Hundreds of Women, Girls Brutalized By Soldiers in Tigray War
Soldiers came to their homes and demanded to know the whereabouts of their husbands, fathers or brothers, insisting the men were fighters with Tigrayan forces at war with the government of Ethiopia. When the men were nowhere to be found, soldiers attacked wives, daughters and sisters. “They pointed a gun at me and shouted, ‘We […]
ECOWAS Parliament Lists Dangers of Cryptocurrencies, Cautions Against Use
The ECOWAS Parliament has cautioned against the use of cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange and commerce. Rising from a meeting of its joint committee in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso yesterday, the ECOWAS Parliament stated that there is a cause for concern with regards to the risk factors involved. The meeting, which highlighted the prospects of […]
Govt Cancels Independence Celebrations Due to Covid-19 Fears
South Sudan’s Council of Ministers has resolved that there will be no official celebrations for the country’s 10th independence anniversary on Friday over the fear of coronavirus. The council also postponed the arranged swearing-in of the new transitional legislature from Friday to a date yet to be announced. In an extraordinary sitting chaired by President […]
Spain Says Non-Consensual Sex Is Rape, Toughens Sexual Violence Laws
The Spanish government approved a law on Tuesday to define all non-consensual sex as rape, part of a legislative overhaul that toughens penalties for sexual harassment and mandates more support systems for victims. It approved the bill five years after what became known as the ‘wolf-pack’ case, in which five men gang-raped an 18-year old […]
Landmark Gender Equality Forum Concludes With Concrete Commitments, Plan to Advance Parity By 2026
Close to $40 billion was pledged in new investments, as well as ambitious policy and programme commitments from governments, civil society and others, to help fuel a new global five-year action plan to accelerate true gender parity, by 2026. “The Generation Equality Forum marks a positive, historic shift in power and perspective”, said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, […]
Kenyatta Commissions Five New Hospitals in Nairobi
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday night July 6, 2021, commissioned five new hospitals in Nairobi County and directed them to offer 24-hour services to residents. The new health facilities are part of 24 such hospitals being constructed by Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) as part of a broad Government plan to decongest Kenyatta National Hospital, Mama […]
3 Shoe Colours You Should Try Other Than Black
Stylish shoes are a great way to dress up an outfit. Not only do your shoes play an important role in how your outfit comes together, but the colour is also an important player in the overall look. Knowing what colours complement your clothes and go with everything is the first step toward looking coordinated […]
Top Fashion Brands Found Failing On Gender Equality In New Index
Adidas and Gap Inc are among the best performing fashion brands at tackling gender inequality, according to a new index which found that most retailers are failing to support women in their boardrooms and factories. The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA)’s Gender Benchmark showed that nearly two-thirds of the top 35 apparel brands have not publicly backed gender […]
‘Safe Spaces’ Helping Women and Girls In West Darfur Tackle Trauma of Violence and Displacement
About 1,500 women and girls access five UN Population Fund (UNFPA) temporary safe spaces in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, each month, to tackle the trauma of violence and displacement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says in its latest Sudan Situation Report. Sawakin, 35, fled armed clashes that erupted […]
Olympics Organisers To Allow Nursing Mothers To Bring Children To Games
Nursing mothers will be allowed to bring their children to the Tokyo Olympics when necessary, 2020 organisers told Reuters on Wednesday. Organisers have barred family members of athletes from attending the Games due to COVID-19 safety protocols, while foreign spectators are also excluded and domestic crowds will be capped. Some athletes have complained that they […]
Family Planning Saves Lives
A year ago, I met a 26-year-old breastfeeding mother who was a graduate student. She was married with three children; the youngest was just eight months old. She started using oral contraceptives after the return of her menses following the birth, but she hid the pills from her husband. When he discovered them, he forced […]
Gender Equality Makes Democracy Stronger, Says Kamala Harris
Women deprived of freedom of speech or the freedom to vote should fight for their rights and know that the United States stands beside them, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday. Harris told the Generation Equality Forum at a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that gender equality was paramount to strengthening […]
Harnessing the Power of Sport for Generation Equality
On 1 July 2021, leaders in the world of sport came together to make commitments to the Sport for Generation Equality Principles at the landmark Generation Equality Forum in Paris. The Principles embody the vision of equal rights and opportunities for women and girls everywhere that the Beijing Platform for Action laid out 26 years […]
Symptoms of PTSD Everyone Should Know
The concept of PTSD has been with us for centuries but has had many names. It was “shell shock” and “battle fatigue” before it was PTSD and is now known to affect not just military veterans but anyone who has gone through an intense traumatic experience. In fact, about one in 11 people will have […]
Khomas Records 370 Pregnant Pupils in 2020
MORE than 370 schoolgoing girls fell pregnant in the Khomas region during the 2020 academic year. Of that number, 24 girls were in primary school, while 321 were in secondary school, and 26 were from resource schools. These figures were revealed by Khomas regional governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua during her state of the region address on […]