Posts Tagged ‘women’

African women face many constraints and discrimination which affect them economically. Though women with economic power tend to make positive choices for their families and communities, too often they are deprived of the opportunity.

This blog post is a response to the post “Invest in women — it pays!”

Women and young girls face harassment while using public transportation in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is common and tolerated, and there is no law to punish the culprits.

Violence against women occurs both at home (within the family) and in the public sphere (rape, robbery, etc.). To best help women, we need to stop treating public and private violence as separate issues.

A new technological platform called Ushahidi could be used to help women in labor experiencing complications all over the world.

Though many believe violence against women to primarily be a problem in other parts of the world, the situation for many women in the U.S. is still problematic.

Indonesia has made great strides against gender based violence, both through setting up crisis centers for women, as well as through trying to work with men and boys.

Violence against women was discussed at a conference held in Rome in November, where many talked about the importance of raising awareness of the issue through the media.

Evidence of egregious police violence against a migrant woman in Greece has influenced a politician to punish the guilty officers.

Although violence against women is a serious problem in Puerto Rico, feminist bloggers have been speaking out against this issue that affects women everywhere.

Despite the alarming frequency of domestic violence in Hungary, existing laws don’t do enough to protect women.

Climate change has far reaching effects, but it particularly impacts women, especially those living in developing nations.

In eight states, it is still legal for insurance companies to deny coverage to women who have been abused, as these women are considered a financial liability.

Many international non-governmental organizations focus on the empowerment and progress of women. Here are some of the most relevant ones.

Many minority women in Canada who face the issue of abuse have to deal not only with the violence itself but with barriers involving race and gender that prevent them from seeking help.

I would like to talk about religion, globalization and violence against women. Insights from my initial research for a doctoral degree in theology reveal a great deal of information on how women are treated.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Brazilian bloggers reignite the debate and campaign to end violence.

Violence against women, as with everything else, begins with how we communicate. Through our language, we have created a culture in which women are seen as weaker, quieter, more submissive, and the lesser of the two sexes.

‘Conversation starters’ answered the questions: “What are some of the best practices in preventing trafficking?” and “How do we protect victims from further abuse and violence?” Below is a brief summary of the thoughts shared at Conversations for a Better World.

November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and through videos, many people and organizations around the world are expressing their need to end the violence as well as the efforts they are undertaking to ensure that women have a safer world to live in.

‘Conversation starters’ answered the question: “Can you share any stories of men and boys mobilizing to stop domestic violence?” Below is a brief summary of the thoughts shared at Conversations for a Better World.

It’s shocking: Between 500,000 to 2 million people, mostly women and children, are trafficked every year according to a UN study on violence against women. What are some of the best practices in preventing trafficking? How do we protect victims from further abuse and violence?

I have dealt with domestic violence and other female issues in my country, Pakistan. There are various trends that perpetuate domestic violence. I have listed some of my conclusions.

Violence against women, above all domestic violence, should be addressed from different perspectives.

Here are links to several documents that offer a snapshot of violence against women from a global perspective as well as prevention guidelines.

Society must change its way of thinking in order to eliminate domestic violence. My experience is that Pakistan has a long way to go in order to fix this problem.

When a woman dies during pregnancy, childbirth or due to complications after delivery, it affects not only the family, but also the whole community. These videos, by different human rights organizations, go beyond statistics to tell us the stories of women and their families as they struggle to understand why it is that so many women are dying during childbirth and what needs to be done to stop this.

Humanitarian activist mothers in Asia are becoming icons for human rights causes worldwide. What does a woman sacrifice for the cause she fights for?

Pregnant women are still giving birth handcuffed and with their feet shackled. In some places, it is a struggle to ensure human rights for pregnant women. What have been some of the steps made to ensure that they are treated humanely and with respect to the life they carry?

If it goes against the religious mandates of a Catholic organization, can unwed pregnant females be fired from work or expelled from school? Bloggers in Philippines discuss this sensitive issue that goes against the rights pregnant women have.

For the 51 million of girls around the world who were married off as children, marriage is risky sexual behavior.

Typically when women make a little money they invest it in their families (up to 90% by some estimates). When coffers wealthy nations run dry, investment in women’s issue is usually one of the first things to go.
That’s because everybody needs clean water but only women can die in childbirth (currently one every minute). So [...]

In these turbulent times of financial crisis, rising food prices, climate change and political instability, it is women and girls who will be disproportionately affected, particularly poor women in poor countries. It is girls who will be removed from school because families can no longer afford to pay for them; it is women who [...]

Although it remains to be seen how effectively they implement it, the G 8 agenda is, quite correctly, focusing on how to mitigate the effects of the crisis on the developing world. But an even tighter focus is called for. It is worrying from all points of view that the current crisis’s effects will fall [...]

At the moment the world loses 15 billion dollars every year in productivity that doesn’t happen because mothers and their newborns are dying – one mother a minute, four million newborns every year. A mother’s death always means deeper poverty and hardship for her family and community. It often means an early death for her [...]

Women and children do bear the brunt of economic hardship during any economic downturn. I witnessed this during the course of  2007 and 2008 when I made several trips to Ghana to photographically document a microfinance operation in Pokuase, a small town approximately one hour outside the capital of Accra. Because poverty in the third [...]

One of the people who helps me understand the impact of the economic crisis on women is Graca Machel, the passionate advocate for women and children and a former Minister of Education and Culture in Mozambique.  She knows what it’s like for African households to go hungry; she understands the struggle of African women to [...]

Investing in Women is a Smart Choice
We echo the words of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the Observance of World Population Day: In the midst of the worst global economic crisis in generations, we must find the most effective ways to continue progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. There is no [...]

Who’s responsible for globalization? Probably a woman called Ug. Ug recognised that the woman in the next cave made better mammoth-skin shoes than she did. She also knew that Mr. Ug threw a pretty hot spear, which meant she had more mammoth skin to work with. So the first trade was made…