Full Coverage: Gender

28.12.2007 Patriarchal attitudes towards female literacy are hostile in many traditional societies, including that of Pakistan. Breaking the shackles of tradition, women are now seeking ways to educate themselves and their daughters.

27.12.2007 The story of Anuradha, a medical student, who fought her disability to pursue her dream caught the juryÂ’s attention at CanadaÂ’s first international film festival on disability. Girl Stars, supported by UNICEF, is a series of films that document the stories of young women and girls in India who have changed their lives, and those of others, by going to school.

24.12.2007 The trend towards the increased number of women and agricultural production appears to be linked with a variety of factors, such as male rural out migration, the growing number of women-headed households and the development labour-intensive cash crops, says Govind Kelkar of UNIFEM, South Asia, in her paper presented at a seminar on “Enhancement of Women Farmers’ Role in the Development of Rural Asia” organized by Food and Fertilizer Technology Center in Korea in October 2007.

21.12.2007 Last Friday, Margaret Wanjiru -- a parliamentary candidate in Kenya's Dec. 27 general elections -- was reportedly attacked while campaigning in her Starehe constituency in the capital, Nairobi. While she escaped injury, her supporters are said to have been hurt and her campaign van extensively damaged by stoningÂ…Still, those targeted in this incident were probably luckier than Martha Kibwana.

19.12.2007 In 2004, Bhopal gas tragedy victims, Rasheeda Bee and Champa Devi had received the Goldman Environmental Prize for their struggle for justice. Using the prize money, they set up a trust to recognise similar efforts of people. Mukta Jhodia from eastern Indian state of Orissa is the first woman to win the Chingari Award for Women Against Corporate Crime.

07.12.2007 Women Power Connect president Ranjana Kumari laments that political leadership in India has not taken seriously the recent incidents of violence against women in places like Nandigram and Guwahati. She has suggested a national commission to provide protection to women in conflict situations.

06.12.2007 Deep-rooted social attitudes, practices and stereotyping are hampering progress towards dealing with the spread of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan. A cultural tradition of exchanged marriages known as ‘watta satta’ makes it almost impossible for women to disclose their HIV status.

06.12.2007 The effort has to be made by men to understand not only the trap they set for themselves by defending power structures but also their own vulnerabilities and emotional inadequacies, which they hide under the armour of manhood, says Rahul Roy, filmmaker and author of a book on masculinities titled: A Little Book on Men.

04.12.2007 A series of cultural events and discussions on MASCULINITIES, organised and coordinated by Aakar, are being held from December 3-10 in Indian capital city of New Delhi. Art exhibition, international film festival, theatre performances, literary evening, music concert are some of the highlights of the programme.

04.12.2007 Women in Nepal villages who hitherto remained confined to the four walls of their houses are breaking the shackles and coming out to take up issues that affect them most. It is community radio, which is helping them in their endeavour to spread awareness about their rights.