Full Coverage: Gender

30.09.2005 The so-called "partial birth abortion ban" has been successfully challenged in three state courts, but an appeal from Nebraska could put that issue in front of the newly constituted Supreme Court within months. The new court may also hear a case on a controversial parental notification law.

29.09.2005 Iraqi women's rights--particularly those of dress and movement--are in danger of disappearing, say several of the country's prominent activists.

29.09.2005 This document is intended to describe the funding strategies of the Information Society (IS) that are currently under discussion at the preliminary meetings of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) – Second Phase, which will be held in November 2005 and, from a gender perspective, to tie them into the commitments undertaken through the Goals of the Millennium, the Beijing Action Platform and Funding for Development, among others.This paper has been prepared for the Regional Workshop titled "From Fringe to Center: Gender Equity in Building the Information Society”, called upon by the Steering Committee of WSIS Gender Caucus with the objective of ensuring gender equity and women’s rights integrated into WSIS and its subsequent processes”.

28.09.2005 Ravinder Kaur says in The Indian Express that the government has come out with a slew of measures to improve women’s conditions — a bill against domestic violence, reform of property rights for Hindu women and, most recently, enabling measures for the girl child. All these are welcome and much-needed interventions to improve the lives of women. But the government may also consider leaving family planning to the family.

28.09.2005 Seven years ago, these rural newsletters started off as communication tools for limited use by women self-help groups.Today, these newsletters have emerged as the voice of not just these groups, but also of their villages.

28.09.2005 Accurate information about family planning and reproductive health issues is difficult to come by in Afghanistan--for journalists as well as the general public. A 5-day workshop for radio, TV, and print journalists in Kabul earlier this month aimed to begin to change that.

27.09.2005 Seven years ago, these rural newsletters started off as communication tools for limited use by women self-help groups. Their purpose was to initiate a dialogue between the women, encourage them to share information and also, give them an opportunity to voice their opinion. Today, these newsletters are an effective means for communicating the concerns of the entire village.

26.09.2005 The Uzbek government refuses to acknowledge the achievement of 10 local women nominated for the Nobel Prize under an international campaign to raise awareness of women working for peace around the world and has been accused of persecuting them.

23.09.2005 Women NGOs from across India have organized the largest-every international conference in India that will focus on issues that impact women’s health. More than 800 participants – that includes activists, researchers as well as academicians - are attending the meet from all over the world, including remote regions.

23.09.2005 Pallitathya, an innovative Mobile Help-Line programme via cell phones for underprivileged women in rural Bangladesh beat thirty other entries from all over the Asia-Pacific to win
this year's Gender and Information & Communication Technology (GICT) Award.

22.09.2005 Half the population is barely being used when it comes either to causing terror or preventing it. Ninety-seven per cent of bombers and suicide bombers are male, as are over 90 per cent of those conducting the 'war on terror'. Maybe it is time to consider what women would do, suggests Scilla Elworthy.

22.09.2005 In the past, when the U.S. Senate has tried to enact legislation adding sexual orientation and gender to federal hate crimes laws, House conservatives have put up a roadblock. Last week, the House passed just such a bill, leaving it in the Senate's hands now.

21.09.2005 Asma Jehangir,a Human Rights activist and Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), speaks with Eman Ahmed of the Women's Human Rights Net on strategies of change in the context of women's rights in Pakistan.

20.09.2005 A recent advertisement against ‘eve teasing’, brought out by the Delhi Police in the Hindustan Times, has highlighted the rising need to ensure that women and girls are able to move about safely in the city. It has also highlighted good intentions on the part of media, the police and citizens to address and eliminate the problem. However, the advertisement has evoked several responses, indicating some basic differences of perception in the approach to this problem. Arriving at a common understanding may be a part of the solution in itself.

20.09.2005 Gujarat women who have been affected due to the withholding of funds by the state government have petitioned the government and urged it to release UN funds meant for rehabilitating women affected by the 2001 earthquake. The government had stopped funds to SEWA citing financial irregularities and many other allegations.

19.09.2005 The Bush administration's decision to withhold funding to the United Nations Population Fund for the fourth consecutive year was condemned by Population Action International, who said the move puts domestic politics over global womens' health needs.

19.09.2005 The fourth AGCC Female Youths Forum kicked off in the capital yesterday, under the patronage of Her Highness, Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the UAE General Women's Union.

19.09.2005 This month, grammy-nominated Congolese singer and women's advocate Zap Mama, and the documentary campaign Love, Labour, Loss, will travel the U.S. on a concious-raising tour for obstetric fistula--a health condition that has debilitated over 2 million women--and that the U.N. has called, "one of the top ten stories the world should hear more about."

16.09.2005 Thozhi.com, a new Tamil e-zine (electronic magazine) for women was launched in Chennai.

15.09.2005 Women in the Himalayan state of Uttaranchal in north India occupy a full 45 per cent of seats in its panchayats (rural local bodies), dealing with various issues of local governance.