Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic that is a human rights and public health issue as well as a major cause of death and disability. The prevalence of violence transcends boundaries of race, class, culture, social status and religion. UNIFEM estimates that six out of every ten women will experience some form of physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Violations can occur at home, in the workplace or in public. Of rising concern is the systematic use of rape and sexual assault as weapons of armed conflict, terror and intimidation. One of the most common forms of violence against women is intimate partner violence. There are also variations in the types of violence against women which include but are not limited to: human trafficking, dating violence, sexual assault, emotional and verbal abuse, and customary practices such as female genital mutilation and so-called “honor killings” and other forms of femicide. NCRW and its member centers are working along with international partners to raise awareness about efforts to reduce and eliminate the scourge of violence.
Teaser:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama awarded 10 honorees with the International Women of Courage Award yesterday at the State Department.
Editorial:
Honorees included the following:
~ Shukria Asil of Afghanistan for "promoting government responsiveness to the needs of women"
~ Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi of Afghanistan for "integrating women into the government and police force"
~ Androula Henriques of Cyprus for "Fighting human trafficking"
~ Sonia Pierre of the Dominican Republic for "Ending discrimination based on country of origin and the human rights abuses of statelessness"
~ Shadi Sadr of Iran for "Advocating for women's legal rights and an end to execution by stoning"
~ Ann Njogu of Kenya for "Seeking social transformation and at the forefront of reforms in Kenya"
~ Dr. Lee Ae-ran of South Korea for "Promoting human rights in North Korea and aiding the refugee community in the Republic of Korea"
~ Jansila Majeed of Sri Lanka for "Strengthening rights for internally displaced persons"
~ Sister Marie Claude Naddaf of Syria for "working for social services for women"
~ Jestina Mukoko of Zimbabwe for "documenting human rights abuses"
URL:
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=12293
Teaser:
Women are missing in their millions—aborted, killed, neglected to death. In 1990 an Indian economist, Amartya Sen, put the number at 100m; the toll is higher now.
Editorial:
The destruction of baby girls is a product of three forces: the ancient preference for sons; a modern desire for smaller families; and ultrasound scanning and other technologies that identify the sex of a fetus. In societies where four or six children were common, a boy would almost certainly come along eventually; son preference did not need to exist at the expense of daughters. But now couples want two children—or, as in China, are allowed only one—they will sacrifice unborn daughters to their pursuit of a son
URL:
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15606229
Teaser:
In a speech Friday at the UN in New York, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton identified equality for the world’s women and girls as the central challenge that will determine the peace and progress of the 21st century.
Editorial:
The past 15 years, Clinton said in her speech, have included some remarkable advances for women globally – including heightened attention to women’s health and economic issues, particularly in developing countries. Women’s participation in their country’s political life and their election to national parliaments have also increased, she said.
But women also encounter harrowing new challenges in some regions, including a spike in politically motivated sexual violence. Meanwhile, other crimes against women – including what she called “gendercide” and forced childhood marriages – remain dark blots on the world.
Source:
Christian Science Monitor
URL:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0312/Hillary-Clinton-at-UN-Women-s-progress-is-human-progress
Teaser:
The aftershocks of the Port-au-Prince earthquake are hitting especially hard among displaced women, who face an outbreak of sexual violence.
URL:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-09/haitis-rape-crisis/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR3
Teaser:
Too many commanders still don't ask, and too many victims still won't tell, about the levels of violence endured by women in uniform.
URL:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1968110,00.html#ixzz0hVwKtaNv
Teaser:
In Cameroon, as many as 1 in 4 girls are affected by breast ironing, a painful practice considered many to be a normal treatment for early breast development.
URL:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030404489.html
URL:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8546655.stm
Teaser:
Women's rights advanced in 15 of the 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa over the past five years, the democracy watchdog group Freedom House reported Wednesday.
URL:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrmnWKi2EJ8tTeJKtAHt4WGa4BVAD9E79C2G1
Teaser:
Despite a February 15th United Nations review of its human-rights practices, Iran’s government has not curbed its censorship and repression of women’s rights activists.
URL:
http://www.msmagazine.com/winter2010/iran.asp
Teaser:
A proposed law in France would make psychological violence in marriages and among cohabitating couples a criminal offense. The bill's aim is to protect women from the verbal threats and intimidation that often lead to physical violence.
URL:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122362876
