile industry leaders like GSMA's Gavin Krugel and Telefonica's Carlos Martínez Miguel, who spoke at a recent pre-conference briefing, the challenge is in finding sustainable business models that can give a return on investment to the mobile industry through mHealth initiatives.
SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) ministers responsible for gender and women's affairs met in Windhoek yesterday to discuss accelerating the implementation of gender mainstreaming and equity instruments as a region. High on the agenda is the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which has so far been ratified by eight member states, including Namibia. Deputy Prime Minister Marco Hausiku, on behalf of President Hifikepunye Pohamba, urged all member states to ratify the protocol for the region to give effect to its collective commitment to promote gender equality and work towards the gender targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
One million people in the Gauteng Province have voluntarily tested for HIV/Aids. UNCUT's Zenaida Martin is among those who went to check their status. One million people in the Gauteng Province have voluntarily tested for HIV/Aids. UNCUT's Zenaida Martin is among those who went to check their status.
The debate on whether to establish a revamped Gender Commission or to merge it with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to form the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission has been quietly raging for a while now. Those opposed to the merger believe the action will water down whatever gains that have been made after many years of struggle. They fear that women issues risk being lost within the bigger framework of the human rights agenda if the two commissions are merged. There is no guarantee that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development will be among the 22 ministries as recommended by the new constitution which means the country might lose the only institution which can audit the implementation of the new constitution from a gender perspective. Speaking recently at the Prime Minister's Roundtable on Gender Equality and Equity, Njeri Kabeberi called on the Government to formulate Affirmative Action Bill that will instead entrench and enhance the mandate of the current Gender Commission.
SENIOR government officials and delegates from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agencies responsible for gender and women's affairs are meeting in Windhoek to consider successes and progress made during 2010/11 in the achievement of gender equity and women empowerment. A 10-year review done in 2005 on the status of gender equity and women's empowerment showed that there is a disparaging representation of 'paper rights' and 'substantive rights' to women. This, the review found, holds implications for economic growth, development and poverty eradication in the region. In fact, there is evidence pointing to the 'feminine face' of poverty while women's status remain relatively low compared to that of their male counterparts. Women and girls are still considered to be more vulnerable to HIV infections than men and boys, while laws, services and resources to address gender-based
For Janu, walking the streets to beg for alms is the only option for survival. After all, she has a two-year-old daughter to feed, and she herself, at 14 years old, is little more than a child.The story of Janu, who lives in the Attappady tribal area in Palakkadu district in the southern Indian state of Kerala, is not an isolated one. In tribal hamlets in the districts of Wayanad, Palakkadu and Kasargod, girls like Janu end up as unwed mothers after falling victim to sexual harassment and exploitation, sometimes by influential men who refuse to acknowledge their responsibilities. Now, these women face shame and starvation. A survey conducted by the Kerala State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Department found 563 unwed mothers in the state. But the Kerala Women’s Commission (KWC) puts the actual number at more than 2,000.
An advisory council is being established to strengthen and coordinate the implementation of the 365 National Plan of Action to end Violence against Women and Children, says Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana. Xingwana said the Advisory Council on Violence against Women and Children, comprising key government departments, civil society organisations and other relevant partners, will ensure that the initiatives are coordinated within a multi-sectoral response to reverse the tide of violence against women and children. She said one of the greatest challenges currently facing South Africa was the scourge of violence against children, calling for people responsible for such crimes to face the full might of the law.
"We have too many children being attacked, raped and killed. The annual SAPS crime statistics indicate increases in cases of attempted murder, murder and sexual offences against children between 2008/09 and 2009/10 financial years. "Attempted murder against children increased from 782 to 1 113 and murder from 843 to 965 and most of the crimes have been committed against children between ages of 15 and 17 years, but we are equally concerned that children between 0 and 10 years are also affected by these crimes," said Xingwan
I listened quite carefully to Ms Njeri Kabebeeri this week during the inaugural Prime Minister's Round Table devoted to Gender Affairs. Like all objective analysts, Njeri was magnanimous enough to point to some of the tremendous progress that has been made by the Government of Kenya in the gender front; singling out for instance, the establishment of the Gender Commission under the NARC government, sometime back in 2005, or thereabout. But Njeri demanded some more, much to the applause from the many gender activists that were in the audience. She especially focussed attention on "the three gender bills", which happily, from the assurance of the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. (Mr) Mutula Kilonzo, are all at an advanced stage, having been agreed by Cabinet and perhaps only awaiting the Parliamentary calendar to unfold. Njeri also demanded the retention of the current Commission for Gender and Development as an independent entity to solely focus on gender matters, in spite of current constitutional proposals to have one, all-embracing Human-Rights-related institution. As we do all know, the chair of the KNCHR - Ms Florence Simbiri-Jaoko does not share the view about the continued separation and some artificial 'friction' therefore exists.
For the first time, the role of the internet on the right to freedom of opinion and expression is being reported at the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council. This signals a clear recognition that the increasing prevalence of the internet in all aspect of our lives is becoming impossible to ignore, and that it is becoming pivotal in the realisation of our fundamental rights and freedoms. At the same session, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against womeni is also presenting her report on violence against women, its causes and consequences. The synchronicity of both reports, especially given the fact that human rights are universal, interdependent and indivisible, calls for a close reading to identify the points of connection that can be built in the effort to recognise, analyse and address violations that affect the recognition, protection and fulfilment of women's human rights.
In Argentina the overwhelming majority of decision-making posts in the most diverse areas are occupied by men, with the exception of the presidency, held by Cristina Fernández. This conclusion was reached by a quantitative study, "Sexo y poder. ¿Quién manda en Argentina?" (Sex and Power: Who Runs Argentina?), presented in Buenos Aires in May by the Latin American Justice and Gender Group (ELA). The academic group developed a Women's Participation Index (WPI) and applied it to thousands of public and decision-making positions in over 4,000 state and private institutions and organisations. For the purposes of the WPI, if five out of 10 decision-making posts are held by women, there is "gender equity"; if four out of 10, their participation is "fair", if three out of 10 it is "poor", if two out of 10, "critical" and one out of 10, "highly critical." If all the posts are held by men, there is "absolute inequality."
TESO North DC Josephine Onunga has lashed out at women in the area for being 'their own worst enemies.' The DC said most mothers make their daughters do lost of house chores at the expense of school work. "The drop out rate of girls in Teso is alarming. Parents, teachers and all stakeholders need to turnaround this trend and bring gender parity in learning institutions instead of favouring only boys," she said. Onunga said women have lost direction and drink too much which lead to embarrassing scenes at home. "Women, we are married to cook for our husbands. No hot porridge and good love for them and we shall be digging our own graves," she said. The DC was speaking at Kiriko Primary School at the weekend during the Amagoro division education day that was also attended by area MP Sospeter Ojaamong and Teso professionals.
16 June 2011 marks the 35th anniversary of the Soweto and related Uprisings of 1976 and the second anniversary of the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency. It is the month in which young people braved all odds to fight for equal and quality education for all. They understood that this education would inevitably lead to social and economic emancipation of all young people in particular and South Africans in general. As such this month belongs to all youth of this country across the wide range of race and of political spectrum. This year’s Youth Month programme takes place within the context of government’s declaration of 2011 as the year of job creation. The NYDA has developed a national programme to commemorate the 35th anniversary of that historic day under the theme “Youth Action for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime.”
Noncedo Pulana lacks many things, but she is certainly not short of confidence as she prepares to stand for election as Khayelitsha ward councillor. She feels her long years as an activist in the sprawling township have prepared her to do a better job.
Khayelitsha is reputed to be the largest township in South Africa. Created in 1985 to accommodate an influx of black labour to Cape Town, in 20 years its population grew beyond 400,000. Seventy percent of residents still live in shacks of wood and corrugated metal; one in three must walk 200 metres or more to the nearest public water point.