International Womens Day is March 8th
International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day is marked on the 8th of March every year. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.
Unsafe abortions a main killer of Ghana Women
Abortions are legal in Ghana, but only 4 percent of Ghanaian women know this. As a result, unsafe abortions are widely carried out, making it the major cause of maternal deaths in the country.
This was revealed in a new report released by the New York-based Guttmacher Institute this month. The report brings together data from various studies, including the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey (GMHS), to present what is known about abortion in Ghana.
Banking on African Women
According to the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), women in Africa own about 48 per cent of all enterprises, but they have the hardest time gaining access to finance.
Non-governmental organizations like Shared Interest are not the only ones using guarantees to improve women’s access to credit. The International Labor Organization and the African Development Bank (ADB) have jointly created a $10 Million guarantee scheme called Growth-Oriented Women Entrepreneurs (GOWE), with the ADB and IFC managing the operation. GOWE is intended to help about 400 women entrepreneurs across Africa to secure access to financing by 2011.
Invest in a woman, save a child, save the world
April 19th, 2010
A global movement for maternal and child health could be an answer to fast-tracking the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
This was the view of the UN Deputy Secretary General, Asha-Rose Migiro, saying that fast-tracking could be modelled similar to the movement launched in response to HIV which united countries, civil society, donors and affected people.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General has also called for greater investment to ensure the health and wellbeing of women, stressing that healthy women can lead to better families and societies, and help achieve the globally agreed development targets with a 2015 deadline.
West African Gender Fight Receives UN Boost
February 14th, 2010
Gender equality, respect for women’s rights and the fight against sexual violence in West Africa has received a new weapon in its arsenal with the launch of a United Nations initiative to enhance cooperation among all stakeholders in the region. A Directory of Human Rights and Gender Organisations in West Africa was launched.
The event was organized by United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) in collaboration with the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Dakar, Senegal. The directory intends to map out initiatives and to facilitate information sharing in order to encourage networking on the issue.
UNOWA and UNIFEM will continue to facilitate synergy-driven initiatives such as this directory, and the Working Group on Women, Peace and Security that was established in April 2009.
Uganda Hails Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Bill
January 20th, 2010
Human Rights groups have welcomed Ugandan legislators’ decision to endorse the proposed law banning female genital mutilation. Rights activists who have decried the heinous practice, said the legislators have gone a step further towards protecting the rights of women and young girls.
The bill which seeks to ban the practice of cutting off a clitoris and is reported posing major health risks for girls, prescribes a 10 years prison term or life imprisonment if the victim dies, for the perpetrators.
The bill passed by legislators late Thursday could be amended to include compensation for victims of genital mutilation and protect Uganda’s children aged 15 and below.
