Powerful Rural Women in Turkana, Kenya
On a hot weekday morning about 100 people were meeting in a church in Kainuk, Kenya, a remote rural town on the border between the areas of Turkana and Pokot. Suddenly all the children sitting on the porch of the church took off like a startled flock of birds, running at breakneck speed away from the church. When their parents sitting inside the church saw their children in flight, they dashed after them. The meeting dissolved into chaos…
The Impact of Women’s Movements of the Democratic Transition in Chile and Argentina
Alyssa McGary follows the fall of dictatorship and rise of democracy in Chile and Argentina, emphasizing the role of social movements — especially the struggle for women’s suffrage and equal rights.
Challenges to Women’s Full Participation in Cambodian Society
In Cambodia, women make important and tangible contributions to the social, political, and economic development of the country. However, like many other parts of the world, such contributions are largely unacknowledged and are not given adequate attention, and Cambodian women are often under-represented, which leads to their passive participation and insufficient empowerment in the community and society at large.
Accordingly, this article touches upon four key challenges to Cambodian women’s participation in social, political, and economic affairs, including: (1) deep-rooted tradition, cultural stereotypes, and social attitudes; (2) gender-biased media and stereotype of Khmer literature; (3) poverty; and (4) high illiteracy. These challenges indicate the reasons why there is lack of women’s dynamic involvement in all affairs, which hinders the development of democratic governance and peace-building in the nation. Effective recommendations, dealing with the challenges, are highlighted before the article comes to a conclusion.
Climate Change induced Disasters and Gender Dimensions: Perspective Bangladesh
This paper attempts to focus on the theoretical aspect of gender and climate change. In addition, the paper looks into how specific gender characteristics increase women’s vulnerability and how the effects of climate change affect women more severely than men. This paper will, finally, look into policies to face the challenges and mainstream gender perspectives.
Do Women and Girls have Human Rights?
Women’s rights groups are trying to give their cause a lift and work past its token status. Slowed by cultural asymmetry and the bureaucracy of international organizations, the fight continues. Ilkkaracan explores the ins and outs of women’s rights campaigns around the globe.
Putting money where are causes are: Fundraising for women’s groups facing the financial crisis
Few people remain unaffected by the recent economic crises, and small organizations dependent on foundations and fundraising efforts are in a particularly difficult position.
In this timely article, originally published by ON THE ISSUES magazine, Marion Banzhaf offers some welcome advice for women’s organizations in particular.
Trafficking of Women
The international crime of trafficking in women for forced prostitution in BiH has been recognized as such since 1995. However, the first night-clubs with women “dancers” from Eastern Europe have been opened in the early 1990s. At that time, it was not clear whether women were trafficked or had arrived on their own to voluntarily work in prostitution. The trade in so called “sex slaves” was relatively unknown in the region until the mid-1990s. The sex industry was fuelled by the arrival of tens of thousands predominantly male U.N. personnel, after the Peace Agreement was signed in 1995.
BiH has become one of the main destination countries for women mainly from Moldova, Ukraine and Romania. According to information provided by non-govermental organizations (hereinafter NGOs) which specificaly deal with the problem of trafficking in BiH, there are more than 900 brothels spread throughout the country.
Olivera Simic discusses the problems of bringing this to an end.
Unconventional Women and Politics
Molly Mayfield Barbee marks the 88th anniversary of the nineteenth amendment to the US constitution with an appreciation of the central role that women are playing in this year’s presidential race in the US (Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin), as well as the much longer list of women whose unconventional demand for greater political participation brought us to where we are today.
Some recent and positive developments for women’s representation in Europe and Africa are also discussed, and women everywhere are encouraged to build on these successes, continue to collaborate, and practice their political rights.
Women and Politics
Women and Politics Author: Edwin Nebolisa NWAKAEME Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 03/11/2009 Category: Comment Though so many international laws exist that recognizes and gives rights to women to participate in politics like their male counterparts, women’s participation in politics is still very low in Africa. This is basically due to poverty […]
To Drive, or Not to Drive; Not a Question for Saudi Women
The Wahhabi state of Saudi Arabia is the holy gem of Islam and the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. Saudi women must wait for months at a time to do basic communal things, until their husbands, fathers, brothers or uncles are available to drive them around. The Kingdom’s chauffeur system is not a pampering luxury; it systematically defies and denies women from earning equal rights as men, via mobilization and transportation. However, protests and petitions demonstrated and signed by Saudi women, prove they are not giving up their fight to drive. But before this right can be granted, the environment must be ready for it. This essay will explore this misunderstood and confusing Saudi law, by weaving through the reasons of why women cannot drive, personal stories and scenarios on how the ban affects everyday life, and suggest recommendations as to how the Kingdom might consider going about changing its ways.