AfriWomen: Positive Participation

Call for Proposals - Strengthening Gender Research to Improve Girls' and Women's Education in Africa / Library / Home - AWID

2011-11-29T08:00:00.001Z

Call for Proposals - Strengthening Gender Research to Improve Girls' and Women's Education in Africa / Library / Home - AWID

The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) announces a call for thesecond round of research proposals from research institutions for its Strengthening Gender Research to Improve Girls' and Women's Education in Africa Initiative.

The initiative, which is supported by the Norwegian Development Corporation (NORAD), promotes girls and women's education through the integration of gender into education policy and practice in sub-Saharan Africa. Grants are awarded to provide support to institutions and research centres working in the areas of gender, education, or policy advocacy. FAWE believes it is imperative to invest in research in Africa asway producing relevant, up-to-date information to buttress advocacy in education policy. Thus, this three-year research initiative aims to work collaboratively with established research institutions to produce pertinentand robust research that can be used to constructively engage government, policy makers and other regional bodies on strategies to advance girls' education in Africa.

Findings from the research will be used to inform FAWE's advocacy work and help redress gender inequities that hamper girls' and women's fulfilment of their right to education and meaningful participation in Africa's social and economic advancement. The initiative has three main objectives:

Objectives:

The first is to support research institutions in conducting research that uses gender as an analytical category in education research. Sub-Saharan Africa has a long history of gender-biased practices that have translated into entrenched gender inequalities in education, the labour market, and the political and social arenas. Research is a vital tool for demonstrating thehigh cost of missed opportunities for African girls and women to policy anddecision makers and for suggesting innovative strategies for redress.
The second is to strengthen the research base in Africa through a mentoring component whereby senior female researchers will groom female graduate students or recent PhDs, in the area gender in education research.Given the limited amount of applied research from a gender perspective anchored in the African context, training mentees to engage in this processwill equip budding researchers with valuable experience on gender research.3. To participate in the strengthening of the study of gender-responsive research methodologies in African Universities through the development of agender-based research methods course, specifically geared towards education. The course will combine gender analysis and innovative rights-based research methodologies in order to strengthen current gender research training at university level. 2

Grants:

FAWE will award five grants ranging from USD 30,000-35,000 for research project to be conducted during the grant period. Research findings will be published in the FAWE Research Series and submitted to referred academic journals for publication. FAWE will also facilitate a dissemination of research findings through conferences and relevant education fora. The lead researcher and one mentee will be expected to attend two to three workshops during the grant period; a planning/induction workshop at the beginning of the grant period In Januaryand a colloquia style forum for presentations of final reports in July 2012.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be female professors or researchers affiliatedwith universities, research institutes, or centres working on the issues ofeducation, gender, and/or development in Africa. Applications from individuals not connected with an institution will not be considered. Research projects can use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method approaches to address issues specific to gender and education at national and regional level. Proposals should not replicate past work on gender, butshould raise new questions and offer innovative strategies.

Application Requirements

All applications for Research Grants must include:

A current curriculum vitae (CV) for principal researcher and mentee (s).
A research proposal (limited to 5 single-spaced pages) that addresses the following: Statement of the research problem - Brief review of relevant research/policy literature - Conceptual/theoretical framework - Description of methodology including proposed data set and criteria for selecting data,and sampling.
Importance of findings to education policy and practice
A proposed budget
A sample publication Application Deadlines and Submission
Applications are accepted in English and French.
Materials must be submitted as a Word or PDF document to pfielding@fawe.org.

Possible Research Themes and Topics: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Emerging technologies and girls' education Higher Education and Gender Gender education and the 21st century labour market Women as entrepreneurs The implication of gender-neutral education policies on girls' education Comparative country performance in eliminating gender gaps Gender empowerment measures and analysis Elements of a Standard Proposal Statement of the Research

Problem/Justification: This section should offer a clear and concise description of the nature and importance of the proposed research, provide a brief background to the research question, and demonstrate a grasp of the research topic and its complexities. Avoid lengthy surveys and focus on thescope of the problem with explicit reference to feasibility and policy relevance.

Literature Review: The review of literature demonstrates familiarity with the major theoretical and empirical work in the field, and an understandingof the current gaps in literature. The review should draw attention to the expected contribution of the proposed research and justify the relevance ofworks cited. Proposals should include a list of references at the end of the proposal.

Conceptual Framework: The section should display a clear statement of the theoretical and conceptual approach(es) that will guide the research. A sound research approach should be introduced by elaborating on specific andconcrete questions for which the proposed research intends to provide answers. Working hypotheses should be falsifiable. This section should be free from jargon.

Research Methodology: This section should elaborate on the research methodsto be employed, their appropriateness and how they answer the research questions. The section should also indicate the type of the information required and the data collection techniques that will be employed. It should explain how the information will be analyzed and interpreted. Sufficient details should be provided on any one technique to be used. For example, ifa survey is to be undertaken, how will the sample be chosen, what is the research design, and what are some of the questions that will be included. If the work involves a case study, or series of case studies, what is the basis for selection of cases, and what are the main questions to be answered

Time Frame: The time frame for the research project will be 6 months, January 2012 -July 2012. Provide a general breakdown of activities to be performed during this period that will enable timely completion of the proposed project. Project must be completed and prepared for presentation by July 2012.

Budget: Research costs must show the following categories of expenditure: research assistants, data collection expenses, administrative costs. FAWE will cover the cost of travel and accommodations for a lead researcher and one mentee to all workshops, seminars and conferences researchers are required to attend.

For further inquiry you could contact: Patience Fielding, email : patience@berkeley.edu Hassana Alidou, email :h.alidou@unesco.org - Tel:Ê +221 33 8492338 (Office) +221 77 2393008 (Cell)

Mobilising At Busan

2011-11-29T07:57:00.001Z

Mobilising at Busan / Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness / Library / Home - AWID

The 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) is taking place in Busan, South Korea from 29 November -1 December 2011. Women's rights organizations and gender equality advocates are mobilizing to transform the existing international development cooperation framework.

Thought Leader » Archbishop Tutu Fellows » To succeed, must Africa fail?

2011-08-10T09:31:00.000+01:00

Thought Leader » Archbishop Tutu Fellows » To succeed, must Africa fail?

from the desk of a notable AfriWoman, Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa, Esq. Founder and Executive Director, Transitional Trade:

To succeed, must Africa fail?

The need for failure as a prelude to success seems to keep coming up all around me, not only in conversations with people who have achieved notoriety for their various career or personal feats, but also in publications such as The Harvard Business Review and some of the 2011 commencement speeches I have watched, such as President Sirleaf Johnson’s speech at Harvard University and Conan O’Brian’s at Dartmouth College...read on

Zambia's Mutinta brings back the African essence to music

2011-07-24T09:30:00.001+01:00

It has been so long since a Zambian music artist impressed me with originality. I was truly pleased when I watched Mutinta's Chungwa video. I see my childhood in the video, I can hear the joys of the carefree spirit that once defined Zambia - warmth first. In a time when there is so much tension leading up to the elections, what better way to spend it than listen to the homely voice that is Mutinta's whilst watching her playful and joyous demeanor in clothes that can only flag up Zambia's chitenge fabric?
Proud of you Mutinta and your production team. Thank you for bringing it home. For this one, you have earned yourself a gold AfriWoman star!

CFP - Gender & Development: Business and Enterprise

2011-07-08T11:06:00.000+01:00

CFP - Link

The March 2012 issue of the international journal Gender & Development, (published for Oxfam GB by
Routledge/Taylor and Francis) will look at Business and Enterprise. There is now growing recognition that
business can – and must - be part of the solution to global poverty and inequality. By enabling poor women and men to obtain decent employment, affordable goods, services and credit, as well as improving incomes through access to markets, businesses – the ‘private sector’ - can contribute to human development. Details are available from the Gender and Development website

Violence against girls in conflict - House of Commons, 21st June 2011

2011-06-22T07:21:00.000+01:00

Yesterday's meeting and briefing for parliamentarians on Violence against girls in conflict at the House of commons left me pining, thirsting and wanting for more discussion and debate. Why is it that there is never enough time for questions and answers at such events? Our meeting was small and intimate so the chance should have been accorded.
Finland's Minister of State (and former presidential candidate) Elisabeth Rehn, the Human Rights researcher and documenter Tahirih Danesh; President/founder of the Global Justice Centre-Janet Benshoof were on the panel of speakers and their reports and recommendations can only be applauded. The discussion was really about Women and Girls in conflict rather than just 'girls'. Unanimously, the panel agrees that women and girls are the worst and most affected group during armed conflicts and civil uprising. With the increasing use of rape as a weapon of war, Daniela Sadj of Westminister University also raised a valid point on the fact that experts often focus on mass rape when talking about women or girls in conflict zones; that the individual survivor (or victim) is lost in the process. My take on this is that maybe future recommendations should consider a dual approach which will include both mass and individual solutions. Also, limited time at the event restricted us from discussing other forms of violence against girls that exist in conflict. On another note, the guests and speakers are brilliant international and national experts who I managed to network with. Great work for me as an individual and also for DEWA Project coming up from this networking.
I learned a lot about UN Resolution section 1325 which I feel I am still a novice to discuss in detail. However, I think it is such a powerful tool that could be used more widely by all countries. It is broken down for easy understanding here. Generally, It is a landmark legal and political framework that acknowledges the importance of the participation of women and the inclusion of gender perspectives in peace negotiations, humanitarian planning, peacekeeping operations, post-conflict peace-building and governance. What stood out most to me from this discussion was the inability for MPs to sit down through the discussion. I felt like they had abandoned their own party and hence missed an opportunity to really look at the issues around women and girls in conflict zones. After all, the UK is a major donor of aid to countries in conflict!
So what do I really think about the whole experience? I worry that because it was so rushed, this could end up being just another talk shop. My recommendation - A workshop with all the panellists and MPs to map out a way forward on how the recommendations should be implemented collectively.
I also dropped in on Charlotte Gage at the Women's Resource Centre to discuss a possible collaboration which will be beneficial to both DEWA Project's client base and Women's Resource Centre. I will tell you more about this soon.
Today's diary - Leeds with OXFAM's Routes to Solidarity Project and the Why Refugee Women Charter team.

World Over Music Concert 25th June! Tickets are on SALE!!

2011-06-20T08:53:00.000+01:00

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

ASSIST’S 5th WORLD OVER CONCERT - Saturday 25th June 2011, 7 pm, Sheffield Anglican Cathedral

On Saturday 25th of June, ASSIST Sheffield are proud to be holding their annual World Over music concert in the Sheffield Anglican Cathedral, bringing the community together to celebrate refugee week and Sheffield’s summer of sanctuary.

Music, spoken word and cuisine from all over the world will make this a night to remember. Our headline act is the 9 piece group Rafiki Jazz, fresh from WOMAD. They are fronted by an electrifying all-Yorkshire quartet including Sheffield’s own Zanzibari Real World recording artist Mim Suleiman.

Our other amazing performers include the Sheffield Samba Band (pink, energetic and fantastic), Anything Goes Orchestra (ukulele based group complete with washboard and double bass), Sanctuary Choir (refugees and friends singing from round the city), Kasra Nia & Friends (top class guitar act with two singers), Boggarts Breakfast (mixed morris dance team), Godson Ogwudire & the U.K.MAMA African Fusion Drumming Group and Kweku of Ghana (roots, reggae & r 'n' b).

In the interval you will have the chance to speak to friends and ASSIST volunteers while you sample foods from around the globe. This will be a perfect night out for people of all ages, and children under 12 have free admission. Tickets for everyone else are £10 (£5 concession). Call 0114 256 5567 or get them in person from the cathedral or the Sheffield Arena box office. You can also buy online at:http://www.arenaticketshop.co.uk/whats-on/world-over-concert/
Please come to support our work but also because it will be a fantastic night! We hope you can join us.

Refugee Week Launch Event - Sheffield

2011-06-14T19:19:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

Please join other friends for the Sheffield launch event of Refugee Week on 20th June 2011. This year counts as the 60th year of the UN Convention for Refugees. The event is being hosted in partnership with Northern Refugee Centre, Rainbow's End charity and MARCO.

Also, this is the week that Summer of Sanctuary - events will be updated on the City of Sanctuary. Don't miss any events

Kindly circulate to your networks.

For any queries, please contact 07865306523

Hope you are all having a fabulous June :-) I know I have not been blogging for a while - I have lots to tell you and I'll be updating the blog shortly. watch this space.

Interviewed by the lovely Rosemary Chileshe and featured on Black Female Authors!

2011-05-05T11:05:00.005+01:00

This month has started off to a good start for me, my work and for our organisation, DEWA Project. on the 1st of May, I was interviewed for 'On the Couch With Rosemary'. I particularly enjoyed the interview because I know Rosemary personally and I am in awe of her work ethic and determination to out-do herself at every chance. It was an honour to learn from her that she too felt blessed by me.
I had my Black Female Authors feature for Different Cultures, One World done in March, pending publication in May. I had actually forgotten about it until I received the email this morning saying the feature was up and running. I hold 'Black Female Authors' in high esteem and I am equally honoured to have been featured.Therefore, many thanks.
So apart from these two things, I will also be turning 33 on 20th May - same day as my best friend Dole. I don't know where the years have gone to but I am quite looking forward to it. I won't be having a party but I will surely be reflecting on the past and using that as a measure for how my future should be shaped. My immediate young brother,Mangaliso Chihana as well as my baby sister Chimwemwe Chihana will be celebrating their birthdays on 21st and 13th May respectively. How quickly they grow! Happy birthday to both of them. My better half closes the month of May with his birthday on 31st May - he doesn't celebrate birthdays though, but I want him to know that I love him to bits and I am so blessed to have him as he turns 40! :-) On all counts I am grateful for all the support and love.

I have to appreciate that the interview and book feature are a good tool for publicity and I hope you will all apply to buy the book. The original batch sold out within weeks and this is a reprint. DEWA Project is selling it privately for £9.99. Place your order by email to dewa@dewaproject.org

Gender and Media Progress Study - Zambia

2011-02-17T21:38:00.000Z

Gender and Media Progress Study - Zambia

Source: Gender Links

Over the past seven years there has been a marginal increase of one percentage point in the proportion of women sources in the news in Zambia from 13% in the 2003 Gender and Media Baseline Study (GMBS) to 14% in the Gender and Media Progress Study (GMPS).

This is five percentage points lower than the regional average of 19%, and lower than the global average in the 2010 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) of 24%. There are however
variations across individual media houses from Hot FM's 24% to Sky FM's 4%.

INVITATION - Live Webcast of the Launch of UN Women (24 February 2011)

2011-02-17T21:23:00.001Z

UN Women will have a live webcast of it's launch on 24th February 2011 and We are all invited! Good opportunity to get first hand verbal communication on the vision. 11.30pm for AfriWomen readers in England! Save the date ...

Please Join Us for Our

LIVE WEBCAST

from United Nations Headquarters in New York

LAUNCH OF UN WOMEN

Thursday 24 February 2011
6:30–8:00 p.m. EST (GMT–5)
www.un.org/webcast

Honouring the Past – Envisioning the Future for Women and Girls

Emcee Christiane Amanpour
and other distinguished speakers and performers

Visit UN Women for more information.

--

Signing off - AfriWoman

Women's Networking Event 19th february 2010 - NOW CANCELLED (17.2.11)

2011-02-09T16:12:00.005Z

Please note that the organisers have cancelled this event. We will give you further details when instructed - updated 17.02.11

Northern Refugee Centre has secured the use of the Conference and

facilities at Northern College (near Barnsley) on 19th of February

from 10 – 4pm.

In order to make use of this resource we believe this is a good opportunity to bring together 50 women asylum-seekers and refugees from around the Yorkshire and Humber region who are active in community organisations. The day will be a combination of speakers and workshops, including

Taking the Refugee Women's Charter to the next stage
Planning a Regional Women’s Conference
International Women’s Day networking
Sustaining Women’s Conversation Clubs

Lunch All refreshments and lunch will be provided free of charge (different diets can be catered for).

Transport As Northern College is 10 miles away from the nearest train station in Barnsley, NRC will be co-ordinating transport to keep costs to a minimum.

Please contact Diem-Tu Tran (diemtu.tran@nrcentre.org.uk) and let her know if you are able to offer transport or would like to arrange to share a taxi from Barnsley Station. Transport by car can only be reimbursed if offering a lift to other women. Transport by pubic transport can be reimbursed (receipt needed).

To book your place, please use the form attached.

Booking form

Name: _______________________________________________________

Organisation: _______________________________________________________

Job title: _______________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________

Telephone __________________________ Fax: ________________________

Specific requirements (e.g. access needs, dietary requirements)

Is there anything else we should know so that you can come?

Places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis on receipt of booking form.

Please return this form to:

Post: Diem-Tu Tran, Northern Refugee Centre, Scotia Works, Leadmill Road,

Sheffield, S1 4SE

Email: diemtu.tran@nrcentre.org.uk

Attached: Flyer + booking form.doc

Women’s Network event AGENDA

10.00   Registration and refreshments

10.15   Workshop – The importance of networking run by DEWA

11.45   Break

12.00  Speaker – Juanita Charles, PCS Union on the effect of the cuts on women in Yorkshire and Humber

12.30  Speaker – Helen Todd, Refugee Council on the work of the BASIS Project nationally and how it links with women’s networking

1.00    Lunch (All food will be vegetarian and/or Halal)

2.00    Speaker – Beatrice Botomani, Bradford Refugee Forum on the successes of the Refugee Women’s     Conference in November and work that has developed as a result

2.30   Workshops - choice of: -

       Supporting women’s conversations clubs -

       Taking the Women’s Charter forward -

       Addressing the cuts: strategies for survival

3.30 Feedback from workshops

4.00     End

Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

Join us at Sheffield WILPF - Our book will be on sale too

2011-02-06T08:46:00.000Z

DEWA Project ladies will be speaking at the forthcoming meeting of Sheffield WILPF on 17th February at the Quaker Meeting House, 7.15pm.
Please note that our book ‘Different Cultures; One World: Women’s Voices from South Yorkshire’ will also be on sale at the event. It will make a good International Women’s Day gift for your loved ones.
See you there!

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Consultative Status with United Nations ECOSOC, UNCTAD and UNESCO; Special Consultative Relations with FAO, ILO and UNICEF

International: Tel: (+41 22) 919 7080. Fax: (+41 22) 919 7081. e-mail: wilpf@iprolink.ch website: http//www.wilpf.int.ch. UK: Tel: 020 7250 1968. email: office@ukwilpf.org.uk. email:www.ukwilpf.org.uk

____________________________________________________________________________________

UK Section (Sheffield Branch)

73 Hutcliffe Wood Road Sheffield S8 0EZ Tel: 0114 235 31127

e-mail:rosalie.huzzard@btinternet.com website: http://sheffieldwilpf.wordpress.com

5 February 2011

Dear Sisters

Our next Branch meeting will be on

Thursday 17 February 2011

at the Quaker Meeting House at 7.15 pm.

Come and hear Ibitisam Al-Farah and Violet Dickenson talk about

DEWA (Development and Empowerment for Women’s Advancement)

Some of us attended the launch of DEWA’s book “Different Cultures One World. Women’s Voices from South Yorkshire” during last autumn’s Off the Shelf Festival. Our speakers will tell us about their continuing project supporting women refugees and asylum seekers in S. Yorkshire, building on the work started by the Northern Refugee Centre Women’s Project.

We hope the book of poems and recipes will be available for sale.

Upcoming events:

· UK WILPF AGM and Seminar: “Are we being heard in Europe? Women’s organisations influencing European politics”. Saturday 19 March. Speakers: Jean Lambert MEP and Heidi Meinzolt Depner. Details and booking form to follow soon. If you’ve not thought of coming to a WILPF event in London, it’s always a great day and a chance to meet WILPF women from all over the country. Trains are now more frequent and faster, making a day trip to London easier.

· Our March meeting will be a social occasion - a “Pancake Party” at Ros Brunt’s home. Book the date: 17 March. Details later.

· As our planned joint meeting on 12 March to mark International Women Day with the National Assembly of Women and Sheffield Fems is off, we may run a street stall and petition - come and discuss it at our next meeting.

In peace

Rosalie Huzzard

Secretary

Equality and Human Rights News January 2011

2011-01-31T12:39:00.002Z

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Equality and Human Rights News

January 2011

Forward to a friend


	Equality Act 2010

	New guidance available on the Public Sector Equality Duty

	The Commission has published new guidance to help public authorities in England and non-devolved bodies in Scotland and Wales prepare for the new equality duty which comes into force on 6 April 2011. The new duty includes age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. The Commission's guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty is the latest in its series of publications that explain the Equality Act 2010. We will also be consulting on a new Code of Practice for Education from 1 February 2011. Read more

Landmark judgment	Homecare	Human trafficking

Court finds hotel owners discriminated against gay couple	Inquiry into homecare of older people	Inquiry into human trafficking in Scotland

A gay couple have won their discrimination claim against the owners of a hotel in a landmark judgment in the Bristol County Court. The case, funded and led by the Commission, will mean people in civil partnerships will have greater protection from discrimination.	The Commission has been gathering evidence to build a picture of human rights and homecare for the over 65s in England. Due to the high volume of responses, the Inquiry's official Call for Evidence stage has now been extended to Friday 4 March 2011.	The Commission has launched an Inquiry to try to identify the nature and extent of human trafficking in Scotland. We are taking a particular interest in policy and practice against human trafficking in Scotland in the areas of asylum, law investigation and enforcement, and services for victims.
Read more	Read more	Read more

Also this month

Assessment of HM Treasury's compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty	Strengthening women's rights: using CEDAW in the UK	Commission's action against the BNP

The Commission will be undertaking a Section 31 Assessment of HM Treasury - a formal Assessment of the extent to which HM Treasury has met its obligations under the public sector equality duties when considering the impact of decisions contained in the Spending Review.	CEDAW - the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women - is an important mechanism for strengthening women's rights in the UK. The Commission has recently published guidance on the Convention.	Following our enforcement action last year relating to potential breach of the Race Relations Act by the BNP, the Commission will continue to monitor any changes to the BNP's constitution to ensure membership is made genuinely accessible.
Read more	Read more	Read more


Public Bodies Bill				Improving equality outcomes through LSPs

The Commission has raised a number of points about the Public Bodies Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. The Bill seeks to provide ministers with the power to abolish, merge or modify the functions, constitution and funding arrangements of a range of public bodies.				The Commission has published new research on the role of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) and Local Area Agreements (LAAs) in promoting equalities. The study, led by Hilary Russell of Liverpool John Moore's European Institute for Urban Affairs, aims to highlight good practice.
Read more				Read more

	Upcoming events


	The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women February, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle. Read more Working Better with the Equality Act: an event for employers and policymakers Tuesday 22 March, Glasgow. For more information email: Scotlandcommunication@equalityhumanrights.com Putting the Equality Duty into practice: legal analysis of the new duty, held jointly with the Scottish Public Law Group Friday 4 February, University of Strathclyde. For more information email: karen.brough@shepwedd.co.uk Independent Living in Scotland Festival Thursday 17 February, Glasgow. For further information email: events@patonprojectservices.co.uk or visit www.ilis.co.uk

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Available fellowships (ILO) - Gender and Non Discrimination Programme of the ILO International Training Centre

2011-01-11T18:20:00.001Z

The Gender and Non Discrimination Programme of the ILO International Training Centre is pleased to inform you that:

100 partial fellowships to attend the 2011 edition of the Gender Campus on-line self-assisted course are available for nationals of qualifying developing countries. See more information in the table below.

The deadline to apply is 21 January 2011.

Cher/e utilisateur/trice du Campus de Genre,

Le Programme des questions de genre et de la non-discrimination du Centre International de Formation de l'OIT vous informe que:

100 bourses partielles pour les cours en ligne du Campus de Genre 2011 en modalité d' auto-apprentissage sont disponibles pour les ressortissant/es des pays en voie de développement éligibles. De plus amples informations sont disponibles dans le tableau ci-dessous.

La date limite pour postuler est le 21 janvier 2011.

Estimad@ Usuari@ del Campus de Género,

El Programa de las cuestiones de género y de lucha contra la discriminacion del Centro Internacional de Formación de la OIT les informa que:

100 becas parciales para participar en el curso en línea del campus de Género en modalidad de auto-aprendizaje están disponibles para l@s ciudadan@s de los paises en via de desarrollo elegibles. Más informaciones están disponibles en el tablón aquí abajo.

La fecha límite para postular es el 21 de enero de 2011.

CODE	TITLE	DATE	LANGUAGE	FLYER	DEADLINE	APPLY NOW
CODE	TITRE	DATE	LANGUE	BROCHURE	DATE LIMITE	INSCRIVEZ-VOUS
CODIGO	TITULO	FECHA	IDIOMA	FOLLETO	FECHA LIMITE	CANDIDENSE AHORA
A974048-A	Gender Campus on-line: Learning Option A (Mainstreaming Gender Equality)	31.01.2011 02-12-2011	English	click here	21 January 2011 for fellowship/no deadline without fellowship	click here
A974048-B	Gender Campus on-line: Learning Option B (Gender, Poverty and Employment)	31.01.2011 02-12-2011	English	click here	21 January 2011 for fellowship/no deadline without fellowship	click here
A974049	Campus de genre: cours de formation modulaire à distance en lecture guidée - auto apprentissage	31.01.2011 02-12-2011	Français	cliquez ici	21 janvier 2011 pour les bourses/ pas de date limite sans bourse	cliquez ici
A974050	Campus de género: curso de formación modular a distancia en modalidad de lectura asistida - auto aprendizaje	31.01.2011 02-12-2011	Español	hagan click aquí	21 de enero de 2011 para las becas/ sin fecha límite sin beca	hagan click aquí

The Team/L'Equipe/El Equipo
Gender and Non Discrimination Programme
Programme des questions de genre et de la non-discrimination
Programa de las cuestiones de género y de lucha contra la discriminación

International Training Centre of the ILO
Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10
10127 Turin - Italy
Tel: +39 011 6936600
Fax: +39 011 6936350
Website: http://gender.itcilo.org

Application forms/Formulaires/Formularios: http://app-gender.itcilo.org

--
Warm regards,

Tchiyiwe Thandiwe Chihana

The neglected epidemic of domestic violence

2010-11-10T10:10:00.004Z

This is a subject that I hold close to my heart. It sickens me to the core when when people cast a blind eye to domestic violence or become complacent. As a child, I lived, breathed and had nightmares of domestic violence. As an adult, I do not live it, but the nightmares refuse to go away - Tchiyiwe (AfriWoman)

The neglected epidemic of domestic violence
Source: AWID

Although domestic violence is under-recognised and under-reported, it is one of the most significant epidemics in the Arab countries today. It is gender violence, manifested essentially as violence against women. This kind of violence occurs in practically all countries in the region and affects families of all backgrounds, religions and social spheres. It affects not only families but societies as a whole.

By Dr Cesar Chelala
Although women in the Arab countries have experienced significant progress in recent times, the idea that women should be subordinate to men in the household and in society still persists. Because men consider themselves the main breadwinners, they think that they have the right to maintain order at home by using violence.
Worldwide, violence is as common a cause of death and disability as cancer among women of reproductive age. It is also a greater cause of ill-health than traffic accidents and malaria put together. Public health experts increasingly consider violence against women a public health issue, one requiring a public health approach.
Various cultural, economic and social factors, including shame and fear of retaliation from their partners, contribute to women’s reluctance to denounce these acts. The lack of effective judicial response to their accusations contributes to their discouragement.
The experience of violence makes women more susceptible to a variety of health problems such as depression and suicide.
The World Organisation Against Torture has expressed its concern regarding the high levels of violence against women worldwide. Although provisions related to domestic violence are included in several national policies and laws, there are difficulties in implementing them. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “nearly half of women who die due to homicide are killed by their current or former husbands or boyfriends”.
Studies carried out in the Arab world show that 70% of violence occurs in big cities, and that in almost 80% of cases those responsible are the heads of families, such as fathers or eldest brothers.
In recent years, there has been some progress regarding this issue. Tunisia, for example, continues to raise the bar for Arab women’s rights in the 21st century. In 1993, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who succeeded Habib Bourguiba as president of the country, improved the Code of Personal Status to give more rights to women. Article 207 in the penal code reducing the penalties for honour crimes was also abolished.
In Lebanon, there are no statistics about domestic violence, a subject that still remains a taboo in Lebanese society. In 2009, however, a photographer and women’s rights activist, Dalia Khamissy has produced, with nine other women, an exhibition of photographs, “Behind the Doors: Through the Eyes of Women Survivors of Violence”, which has served to highlight the problem in the country.
In 2009, the second Arab Regional Conference for Family Protection took place in Jordan. It was held under the patronage of Queen Rania, chairperson of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA). The conference formulated a unified strategy for safeguarding families from domestic violence, with the attendance of family experts and sociologists from the Arab world.
In Morocco, the Union of Women’s Action (UAF) has organised forums to raise public awareness of violence against women, and to lobby local groups to protect victimised women. At the same time, counseling centres have been set up to allow women to talk about their problem and to receive help. In Egypt, where the phenomenon is pervasive in society, Beit Hawa (The House of Eve) has been founded as the first comprehensive women’s shelter in Egypt and the Arab world.
But more work has to be done if this epidemic of violence is going to be controlled. Government and community leaders should spearhead an effort to create a culture of openness and support to eliminate the stigma associated with this situation.
Furthermore, it is necessary not only to enact but also to enforce legislation that criminalises all forms of violence against women, including marital rape. Laws should be followed up with plans for specific national action.
The 2009 report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) stated that women’s lack of social participation “is primarily attributable to the existence of discriminatory laws, failure to implement the non-discriminatory legislation that does exist and a lack of awareness by women of their rights in such matters”.
There cannot be true development in the Arab world without women’s progress and the recognition of their rights. As the last Human Development Report stated: “The rise of Arab women is in fact a prerequisite for an Arab renaissance and causally linked to the fate of the Arab world and its achievement of human development.”
*** Cesar Chelala, MD, PhD, is an international public health consultant and the author of the Pan American Health Organisation publication Violence in the Americas.

UNIFEM/UNWOMEN to launch Gender Justice: Key to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

2010-11-03T17:31:00.000Z

SOURCE
In 2010, UNIFEM’s flagship publication Progress of the World’s Women will focus on women’s access to justice.
In time for the United Nations High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly, UNIFEM is launching Gender Justice: Key to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, an excerpt from the forthcoming full report, which will be launched in December 2010.
With just five years left until the 2015 target date, discrimination and inequality are holding back progress on all of the Goals, which include gender equality and women’s empowerment, reducing hunger and poverty, achieving universal primary education, improving maternal health and combating HIV and AIDS.
The brief outlines four areas where urgent action is needed to accelerate progress on the MDGs and achieve gender justice:

Expanding women-friendly public services
Guaranteeing land and jobs for women
Increasing women’s voice in decision-making
Ending violence against women and girls

From Zambia to New York!

2010-10-01T10:36:00.002+01:00

Camfed have done it again. Girl child education.

Last week, government leaders, corporate CEOs, celebrities and nonprofit directors gathered in New York City for the prestigious annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
Camfed alumni Enita Mashika, a 20-year-old woman from Zambia on her first trip outside her country, also attended with Camfed Directors Ann Cotton and Brooke Hutchinson. A graduate of the 10,000 Women Leadership and Enterprise Programme, designed by Camfed in partnership with Goldman Sachs and the University of Cambridge, Enita went to New York to share her experiences as an entrepreneur and as an advocate for rural young women.
“I think the smallest building here might be the biggest building in Zambia!” she said excitedly from New York. “It’s wonderful to be here and very inspiring to meet women from so many different countries.”
Born in Zambia’s Copperbelt, Enita was one of seven children in a poor family. As a teenager, she lived with her uncle’s family, but he couldn’t afford to pay her school-going costs because he had many other dependents to support. For Enita, dropping out of school seemed inevitable.
Her life changed when she was identified by her community to receive a Camfed secondary school bursary, and she graduated with honours. Now, she’s enroled at the University of Zambia and is working to become a lawyer while continuing to grow her business. “I want to fight for the rights of oppressed children and women in society,” she says.
At CGI, she heard US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak about affordable innovations to help women. She also attended a dinner focussed on investing in girls and women with speakers including Melanne Verveer, US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues.
“I saw that people are really doing their best to invest in women,” she says. “They are really working hard for us, and it inspires me to go home and work even harder, too.”
Learn more about how Camfed and our partners are helping other girls and young women like Enita. Read about the commitments we made at CGI »

Thank you!

Camfed donors are climbing mountains, running marathons and swimming channels to raise money to send girls to school. Read their inspiring stories »

Send a girl back to school

Just £5 buys school materials for a girl in rural Africa for a year. Help her go back to school »

Young Camfed entrepreneurs boost business skills

At a major trade show in Zimbabwe, Camfed alumni-turned-entrepreneurs learned new marketing skills and expanded their customer base. Learn about their innovative businesses »

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UN secures $40 billion in pledges for women’s and children’s health

2010-09-24T00:48:00.000+01:00

Following the MDGs summit, the UN has secured $40 billion in pledges for women’s and children’s health over the next 5 years. I welcome the initiative. However, I have to wonder whether this is not another one of the usual rhetoric. The MDGs have so far been off target in meeting their targets relating to women and children. These have been revisited and the goal posts have been shifted before. 5 years from now the newly launched Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health is expected to deliver on some revised targets (same goals different focus) on the back of this $40bn. According to reports, the initiative "has the potential of saving the lives of more than 16 million women and children, preventing 33 million unwanted pregnancies, protecting 120 millions of children from pneumonia and 88 million children from stunting, advancing the control of deadly diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, and ensuring access for women and children to quality facilities and skilled health workers".

Many people, including myself, will be watching to see these promises being implemented. Since 2001, it doesn't look like we are anywhere close to meeting most of the MDGs. With five years to go, and nearly 10 years since MDGs adoption, the number of people living on less than $1 a day (revised to $1.25 since 2008) is still not close to being halved.

Ph.D. Scholarship Available for Research on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

2010-09-19T19:46:00.002+01:00

Eexciting opportunity for doctoral study focused on child sexual abuse prevention.

Stop It Now! and the Centre for Applied Childhood Studies at the University of Huddersfield (UK) are pleased to announce the Stop It Now! Ph.D. Scholarship for the study of child sexual abuse prevention.

More information and link to the official announcement: http://www.stopitnow.org/latest_news_phd_scholarship

The scholarship includes a full University fee waiver to complete three-years of full-time study and research in the area of child sexual abuse prevention. It is offered by the School of Health and Human Sciences, University of Huddersfield (UK) and the successful applicant will be located within The Centre for Applied Childhood Studies.

Qualified candidates from low and middle income countries are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications are due to the University of Huddersfield by October 11, 2010.

AVAILABLE! Webcast on Child Sexual Abuse in the Caribbean
If you missed last month's webcast, the archive and slides from a three-part webcast by Dr. Adele Jones, Director of the Centre for Childhood Studies at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

This global webcast presented research findings from her 2008-2009 research study on child sexual abuse in the Eastern Caribbean funded by UNICEF. Separate sessions focused on culture, gender, and survivors voices.

Prof. Adele Jones is a Professor of Childhood Studies and directs
the

Prof. Adele Jones, PhD

Center for Childhood Studies where she heads a group of some 30 multi-disciplinary academics and PhD students who are involved in applied childhood research.

Previously at the University of The West Indies, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Prof. Jones has extensive experience as a social work practitioner, researcher and social work educator specialising in the field of children's rights and issues affecting vulnerable children and marginalized childhoods.

We are privileged to be involved in this growing partnership with the University of Huddersfield for the benefit of the global child abuse prevention community.

Sincerely,

Deborah Donovan Rice

Executive Director

SOURCE

UNIFEM Releases Video Series on Gender and the MDGs

2010-09-17T08:51:00.002+01:00

News Source

Date: 16 September 2010

UNIFEM RELEASES VIDEO SERIES ON
GENDER AND THE MDGs

In time for the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals 2010, UNIFEM (part of UN Women), in collaboration with UNTV, has produced a series of five videos highlighting select MDGs from a gender perspective. Introduced by internationally renowned TV journalist Daljit Dhaliwal, all videos are now available for download in English, French, Spanish and Russian (all languages). For DVDs, please contact Jaya Jiwatram, jaya.jiwatram[at]unifem.org.

MDG 1: Cambodia
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
[ en | es | fr | ru ]
Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty is a key focus of the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 by world leaders at the United Nations. Secure employment is critical to overcome poverty, yet worldwide 60 percent of people are working without a formal contract or social security protection. The majority of them are women and too often their labour rights are exploited. But one idea showing promise can be found in the homes of women in Cambodia. We travelled to Phnom Penh to see how the ri! ghts of home-based women workers are being protected, providing the women with a ladder out of severe poverty.

MDG 3: Liberia
Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
[ en | es | fr | ru ]
Liberia — it was a country engulfed in war, its women bearing the brunt of the conflict. While peace finally did come, the legacy of violence against women continues to haunt the country. But Liberia’s women are now taking positions of power and filling roles usuall! y dominated by men. We look now at how women in decision-making positions are helping to pave a new path to their country’s future.
MDG 6: Botswana
Combat HIV/AIDS
[ en | es | fr | ru ]
Botswana, in Southern Africa, reportedly has one of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rates in the world. Especially hard hit are the women in rural areas, who cannot access medical care. While there still is a very long way to go, new methods for delivering services and information to hard-to-reach women is starting to make a difference.
MDG 7: Colombia
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
[ en | es | fr | ru ]
Climate change in parts of the world can lead to an increased struggle to grow food and the displacement of populations. This is the case in Northern Colombia among the indigenous Wayuu people, where desert conditions have been exacerbated in recent years. As in many parts of the world, it is the Wayuu women who feed their families and provide water — and they are struggling to ensure their community’s very survival despite dwindling water resources.
The Missing MDG Target: Violence against Women
[ en | es | fr | ru ]
Tragically, up to three-quarters of women and girls worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. And the effect on the millions of girls and women who are abused is devastating — not just on them personally, but also on their ability to fully participate in the development of their countries. Unless violence against women is curbed, meeting all of the eight Millennium Development Goals will be impossible.

UNIFEM (part of UN Women) is the women's fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women's empowerment and gender equality. Placing the advancement of women's human rights at the centre of all of its efforts, UNIFEM focuses its activities on reducing feminized poverty; ending violence against women; reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls; and achieving gender equality in democratic governance in times of peace as well as war. For more information, visit www.unifem.org. UNIFEM, 304 East 45th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Tel: +1 212 906-6400. Fax: +1 212 906-6705.

Call for papers - CODESRIA: 2010 Gender Symposium - Theme: Gender, Migration and Socioeconomic Development in Africa - Cairo, Egypt, 24-26 November, 2010

2010-09-09T20:55:00.001+01:00

A bit too close, however...

CODESRIA

2010 Gender Symposium

Theme: Gender, Migration and Socioeconomic Development in Africa

Date: 24-26 November, 2010

Venue: Cairo , Egypt

In line with its mandate to promote high-level scientific and academic debates on various aspects of socioeconomic development in Africa, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) hereby announces the 2010 edition of its Gender Symposium which will be held from 24 to 26 November, 2010 in Cairo , Egypt . The Gender Symposium is a forum organised annually by CODESRIA to discuss gender issues and their impacts on the development of the continent. The theme of this year's edition is Gender, Migration and Socioeconomic Development in Africa .

For over a decade, the Council has been involved in promoting the gender dimension of all the studies conducted by its research groups. But in recent times, migration has become an important component of the continent's development process. Migrants contribute substantially to the Gross National Product through their monetary transfers, which exceed official development aid in some countries. They also influence the destinies of their countries in various forms. Moreover, in the context of globalisation, migration and development have become interdependent processes, despite the policies of many countries to control migration flows. Nevertheless, migration is still not integrated into the development plans of most countries; hence, the importance of studying migration in relations to development processes, and revealing its various dimensions.

Specifically, understanding the gender dimension in the process of migration and development is both an essential and urgent exercise. Although migration as a phenomenon is as old as the world and studies on it are not new, researchers only began to interrogate it, especially the gender dimension, in a more systemic way in the mid-80s. But now, female migration has increased substantially at the international level, drawing the attention of not only researchers but also international organisations. According to UN statistics, in 2005, 49.6% of international migrants (about 94.5 million) were women; and with few exceptions (Africa and Asia ), female migrants are in the majority, compared to their male counterparts. Increased demand for female labour in Northern countries, the rapid and radical socioeconomic transformations in developing countries, and the persistence and/or resurgence of conflicts in some regions of the world, particularly Africa , are factors which have contributed to this expansion.

As a result, studies and debates on the relationship between gender and migration are also increasing. Yet, the numerous and complex relationships between these two terms continue to raise questions and concerns among researchers, scholars, civil society organisations, human rights groups, and even politicians. The dominant perception of the concept of gender and migration has long remained trapped in an approach that sees female migrants as 'invisible', 'passive', 'ignorant' and 'unproductive' victims who do not contribute to the development of the economies of their countries of origin or host countries, regardless of their level of education; and hence subjected to various forms of marginalisation, discrimination and maltreatment, the gravest of which is sexual violation

This perspective however began to change with increase in the number of scientific studies on the place and role of female Diasporas in origin and host economies. The 20010 CODESRIA Gender Symposium intends to advance these studies, as it will pay particular attention to the new dynamics caused by the change in the status and profile of female emigration. Participants will also have the opportunity to take a critical look at classical theories and approaches on migration, their objective limits, and the progressive incorporation of gender relations and feminism in understanding the complexity of migration as a global phenomenon.

While studies on the relationship between gender (or rather women) and migration have increased, those addressing the links between gender, migration and development are still scarce, and limited in scope, as they focus more on the 'feminisation of migration', understood as the increase in number (quantitative) of female migrants and more observable in the economically advanced countries which are usually the target destinations of the migrants. Another premise for the focus of the symposium this year is that the concept of development should consider the contribution of female migrants to wealth creation for the socioeconomic development of their host and origin countries. It should also include the development of female migrants as social beings, through a dynamic process that results in growth, advancement, empowerment and progress. Some studies in the last few years have demonstrated that, in terms of employment, the situations are still very unequal between male migrants and female migrants of working age. The unemployment rate for female migrants, though declining, is allegedly generally higher than that of their male counterparts, and we seem to be moving towards a situation where migration increases women's autonomy, economic power and social status.

The relationship between gender, migration and development can also be viewed in terms of the empowerment of women. Some works in the field wonder whether female migration is a ticket to women's empowerment, or another avenue for the violation of the basic rights of women. The complexity of contemporary international migrations is such that the answer is not simple. The predominant perception so far, which the symposium aims to transcend, still remains that which fails to recognise that the profile of female migrants has changed, and that female migration has embraced a number of characteristics that vary according to generations, countries of origin and length of stay in host countries. Understanding the gender dimensions of migration also means focusing on power relations established in the different categories of migrants, between migrants from wealthier social strata and those from poorer social strata.

Issues of social promotion between generations of migrants, autonomy, parity and emancipation will therefore be at the centre of discussions during the 2010 CODESRIA Gender Symposium. Participants are therefore enjoined to consider the different aspects of the issue of gender, migration and development by trying to answer the following questions: How is the gender-based division in the labour market altered by the arrival of female workers of other nationalities?; How do emigrants affect service structures?; What is the relationship between native women and these newcomers as regards the issue of changing 'female roles?; and many other issues outlined above.

Below are the various sub-themes that would be covered by papers presented during the symposium:

• Migration, gender and development: theories and approaches;

• The feminisation of African migrations;

• Female migrations, sexospecific roles and gender equality;

• Women and forced migrations;

• African female migrants and cash transfers;

• Female migration and human trafficking;

• Migration and the reconfiguration of the labour market;

• Migration and the empowerment of African women;

• Migration, gender, culture and religion;

• Female migration and human rights;

• Women, migration and social protection;

• Gender, migration and social integration;

• Migration, gender and citizenship;

• Female Diasporas and relationship with origin and host countries;

• The impact of male emigration on women;

• Female migrants and the public spaces of origin and host countries;

• Organisational networks of female migrants.

The symposium will be held from 24 to 26 November, 2010 in Cairo , Egypt . Interested prospective participants are hereby invited to send abstracts of the papers they intend to present not later than 15 September, 2010. If selected, the full papers developed out of the abstracts must reach CODESRIA not later than 18 October, 2010 for further review prior to final confirmation of selection.

For more information, please contact:

The 2010 Gender Symposium

Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)

BP 3304, CP 18524

Dakar, Senegal

Tel: +221 - 33 825 98 22/23

Fax: +221- 33 824 12 89

E-mail: gender.symposium@codesria.sn

Website: http://www.codesria.org

BRADFORD COMMUNITY: 28th August 2010 - Urgent

2010-08-28T10:04:00.001+01:00

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR THOSE IN BRADFORD ON 28th AUGUST 2010 (FROM VIE LUSANDU HEM:Community Development Coordinator)

Hello,

Please note I will be available all day in case you have any concerns. I am in contact with people who wil be in town at Bradford Cathedral and will update me on anything happening. Please do not hesitate to contact me in case of concerns on your part and/ or reassurance.

Please see important message below -

Today is a significant day for Bradford. We have two groups of protesters coming to our city - THE EDL - English Defence League and the UAF - United Against Facism both between 12 and 4pm. It will be a difficult day for our Police. This is a message that everyone should read so you know what is happening today in terms of demonstrations and the Policing operation with advice on best way to go about of what could be a very dangerous day.

ADVICE FROM OUR MP’s, COUNCILLORS AND FAITH LEADERS:

Firstly, all of Bradfords MPs, councillors, religious leaders and senior figures have urged Bradfordians to stay away from the City Centre today. And if we all do that, we can make today a day that Bradford can be proud of forever. It is better to avoid the EDL altogether rather than join the violent rent-a-mob opposition demonstration. The best way to ignore the demonstration and counter demonstrations is to keep away from the city centre.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION EVENT TODAY:

There will be a Community Celebration event nowhere near the city centre demonstrations. It will be held at Infirmary Fields, Manningham, raising money for the Pakistan floods and the Bradford Burns Unit appeals. Let’s give the media something to photograph that shows that we in Bradford do not agree with the outsiders from the EDL and their insane viewpoint. It is an event which is backed by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Police and will involve all sorts of fun, food, fun fairs, games, entertainment and cultural stalls. It will be a great day out for all the family and a chance to ignore and forgot about the nasty stuff happening in the City Centre.

A MESSAGE FOR THE MUSLIM CITIZENS OF BRADFORD:

In terms of Bradford and our Muslim citizens, this paragraph is a message for you: Bradford Council for Mosques has advised people not to react to racist provocation and to beware of “false rumours” floated by the EDL or others, designed to incite violence. In a direct message to young Muslim people, Ishtiaq Ahmed, a spokesman for Bradford Council for Mosques, said: “This is the month of fasting. It is a month of patience. Don’t react to any provocation. Do not take the law into your own hands and support the police to deal with any act of lawlessness and provocation."

TODAY’S POLICING OPERATION:

In terms of the Policing today, the head of Bradford’s police force has said that anyone who causes trouble during demonstrations in the city this weekend will be brought to justice and severely punished. CCTV coverage in Bradford is the best it had ever been and a full evidence-gathering team is in place. Every piece of legislation will be used to bring people to justice, irrespective of their political persuasion and irrespective of their ethnic background.

In all, officers from 13 forces are being deployed. There will be 1,400 police on duty on the streets, with another 2,000 in reserve. Everyone arriving at the EDL protest will be searched and photographed and any offensive placards and dangerous banners will be confiscated. There will be steel gates blocking the one route from the UAF protest to the EDL’s. According to the police, the UAF will be subjected to similar searches to the EDL, no surprise since the UAF are just as dangerous.

The land which the EDL will be on will be totally surrounded by a 8 ft a special high tech security fence. so largely isolating them from the general public. Any groups of EDL seen wandering around town will immediately be picked up by the police and all pubs in the city centre will be closed.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE:

We CAN and must ignore their provocation

We, as Bradford people CAN show them that we are wise and will not fall for their trap.

So Please.....Let show the world the real Bradford and that is peace.

SPREAD THE WORD. WE WILL BE PEACEFUL, AND THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT.

Keep Calm, Keep Safe, Stay Away and Enjoy the weekend =)

Vie Lusandu
HEM Community Development Coordinator

07757118726
HEM- Holmewood Ethnic Minorities

Holme Wood Activity Centre.

Broadstone Way, BD4.
We should acknowledge differences, we should greet differences, until difference makes no difference anymore."

CFP: Can Feminist Art Save the World, and if so, how?

2010-08-08T21:17:00.000+01:00

Call for Papers: Source Centre for Women's Studies University of York

This carnival is part-festival, part-conference. We seek to bring together artists, activists and academics from many nations to learn from each other, celebrate our creativity, and advance feminist work.

We ask, can feminist art save the world, and if so, how?

We warmly invite you to send in proposals and ideas for performances, academic papers, presentations, exhibitions & workshops. Informal enquiries welcome, and see the 'Info' link above for more details. The deadline for your plans and proposals to reach us is 31st October 2010. Feel free to distribute the CFS and this web site address freely.

are women connected to the Centre for Women's Studies at the University of York as students, alumni

and staff.

ask

The call for submissions is framed in an open way to encourage a broad range of topics, perspectives and

methods of presenting. Surprise us.

can

What is probable? Possible? Almost impossible?

feminist

The event encourages cultural modes that address issues of power and gender in some way. These modes need not be defined as 'feminist', a word which has many specific meanings,

not all of which are liberatory in all circumstances. However, we use the word to attract papers and presentations that engage with women and/or gender in their cultural, social, symbolic, legal, sexual, representational, embodied and/or spiritual meanings via forms of art practices.

art

For the carnival, 'art' includes: community theatre, poetry, music, knitting, blogs, song, writing, dance,

digital fiction, zines, podcasts, comedy, performance, puppetry, frockmaking, weaving, painting, gardening,

cooking, pottery,cartoons, sketching, sculpture, posters, comics, twitter and much more.

change the world

or even a little bit of the world. What kinds of changes are needed now, and how might they vary in different cultures?

and if so, how?

Can feminist art practices affect people in order to make changes?

Are art practices enough in themselves, or does art need to move people

to social action in order to be worthwhile? How does Third Wave Feminism deploy artistic and craft practices as part of its philosophy? What kinds of feminist community art practices are effective, and what does 'effective' mean?

Visit Feminist Cultural Activism for more information

Zambia: Why more women should register to vote

2010-07-22T07:35:00.001+01:00

My brother recently asked me to write an article that would feature in his new mini-magazine targeting a "mainly youthful readership". Hard task as you would imagine. My brother and I have a lot lof things in common, however, hip-hop is simply not one of them. He loves gospel hip-hop and is a street dancer who has a lot of American urban culture influence to his personality. On the other hand, I am an Afro-feminist with a British influence to my social skills. However, we do tend to have a lot of friends in common and agree on a lot of things politically. Writing something for his readership proved a harder task than I had thought. So I settled on targeting our common interest in the motherland, Zambia and our desire to see more women in decision making positions as well as participating in the decision making processes. With the elections around the corner and an on-going voter registration, I contributed the following article:

AfriWomen: Turn Up the Heat and Register to Vote

"There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make the laws and elect law makers"

Susan B. Anthony

Not everyone is called in to politics and not everyone is called in to leadership. However, we all have the ability to dictate the future of our country. Perhaps you have been cocooned in a little corner and did not realise that Zambia goes to elections in 2011. Maybe you knew this and have not bothered to think twice about the elections or what the elections will mean to you afterwards. Maybe, just maybe, you don’t even know that you are eligible to vote at the age of 18 and have therefore not bothered to pay attention to the politics around you. Then again, you may just be someone who doesn’t care about politics because you feel it’s the same old thing – just another day and that nothing will change. On all counts, I don’t blame you. However, from this moment on, if you do not take a stand and decide what role you can play in the voting process, prepare not to complain when the government of the day does not meet your expectations. You have the prerogative to select who runs the country whether by voting or campaigning if not eligible. In the event that your choice of president does not make it, you can still complain without reservation if the incoming government underperforms. Do not take a back seat and wait for fate to turn the tables.
In the political agenda, women are still often excluded from political debate and their issues are seriously neglected. In order to achieve development, gender issues should be addressed. It’s one thing to have a Gender Affairs Minister and another thing to have a functional system that embraces and addresses the challenges that women face. Among many issues, women are the most affected by HIV/AIDS and have the higher unemployment rate of the two sexes in the country. Additionally, women and girl children are homemakers whose efforts often go unappreciated or unnoticed. This does not have to go on. Each and every one of us can do something about it.
Ordinary women still cannot access healthcare facilities and many women don’t get good service when they report cases of rape or other forms of abuse and injustice. Progressive policies have not been implemented and women’s issues are still perceived as a token in party manifestos. Economically, policies should seek to empower women because women’s vulnerability to poverty is firmly linked to the gender division of labour in both paid and unpaid work. So far, none of the political parties have a manifesto prioritising a shift in the economy and balancing the gender scales as required by the Millennium Development Goals. I have also not clearly seen a set out agenda on how more jobs will be created. These are the things that should matter to all of us, whether male or female.
Do you know that as part of the millennium development goals, gender equality is mentioned as a key area to achieve other development goals? Our politicians need to have clear strategies or policies aimed at women and girls which address their issues. Politicians should tell us what they have lined up for women have a duty to commit to the plight of women. That’s why an election is important to all of us. It is not “uncool” to demand what you deserve.
Voter registration is going on at the moment and each of us has a chance to register so that we can vote in the next elections. This will not only enable you to vote but also allow you to have a say on how you want your country to address issues that are relevant to you via casting of your vote. We each have a duty to ourselves and to our families and our country. Let’s do this together. Register to vote and be part of the positive change you want.
Be patriotic, Be Zambian, Above all, Be an AfriWoman!

Kairos mini e-magazine is now available for free download here

Why the G8 should prioritise women's Issues

2010-07-01T10:46:00.003+01:00

I recently participated in a pre-G8 conference with the Northern Social Forum. Obviously, I was on the women's panel and we were tasked with contributing a joint statement to forward on to the G8 Summit in Canada. There were different groups involved and the experience and networking was one of the richest experiences of my life.
Diversity at such forums really pays off. Take for instance the youth of the Global Action from Mozambique and England - now those children were an inspiration. I wish I had participated in global charitable exchange programmes when I was their age. I am sure I would be a better global citizen today. I also had the privilege of engaging with colleagues who had travelled from Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, etc. Who would have known that the revolution in Venezuela was actually started by a woman, and ironically, on a bus (Rosa Parks ring a bell?) when she declined to pay the ever soaring bus fares? The rest of the passengers also revolted and this spread to the rest of the country and as they say, the rest is history. Sadly, although a woman is acknowledged as having triggered the first known act of rebellion against the government, she remains faceless and nameless. I am working on getting further details on her. Whether one agrees with the Venezuela Revolution or not ( I am yet to decide what my position is), one fact remains true - one woman stood up for the greater good of the poor on that day.
Anyway, after the Northern Social Forum Conference, I was asked to make a short written contribution on "Why the G8 is Important to Women". Ever been in a position were you draw a blank because the very essence of what you are meant to write eludes your conviction? I think I actually owe this realisation to the Women's Panel at the conference as I came to this realisation the more I reflected on and processed our discussions. Trust me - I was there the last few days. The reason for this was because I kept feeling that the G8 needed women more than women needed the G8. Therefore, in my heart of hearts, I feel that the question before me was "Why Women are important to the G8" for all the right reasons. I also have to say that several people voiced their concern that the G8 would not even pay attention and that we should not even address them, to start with. Contrary to that opinion, I think silence is only golden in certain circumstances ( and mainly when agreeing to disagree hasn't cut it) but not voicing out global concerns and the need to reform is never going to solve the world's problems. Drum on if you have to and someone will listen. So on this one, I'll pass on the silence and give you my opinion:

Why the G8 is Important to Women

Tchiyiwe Chihana (Northern Social Forum, Barnsley - June 2010)

Ten years post the Beijing Conference on Women of 1995, the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) was formed, with 75 countries being actively involved and a global head count of 38 million taking action. This time, a global movement was formed on the back of a campaign that demands gender equality to be recognised as the central focus in the eradication of poverty.

Fast track five years on to 2010 and still, poverty remains a global issue with the most affected groups including women and children. For me, the very essence that over 1900 organisations and movements across the globe (GCAP) have come together and identified that eradication of poverty can only be done via curtailing of gender imbalances reaffirms the relevance of addressing Women’s Issues at powerful summits such as the G8. In fact, it is even more relevant for the G8 group to make it their business to prioritise gender mainstreaming in programmes and realise that all their efforts at the summit will be futile unless they place women at the very top of their agenda. Failure to do this will only add fuel to the already controversial existence of the group which has so far only looked after its own interests. Also, addressing global problems from this angle would mean the G8 has taken responsibility for global poverty as the effects of global warming, debt; trade policy, etc were initiated by its member countries.

Someone once told me that I can’t fight an enemy that I haven’t identified. In their efforts to highlight global concerns, the G8 nations have failed to identify and summarise their concerns as “Women’s Issues”. Yearly, they sit down to address the same concerns of health, law enforcement, labour, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice, terrorism and trade and have consistently miscarried by not acknowledging that all these issues are in short, women’s and gender issues which in turn are the answer to tackling global poverty. All this while, the “white elephant” in the room has been that of Gender Issues.
So whilst I believe that the G8 is important to women in so far as using them as a beacon for pointing out the real global crises; women are even more important to the G8 in the quest to tackle global concerns. My best advice to the G8 would be to “wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start by tackling women’s issues” in order to maintain the relevance of summits.

Quote of the day

2010-06-04T09:14:00.000+01:00

"Girls who receive an education
are more empowered,
better prepared to protect themselves
against violence, abuse, exploitation,
TRAFFICKING
and less vulnerable to disease"

United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative

New Book: AFRICAN FEMINIST POLITICS OF KNOWLEDGE

2010-06-02T14:31:00.000+01:00

AFRICAN FEMINIST POLITICS OF KNOWLEDGE is a book that aims at exposing the dilemmas and conflicts that feminist researchers and practitioners living and working in the Global South have to deal with on a daily basis. The book attempts to disentangle some of the dilemmas, tensions, challenges and possibilities of feminist research and activism in the minefields of the cultures, practices and expectations of university bureaucracies, donor agencies and North-South collaboration. The authors, living and working in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Mozambique, are all researchers. They theorise from their experiences as persons based in Africa, highlighting the dilemmas and conflicts posed by identities as academics and researchers on the one hand, and dependence on donor funding on the other.

The contributors are activists/academics, and long-time members of the NAI SexGender network.

List of contents:
Introduction: Feminist Politics of Knowledge / Signe Arnfred and Akosua Adomako Ampofo

Chapter 1. One Who has Truth – She has Strength: The Feminist Activist Inside and Outside the Academy inGhana / Akosua Adomako Ampofo
Chapter 2. Connections to Research: The Southern African Network of Higher Education Institutions Challenging Sexual Harassment /Sexual Violence / Jane Bennett
Chapter 3. Reflections of a Feminist Scholar-Activist in Nigeria / Charmaine Pereira
Chapter 4. Advocacy for Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights in Africa: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea / Adetoun Ilumoka
Chapter. 5 Critical Feminism in Mozambique: Situated in the Context of our Experienceas Women,Academics and Activists / Isabel Maria Casimiro and Ximena Andrade
Chapter 6. Disappearing Dodos? Reflections on Women and Academic Freedom Based on Experiences in Ghana and the United States / Nancy Lundgren and Mansah Prah
Chapter 7 Doing Women’s Studies:Problems and Prospects for Researchers and Activists in Nigeria / Nkoli N Ezumah
Chapter 7. Discursive Challenges for African Feminisms / Desiree Lewis

The book can be ordered through various distributors, including amazon.com (check distributors at the NAI website www.nai.uu.se). Through the NAI website it can also be downloaded for free - but then you'll miss the nice cover!

UK FEMINISTA SUMMER SCHOOL 2010

2010-05-25T13:59:00.002+01:00

Dates: Sat 31.07 - Sun 01-Aug-2010
Times: 10:00 to 17:00
Address:
Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre,
17-25 New Inn Yard,
London. EC2A 3EA
Contact person: UK Feminista
Web Site: http://www.ukfeminista.org.uk
Telephone: 07775 855037
Category: UK Feminista Event

Additional Information

We're delighted to announce the first ever UK Feminista Summer School is taking place on Saturday 31st July - Sunday 1st August 2010!

Two whole days of of feminist activist training and inspiration - and absolutely free! Open to all women and men who want to create a more gender equal world. Book today because places are strictly limited!

How to register: Download a registration form and return it to
info@ukfeminista.org.uk

AGENDA

Please note: further sessions and speakers are still being confirmed and a full agenda for the Summer School will be posted here soon!

DAY 1: Saturday 31st July, 10:00-17:00

Speakers confirmed: Zoe Williams, the Guardian; Karin Robinson, Democrats Abroad; Shaista Gohir MBE, Muslim Women's Network UK; Heather Harvey, Amnesty International UK; Denise Marshall, Eaves; Baljit Banga, Newham Asian Women’s Project; Kat Banyard, author of The Equality Illusion & Director of UK Feminista; WOMANKIND Worldwide; Fawcett Society

Workshops: How to run a feminist group; running an effective campaign; fundraising skills
Panel discussions & seminars: The importance of feminist organising; the feminist year ahead; men and masculinity

DAY 2: Sunday 1st August, 10:00-17:00

Speakers confirmed: Kira Cochrane, the Guardian; Hannah Pool, journalist; Michelle Daley, Disability Awareness in Action; Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters; Jess McCabe, the F Word; Joy Millward, Principle; Julia Minnear, Women's Environmental Network; OBJECT; Lynne Parker, Funny Women

Workshops: How to use the media; how to influence local and national politics; creative campaign and direct action; promoting diversity within feminist groups; public speaking skills;
Panel discussions & seminars: Women and the media; Feminist Question Time; Why climate change is a feminist issue

Download the poster for UK Feminista's Summer School

ACCOMMODATION & VENUE DETAILS

For information about how to get to the Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre visit the Amnesty website.

Download a list of hotels and hostels within the vicinity of the venue.

International Feminist Journal of Politics – Call for Editors

2010-05-13T10:22:00.000+01:00

International Feminist Journal of Politics seeks applications from scholars in the fields of feminist and women’s studies, interested in taking up co-editorship roles on the journal from July 1, 2011.
IFjP, which was launched in 1999, publishes original scholarship engaging with topics at the intersections of politics, international relations and women’s studies and is edited by a team of three main co-editors, one of whom is responsible for the institutional home base of the journal, and three sections editors.

The current three main co-editors are Sandra Whitworth (York University, Canada), Catherine Eschle (University of Strathclyde, Scotland) and Teresia Teaiwa (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). In addition, separate editorial responsibilities for the Conversations Section are held by Anna M. Agathangelou (York University, Canada), Heather Turcotte (University of Connecticut, USA), while Juanita Elias (Griffith University, Australia) is editor of the Book Review Section. The 2011 editorial transition involves all members of the editorial team, including the three main co-editors as well as the section editors. The appointments will be decided by an international selection committee composed of the current three co-editors, three Board members and two external appointments.

Filling the three main co-editorship posts is our priority. In this regard, joint applications from teams of three individuals are particularly encouraged. Individuals are welcome to apply but should recognise that the selection committee seeks to make a minimum of three appointments, so if successful they will be appointed simultaneously with two others with whom they must be prepared to carry out editing duties. Historically, IFjP has operated with three main editors who are located at different institutions and on different continents. Further, one of the new co-editors will be expected to take over the institutional base for the journal, currently housed at York University, Canada, with the aid of a financial contribution towards editorial assistance from the publishers Taylor & Francis.

Full team applications - for not only the three editor roles but also the three sections editor positions (two for Conversations, one for Book Reviews) - are also encouraged. If in this initial call the section editorships are not filled, however, a separate call for these positions will be issued at a later date in order to involve the incoming editors in the selection process.

We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented or socially marginalised groups. Moreover, applications for the three main co-editorships are required to have at least one member in/from the Global South.

IFjP publishes four issues per year and its international editorial board features leading feminist scholars from across the world. The articles it publishes focus on the broadest range of feminist topics in international studies. The important editorial qualities we seek are a high level of commitment to collaborative journal work and the best standards of peer reviewed publishing, along with significant achievements in feminist scholarship.

Application packages should include CVs and a statement outlining what individuals would bring to the editing role, particularly in terms of the journal’s international remit. They should also signal any institutional support, including time allowance for journal work and available university resources, with particular attention paid in this regard to the location of the institutional base of the journal. It should be noted, however, that the availability of resources will not be allowed to trump considerations of academic excellence and international representation.

Prospective applicants who wish to have informal discussions with the current co-editors are welcome to contact them by e-mail in the first instance: Sandra Whitworth (sandraw@yorku.casandraw@yorku.ca>); Catherine Eschle (catherine.eschle@strath.ac.uk

catherine.eschle@strath.ac.uk>) and Teresia Teaiwa (Teresia.Teaiwa@vuw.ac.nz<mailto:Teresia.Teaiwa@vuw.ac.nz>).

Applications may be sent at any time and the final deadline is September 1, 2010. All applications should be submitted electronically to International Feminist Journal of Politics, ifjp@yorku.caifjp@yorku.ca>.

Call For Papers: Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts

2010-05-11T13:00:00.001+01:00

Call for Papers
International Conference

Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts
19-21 January 2012

Université Paris-1 Panthéon Sorbonne (Cemaf et Centre d’Histoire du XIXe siècle), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lyon (LARHRA), New York University (Paris)

For decades, colonizing was perceived and analysed as a masculine undertaking. This is probably why historians of colonisation (and decolonisation) – who themselves were mostly men – paid little attention to the study of women, of gender relations, or of how gender identities and sexualities were constructed in colonial contexts.

Women were seen as negligible actors in colonial wars (both during or after the conquest), even though they were important actors within and victims of such conflicts. Moreover, as primary agents of the European “civilising mission”, whose alleged principles were to “educate, cure, moralise and convert”, women – both colonisers and the colonized – took part in the process of national assertion and of colonial domination. Last but not least, the colonial process created – and was constantly reshaped by – tensions as well as new forms of racial or social hierarchies and gender roles. Thus, the “colonial making of gender” proved to be a powerful vector of social transformation, both in metropoles and in colonies, as recent stimulating historical research has demonstrated.

The International conference on “Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts” seeks to assess the current state of historical research on this subject in a longue durée perspective, i.-e. from the late 18th-early 19th centuries to the decolonisations of Asia, Africa, and the South Sea Islands (second half of the 20th century). Participants are welcome to present research focusing on specific colonial contexts, both in terms of time and space. At the same time, studies of women’s experiences or of gender construction through a comparative perspective – between colonies or Empires – is strongly encouraged, as it will allow a better understanding of local versus global situations.

The Conference will also offer a significant opportunity to explore new sources, new approaches and new historiographical trends (notably through the combination of various epistemological tendencies such as micro-history, social history, subaltern studies, post-colonial studies or gender studies), in order to show the vitality of this field of research.

The organisers encourage scholars to submit papers that investigate, within the framework drawn up by the Conference title, relevant aspects of the following : politics and policies, work, religion, education, health, family, mobilities, sexualities, body/bodies, war, slavery, violence, masculinities…
Proposals in French or English (300 words) should be sent by May 31st, 2010, to : christelle.taraud@wanadoo.fr
Please attach a short CV stating your institutional affiliation.

Source: Signe Anfred (Institute for Society and Globalisation Roskilde University)

Graça Machel Scholarships for postgraduate study in South Africa (Women Only)

2010-04-01T15:44:00.001+01:00

Opportunity closing date:Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The key aim of the Graça Machel Scholarship Programme is to help provide the female human resources necessary for economic, social and cultural
development in the southern African region and to develop an educated
and skilled workforce that can benefit the wider community.
Scholarships that target women have long been recognized as an
effective approach in addressing gender equality and eradicating
poverty. By providing opportunities to study at postgraduate level,
these scholarships aim to empower women and to equip them to take up
leadership positions in order to have a direct impact in the
communities, nations and region in which they live. Following in the
footsteps of Graça Machel, these female scholars will be positive role
models for other women.
The scholarship is for female students from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe studying in South Africa.

The scholarship is for two years’ postgraduate study and includes payment of a maintenance allowance, travel, health insurance and tuition fees.

Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to women on the basis of academic/professional merit, financial need, intended academic
programme, leadership potential and commitment to work for constructive
change in Africa. Applicants must have at least two years’ relevant
work experience.
Applications can be downloaded from www.canoncollins.org.uk and the closing date is 10 August 2010.
SOURCE

What About Women? A Pre-Election Hustings on Women's Issues

2010-03-19T07:25:00.006Z

The countdown to the elections has begun and women have turned the heat up in Sheffield! We will be asking the four main parties what their parties would do for women on a national and local scale. Please join us as we question and listen to the candidates at:

The Quaker Meeting House, 10 St. James Street, Sheffield, S1 2EW

Time: 7.15pm.
Date: Tuesday 23rd March 2010

Tom Scott - Labour Party (Standing in Sheffield Hallam constituency)
Nicola Bates- Conservative Party (Standing in Sheffield Hallam constituency)
Paul Scrivens - Liberal Democrats (Standing in Sheffield Central constituency)
Jillian Creasy- The Green Party (Standing in Sheffield Central constituency)

Chairing the event is Patricia Daniel.
This is a free event with provision of refreshments. All are welcome.

For further queries, please contact Jude Dodds

01142660434 or sheffieldfems@gmail.com

Don't forget to use your right to vote!

For background information, here are some policies / activities each party has for women:
Conservatives
Labour
Green Party
Liberal Democrats

I will be back here to give you an update after the event!

Minute for Mothers

2010-03-12T08:08:00.001Z

Thinking of all the pregnant women who die from pregnancy complications. Thanking charities such as Save the Children, White Ribbon Alliance, Amnesty International, Oxfam and Mumsnet for bringing to light their plight:

-Like every other weekend, 3,000 pregnant women who will lose their lives this Mother’s Day weekend

-Every minute of every day a mother-to-be from somewhere around the world dies simply because they don’t have access to the vital healthcare they need before and during childbirth

Excerpt from Save the Children for the "Minute for Mothers" campaign:

What we want

This Mother’s Day, we want politicians to put mothers and children first.

Make sure life-saving aid is spent on healthcare for the worlds' poorest mums and children
Make sure the health of the poorest mums and children is a key indicator of the effectiveness of this aid
Help women and girls take control of their own lives, by supporting them to get an education and reducing the threat of sexual violence and abuse they face.

Lay a flower for mums

On Friday 12 March at 10:30am, join hundreds of people at Old Palace Yard (opposite Parliament), to lay a flower in honour of the babies and mothers who have died. Wear white, the traditional Eastern colour of mourning. But wear it as the colour of light and hope, for the mothers and babies of the future.

We’re hoping to cover the yard in white flowers — a sight politicians just can’t ignore. So spread the word and get your friends and family along too.

Source

International Conference Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts - CFP

2010-03-11T10:54:00.001Z

Call for Papers:

International Conference: Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts

19-21 January 2012

Université Paris-1 Panthéon Sorbonne (Cemaf et Centre d’Histoire du XIXe siècle), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lyon (LARHRA), New York University

( Paris )

For decades, colonizing was perceived and analysed as a masculine undertaking.

This is probably why historians of colonisation (and decolonisation) – who themselves

were mostly men – paid little attention to the study of women, of gender relations, or of

how gender identities and sexualities were constructed in colonial contexts.

Women were seen as negligible actors in colonial wars (both during or after the

conquest), even though they were important actors within and victims of such conflicts.

Moreover, as primary agents of the European “civilising mission”, whose alleged

principles were to “educate, cure, moralise and convert”, women – both colonisers and

the colonized – took part in the process of national assertion and of colonial domination.

Last but not least, the colonial process created – and was constantly reshaped by –

tensions as well as new forms of racial or social hierarchies and gender roles. Thus, the

“colonial making of gender” proved to be a powerful vector of social transformation, both

in metropoles and in colonies, as recent stimulating historical research has demonstrated.

The International conference on “Women and Gender in Colonial Contexts” seeks

to assess the current state of historical research on this subject in a longue durée

perspective, i.-e. from the late 18th-early 19th centuries to the decolonisations of Asia ,

Africa, and the South Sea Islands (second half of the 20th century). Participants are

welcome to present research focusing on specific colonial contexts, both in terms of time

and space. At the same time, studies of women’s experiences or of gender construction

through a comparative perspective – between colonies or Empires – is strongly

encouraged, as it will allow a better understanding of local versus global situations.

The Conference will also offer a significant opportunity to explore new sources,

new approaches and new historiographical trends (notably through the combination of

various epistemological tendencies such as micro-history, social history, subaltern

studies, post-colonial studies or gender studies), in order to show the vitality of this field

of research.

The organisers encourage scholars to submit papers that investigate, within the

framework drawn up by the Conference title, relevant aspects of the following : politics

and policies, work, religion, education, health, family, mobilities, sexualities,

body/bodies, war, slavery, violence, masculinities…

Proposals in French or English (300 words) should be sent by June 15, 2010, to :

christelle.taraud@wanadoo.fr

Please attach a short CV stating your institutional affiliation.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (Women's Day Message 2010)

2010-03-08T22:50:00.000Z

Break the cycle of women living in poverty

2010-03-08T15:50:00.000Z

Women suffer more acutely from both discrimination and violence because of their gender. For women living in poverty, it makes accessing their universal human rights to justice, health, education, shelter and food almost impossible. Realizing and being able to access one’s rights can help women break out of the cycle of poverty.

Women are dying needlessly during pregnancy and childbirth because discrimination prevents them from accessing sexual and reproductive health services. Around the world, one woman dies every minute in pregnancy or childbirth - that's more than half a million women every year.

In rich and poor countries, whether in conflict or every day situations, women face rape and sexual violence. Victims are often left with no recourse to justice, as prosecution rates for rape are often shockingly low.

Voice Ambassadors for Demand Dignity
Amnesty International is working with Voice Ambassadors from around the world to help spread the word about the link between human rights and poverty. For International Women’s Day, Voice Ambassadors will be blogging about women’s rights and poverty. Each month they will write about a different human rights issue, and how it relates their own country.

Source: Amnesty International Online Communities

Happy Women's Day - My Reflections

2010-03-08T09:22:00.008Z

It's often hard for me to emotionally engage with the term "Happy" in relation to Women's Day. This is because I often find myself reflecting on all the wrongs in society and wondering: when the violence against women will end; when domestic violence will be seen for what it is; when women will have an equal footing when it comes to their jobs and earnings; when a girl child in rural Lundazi will be given a fair chance at getting an education; when women can wear what they like and feel safe; when women will stand up and speak without being second-guessed; when women will take an evening stroll and not worry about being raped, attacked; when a woman speaks up and is not considered cheeky; when the sex trafficking of my sisters will be condemned and abolished; when my sisters in the Congo, in Sudan, in Iraq, etc will not be raped as a weapon in war...
I However choose to engage with the term "Happy" because in every woman, I see so much more than these atrocities...
I see resilience, I see strength, I see warm smiles, I see sisterly love, I see unity, I see foundations of homes and families, I see foundations of nations and I see undying hope. I see survivors.
And I feel happy. I feel hopeful. I feel enamoured. I feel happiness. Women have shown me that they are not going to allow themselves to be victims. They will survive and they will be stronger. They will continue to rise. When they fall, they will pick themselves up.
To all my global sisters:

Take some time out for Reflection. Reset your Targets. Work at achieving goals. Revive your passions. Be Visionary. Love yourselves and each other.
To the greatest women in my life:
Joyce Mtonga Chihana (A mother who died too soon but imparted life's most precious love and memories in me)
Florence Lungu Mtonga (I could easily be fooled in to believing that no other person has had a better maternal grandmother. You have loved me unconditionally. A fulfillment of purity, love and a warm hug everyday. A friend. My Pillar)
Kate Chiumya Chihana (For all the tough and realistic lessons I needed from my paternal grandmother. You made me stronger)
Irene Ngwengwe Chihana (A pillar of unification. The closest friend I could ever have asked for in a stepmother)
Ndazunga Chihana (Never missing an opportunity to take me back to a lost childhood. Always making me feel safe and loved. Always awing people around you with wisdom that is well beyond your short life. Thanks for constantly reminding me that I am not alone in my joys and struggles. My best friend. You carry the flag of being the eldest child in the family so brilliantly - I could never fit your shoes)
Wezi Chihana & Chimwemwe Chihana (My little angels. My weakest points. Amazing little, sweet women who I will forever be vulnerable to. Innocent little souls who cannot be faulted. You have been wonderfully understanding, loving and mature. You are the difference that enables me to strive for greater things. I definitely have the loveliest little sisters in the world)

Million Women Rise March

2010-03-05T07:37:00.001Z

Million Women Rise

See you there!

Million Women Rise is a coalition of individual women and representatives from the Women’s Voluntary and Community Sector who have come together to organise an annual national demonstration against male violence which coincides with International Women’s Day in March each year.

On the demonstration, we celebrate and honour women’s activism, courage and achievements and continued struggle against global male violence in all its forms. Million Women Rise is an expression of women’s continued resistance and struggle against global male violence. The first demonstration in 2008 saw 5000 women and children take to the streets of London. It was the largest, recent demonstration of women in UK history and the most diverse demonstration many of us had ever attended. Because male violence continues, so too does Million Women Rise and women and children marched again in 2009. Find out more about this year’s march

Money should not be the reason why a woman cannot get to London for the 6th March. Please contact us if your area is not listed below.

Disabled Women

Each year MWR has a mobility support van to ensure inclusion of disabled women and women who would have difficulty completing the length of the march. To read about the route, including resting seats and public toilets, click here. If you would like to know more about how MWR can support you to participate in this year's march, please contact Eleanor - elisney@yahoo.com or phone 07737480378.

Coaches and Minibuses

Please let us know if you can help organise a coach or minibus to London from your local area. We can help connect you with women who live nearby and may also be able to help with fundraising.

Coaches and buses are being arranged to come to London in the following places:

Birmingham	Shahida	shahidachoudhry@aol.com	07968 771449
Bradford	Jane	janewriteme@gmail.com	07931 934422
Lampeter Wales	Bridget	fennysnake@googlemail.com	07703 438688
Leeds	Anna	mothers_against_violence@hotmail.co.uk	07535 656338
	Iris	deafandobese@hotmail.com	01133 070300
Manchester	Louise	jpluy@hotmail.com	07872 015114
Norfolk	Yve	yve.griffiths1@btinternet.com	07835 608861
Nottingham	Rahni	rahni@roshninotts.org.uk	01159 881414
South Wales	Tracy	t.carbone@ntlworld.com	07796 595652
South West	Tracy	newquay@earnshaw.f2s.com
Todmorden	Emma	emmadecent@talk21.com	07742 350739

London:

Barking and Dagenham

Margaret

Margaret.Williams@lbbd.gov.uk

07772 221482

COACHES, BUSES, MOBILITY ACCESS

DROP OFF: PARK LANE (PARK SIDE)

PICK UP: VICTORIA EMBANKMENT - RIVERSIDE NEAREST TRAFALGAR SQUARE - CENTRAL LONDON (PLEASE NOTE, THIS HAS CHANGED FROM PALL MALL).

Facebook page for Million Women Rise
Twitter
Blog: millionwomanrise.blogspot.com

Zambia Diaspora Connect: Diaspora Desk established

2009-08-19T16:24:00.000+01:00

Zambia Diaspora Connect: Diaspora Desk established

Chansa Kabwela - Petition

2009-07-14T23:32:00.002+01:00

Please sign the petition asking the Zambian government not to stifle the voice of the media by arresting the Editor of the Post Newspaper who bravely exposed the plight of a woman delivering a child on the streets following a strike by the country's health workers.

Click hear and speak in unison with the rest of the free world!

Arabic Website Launch (Women of North Africa- Note the date)

2009-07-13T08:30:00.001+01:00

iKNOW Politics Arabic Website Launch

October 27 - 28, 2009

Amman, Jordan

The Role of Media and Information Technology in
Increasing the Number and Effectiveness of
Women in Politics

The International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics) Partners invite you to a two-day conference that will launch the Arabic-language version of the iKNOW Politics website, and discuss the potential impact of media and information technology on the number and effectiveness of women in politics in the region. The conference will bring together approximately 100 women leaders, political candidates, activists, and women's organizations from the Middle East and North Africa. As a conference participant you will have an opportunity to learn how others in the region have used media and information technology to promote women's political participation and leadership. You will also become part of an online community of almost 5,000 women from around the world, who engage one another through online discussions in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

RSVP & Media Inquiry:

conference@iknowpolitics.org

Highlights

Web-based platform providing information, shared knowledge & network of women in politics in Arabic
Official Launch of iKNOW Politics in Arabic hosted by Jordanian Parliament
Presentation from high-level journalists, political leaders & academics
Workshops focusing on young women and the media and on media stereotypes of female political leaders

www.iknowpolitics.org

Zambia: Legally engendering the predicament of women

2009-06-22T16:29:00.009+01:00

I welcome the proposals by the Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) on Gender Based Violence as reported by ZANIS today. However, the question of gender based violence is not the only one that deserves the degree of attention it has been accorded. Whilst the cause is noble and dear to my heart, I have to wonder about all the other areas pertinent to women's progression that are constantly being undermined. Gender based violence has in the recent past overshadowed other areas such as measures to enhance access to education and basic medical care as well as taking a hard stance on human (especially sex, women and child) trafficking. Additionally, the question of early marriages is one that is being raised regularly without desirable results such as the action initiated by the Zambia Law Development Commission as mentioned in today's report. If I could have a say, my ardent suggestion is that ZLDC should save time and resources by addressing these matters on one platform urgently and seek ways to make progressive strides.

The recent increase in drug trafficking with appalling statistical reports of more than 95% of those convicted amongst Zambians abroad are actually women leaves any reasonable Zambian woman filled with shame and a feeling of yet further stigmatisation hanging over our heads.However, the situation got me thinking about the possible reasons why this is the case. Without making excuses for these women, I believe the system has failed to recognise the predicament that women are faced with and the government has failed to address the problem from the root causes which include education, among others which are not exhaustive but included below:

1) Child headed homes mainly led by female children

2) Lack of resources to access secondary school education of which in most cases the available resources will be channelled to the boy child

3)Early marriages which have consistently led to multiple and concurrent partners which in turn have led to the aggressive spread of HIV/AIDS and one parent being incapacitated to earn a living that will sustain such young families.

4)Increasing instances of children being raised by single parents either as a result of divorce, failed relationships or extra-marital affairs. In such situations, a lot of women do not have access and resources to enable them to seek legal guidance on child maintenance. Often, the costs of raising the children are met by the party that has custody. On average, such a parent will be the mother.

Someone once said "desperate times call for desperate measures" and I nearly bought in to it but I realised that desperate times can be avoided if the conditions are right and every person is given an equal shot at making the most of a bad situation.

Today's article from ZANIS:

The Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) has completed the proposals of the draft bill on Gender Based Violence.

ZLDC Director Annette Nhekairo says the proposed draft bill has since been handed over to the Ministry of Justice for further scrutiny.

Ms. Nhekairo was speaking in Lusaka at a one-day consultative meeting for Members of Parliament (MPs) convened to look at the draft legislation on gender-based violence organized by the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development.

She explained that the consultative meeting was aimed at soliciting for people’s input into the draft bill.

Ms. Nhekairo noted that draft bill, once adopted in parliament, will critically look at ways of protecting the rights of individuals that have been exposed to various forms of abuse.

She has since appealed to the public to report all cases of gender-based violence to relevant authorities.

2009-06-18T17:59:00.002+01:00

Women redefining power

2009-06-09T14:19:00.001+01:00

Published: Sunday | June 7, 2009

Glenda Simms

The definition of the concept of power at all periods of modern human history is deeply rooted in the patriarchal notions of absolute authority, ascendancy and control.

Powerful men are seen as those who occupy the corridors of parliaments, the dizzying neon-lit pinnacles of the church hierarchy, the brokers in the institutions that control and limit the decision making of ordinary folks and pistol-packing criminals that keep us cowering in the middle of the night.

Both the first and second wave of the feminist movement impacted dramatically on the many power-related issues that were and are still of concern to women in all sectors of the modern world.

Today, in spite of the many shortcomings of the movement, we continue to be motivated to redefine the concepts that must continue to drive the most important social movement in the developmental path of the human family - the struggle for women's human rights across the globe.

varying experiences

In this process, women have had varying experiences with the notion of both personal and group power. It is therefore useful to bring to mind examples of the individuals and groups who have historically and contemporarily helped us to redefine the dynamics of the power struggle between the sexes.

Women and girls who are inspired by the depiction of the lives of both fictional and non-fictional women are drawn to the many instances in which the notion of personal power is transformed in order to allow women to express their humanity and their unique personalities.

A narrow sampling of such women could touch on the impact of the biblical Queen of Sheba, the controversial Queen Victoria of England whose regime came to characterise the repression of female sexuality.

In this same mode, the persona of Cleopatra is worthy of mention. Distinguished historian MichaelGrant detailed the extraordinary life of the celebrated Cleopatra who is generally revered as one of the most powerful and controversial women in the human family.

Grant has left us with a chronicle of events from which he concluded that this woman was indeed "a brilliant linguist and the author of treatises on agriculture, make-up and alchemy". On the flipside, she was seen as a ruthless foe who carefully calculated her love affairs in order to restore her Greek-speaking empire to its former greatness.

Her legendary lover Mark Anthony committed suicide and she became a prisoner of her conqueror Octavian.

In more recent times, there are several examples of women redefining power on the continent of Africa. Most notable and unique is the stance taken by Kenyan women who placed a weeklong sex embargo on their male partners in protest over the political infighting.

Recognising that the Kibaki-Odinga fight for political power had left more than 1,000 of their citizens dead and more than 600,000 homeless, the women of Kenya found a way to redefine power.

They lobbied the support of the wives of the president and the prime minister and they also paid off the prostitutes to walk off their jobs.

This Afro-centric response to the power of the patriarch was reflected in the broad-based representatives of women's groups and the clear vision of the kind of change that would lead to sustainable development.

The women of Kenya recognised their power and declared "sex is the answer".

Rukia Sulow, chair of the Women's Development Organisation, argued that sex "does not know tribe, it does not have a political party and it happens in the lowest of households". It is interesting to note that sex strikes are rare worldwide and might have seemed unthinkable in the legal polygamous framework that exists in Kenya.

The impact of the action of our Kenyan sisters will most likely be fully understood worldwide in the next 100 years.

a great starting point

Yes! Sex is a great starting point towards the goal of redefining power.

Out on the prairies in Western Canada, most unlikely group of grandmothers have been motivated to redefine the dynamics of male power by reaching out across the divide of cultures to raise awareness of the plight of African grandmothers who are forced to raise their grandchildren. These are African women who lost their children to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Motivated by the vision and insights of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, these Canadian Eastside grannies found the energy and the power to reach out in an effort to support their African sisters.

At any age, women can redefine power!

Closer to home, the June 2, 2009 edition of The Gleaner carried a dramatic headline 'Woman power' above a picture of two women lovingly wooing a bunch of green mangoes hanging from a healthy-looking tree on a farm in Leith Hall, St Thomas.

I was mesmerised by the combination of the bold headline and a photograph that carried the trademark professionalism of the newspaper's chief photographer, Norman Grindley. This set the stage for my feminist anticipation of a story about women taking power away from the patriarchal agents in the nation state.

The content of the story written by Arthur Hall, a senior staff reporter, was about a group of women who has organised around the activities of farming in a collaborative, collegial and culturally rooted framework.

Many of us who have been reared in the deep rural areas of St Elizabeth and Manchester still have memories of the practice of "giving a day" to all the small farming households in the district. During those days of old, the men took their hoes, machetes and pickaxes to dig the yam hills, the sweet potato and cassava banks and the holes to plant the corn and gungo peas. These work details moved from plot to plot until everyone was served.

unique form of power

The women attached to the households of these small farms moved from house to house to tend the big iron pots which produced the tastiest peas soup loaded with salted pork, ground provisions and the vintage cornmeal dumplings that the 'toothless wonders' of the district had to bypass.

It is within these traditions that the contemporary rural sisterhood of Dumfries in St Thomas have found their unique form of power to make a difference in the lives of their families.

Another locally related form of woman power was also reported in the June 2 edition of The Gleaner. This was described in a story written by writer Kemesha Walters. According to Walters, a group of August Town women "United for Empowerment and Transformation" are "intent on making something positive of their community which has been ravaged by crime and violence:.

Obviously, these inner-city women understand the need to wrench the power away from the criminal elements through their commitment to change and development and their instinctive understanding of the power of female solidarity.

fighting spirit

This writer identifies with the fighting spirit of the dynamic African slave woman who built the solid foundation of spirituality and warrior energies that fashioned the strength of character into which many Jamaican women tap.

Daily, we observe the activities of groups of women who are redefining power in order to find a safe path out of the economic and social confusion that now confronts all of us. In this process we come to the realisation that we need not look outside of our woman-centred experiences to find the strength to redefine the notion of power in line with the gift of womanhood, sisterhood and the good of the collective.

Yes indeed, we must continue to redefine power in order to bring balance to the confusion and the noises of our time.

Dr Glenda P. Simms is a consultant on gender issues. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.

Source: The Gleaner

African villages denounce female circumcision

2009-04-15T16:20:00.001+01:00

Ten villages in western Niger have publicly denounced the practice of female genital mutilation, according to a UNICEF report.
Representatives from the West African nation's Tillabery region have called for all people living there to end the practice, the report said.
"We have decided to definitively put an end to female genital mutilation in our villages and to continue sensitizing neighboring villages so they also give up the practice," said N. Babobou Pana, leader of one of the villages.
Heading the call was Kompoa Tamkpa, a former traditional practitioner >>> CNN

Report: African women bear brunt of global crises

2009-04-07T23:26:00.012+01:00

African women bear brunt of global crises, Climate, Economic, Political

Posted by Editor on March 29th, 2009

The global economic, food and climate change crises have hit African women the hardest, according to a report from a delegation of African and United Nations female officials attending a conference on gender equality.

“When we look at the GDPs of all African countries, they are between five and seven per cent [in the recent past… but this present crisis is going to erode all those gains that have been made,” Isatou Njie Saidy, Vice-President of Gambia, told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.

Africa is said to be one of the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change although it contributes minimally to the problem. The difficult social and economic situation of most Africans, especially women and children, worsens the situation, in Ghana for instance, women constitute about 51% of the population and about 30% of them are heads of households. . “They constitute 52% of the agricultural labour force, contribute 46% to the total GDP and produce 70% of subsistent crops. They play major roles in production and distribution” according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture.

A wide variety of literature is available on the importance of agriculture to economic development in Africa and on the critical role that rural women play within this sector. Increasing attention is also being given to the role of smallholder subsistence agriculture in ensuring the food security of the continent, as 73% of the rural population consists of smallholder farmers (IFAD, 1993:6). In Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture accounts for approximately 21% of the continent’s GDP and women contribute 60-80% of the labour used to produce food both for household consumption and for sale (FAO). Read on >>>

African Women in Science Fellowship Programme 2009

2009-04-07T23:18:00.002+01:00

USDA Borlaug Women in Science Fellowship Program

The United States Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce The Norman E. Borlaug International Science and Technology Fellows Program (Borlaug Fellows Program) - Women in Science 2009 for female citizens of Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Uganda and Zambia.

The Borlaug Fellows Program offers training and collaborative research opportunities in international agricultural science, leadership and policy. Training venues usually include U.S. universities, government agencies, and international agricultural research centers.

Each Fellow works one-on-one with a mentor who coordinates the Fellow’s training and visits the Fellow’s home institution after completion of the training.

Source: International Scholarships and Financial Aid

The 2009 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program for Women in Science is funded by the United States Agency for International Development and administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service in cooperation with the Forum for Agricultural Research in
Africa (FARA).

The application deadline for 2009 Borlaug Fellows Program - Women in Science for Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Uganda and Zambia is April 10, 2009.

Objectives:
• Provide female agricultural research scientists, faculty and policymakers with an opportunity to work one-on-one with U.S. experts in the fields of agriculture, forestry and natural resources at a U.S. institution or CGIAR center;
• Provide scientists, faculty and policymakers with practical experience and exposure to new technologies that can enhance their own research endeavors;
• Foster increased collaboration and networking between African and U.S. agricultural scientists and policymakers to improve agricultural productivity and food security;
• Facilitate the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural practices;
• Address obstacles to the adoption of technology such as ineffectual policies and regulations; and
• Provide leadership skills training.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Female citizens from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Uganda and Zambia in the early to mid-level stages of their professional careers;
• Good working knowledge of the English language;
• Minimum Masters Degree with 3 years practical experience or working toward Masters Degree with 5 years experience;

• Currently employed at an institution in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Uganda and Zambia with intent to continue working in their country for a minimum of two years following their return fromthe United States.

Targeted Research Areas:
• Natural/organic production/regulations and marketing systems;
• Agri-business or Agricultural entrepreneurs

Program Structure:
Fellows will spend 6-8 weeks at the U.S. host university during the 2009 academic year;
Fellows’ laboratory and field research will be conducted under the supervision of a university faculty or research mentor;

Contingent upon availability of funding, Borlaug Fellows will participate in a leadership
training program after completion of the U.S. training;

Application Requirements:
Eligible candidates are invited to submit the complete application with the following
attachments no later than April 10, 2009:
• Application form
• One page program proposal
• Approval of the home institution
• Two letters of recommendation
• Copy of passport identification page
• One passport sized photos

For application materials, questions and to submit application,

Please contact:
Dr. Gloria Essilfie
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
PMB CT 173 Cantonments
2 Gowa Close, Roman Ridge
Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233 21 772823 / 779421
Fax: +233 21 773676
Email: gtetteh-at-fara-africa.org
Website: www.fara-africa.org
For additional information, please contact: Borlaug Fellows Program - Women in Science
Karen Uetrecht (202) 690.3359
Email: Karen.Uetrecht@fas.usda.gov
Natasha A. Acheampong (202) 720.0431
Email: Natasha.Acheampong@fas.usda.gov
http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/borlaug/borlaug.htm

Tags: 2009, African, Fellowship, Program, Science, women

Afriwomen: Positive Participation: Gender-based violence sensitisation programme launched in Kazungula

2009-04-07T13:04:00.000+01:00

Afriwomen: Positive Participation: Gender-based violence sensitisation programme launched in Kazungula

Zambian-Economist

Gender-based violence sensitisation programme launched in Kazungula

2009-04-07T12:59:00.000+01:00

The Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) has embarked on a sensitization programme on gender-based violence against women and children in Kazungula district.

The programme, which kicked off yesterday in Mambova and Kasaya, has been made possible with the support from German Development Service (DED).

Speaking after a sensitization play by Liwase drama group, Southern Province Regional Coordinator for YWCA, Dorothy Velemu, stressed that women and children are the most vulnerable in society on issues related to human rights.
She observed that most cases of gender violence go unreported and urged women not to remain silent but report all cases of abuse to YWCA. Source Lusaka Times

issues over matters: DAMBISA MOYO’S BUZZ

2009-04-05T10:15:00.000+01:00

issues over matters: DAMBISA MOYO’S BUZZ

South Africa Elections: Women Threaten to Boycott

2009-03-29T11:00:00.002+01:00

Women from South Africa's three Cape Provinces have marched to parliament in Cape Town to denounce the country's "slow and unbalanced" land redistribution programme. The protesters said if they are not given greater access to land, they will not vote in the country's Apr. 22 general elections.
Placard-waving women at the Mar. 26 protest criticised the country's Minister of Land Affairs, Lulu Xingwana, for failing them.

Where the Water Meets the Sky

2009-03-03T12:10:00.001Z

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, Where the Water Meets the Sky is the story of a remarkable group of women in a remote region of northern Zambia, who are given a unique opportunity: to learn how to make a film, as a way to speak out about their lives and to challenge the local traditions which have, until now, kept them silent.
Many in the group can’t read or write, most are desperately poor, and few have been exposed to film or television. But with the help of two teachers, this class of 23 women learn to shoot a film that portrays a subject of their own choosing. It involves an issue that is traumatic for them all, and rarely spoken about: the plight of young women orphaned by AIDS.
Their film recounts the real-life experiences of Penelop, an 18-year-old orphan, and her struggle to provide for herself and her siblings in the wake of her parents’ deaths.
What begins as a workshop about filmmaking, and a quest to tell Penelop’s story, becomes a journey in empowerment as the women rise to the challenge of pressing their community to change.

Zambia Diaspora E-Conference 2008 Preliminary Report (Consultation)

2009-01-07T20:49:00.002Z

We have created a new blog - Zambia Diaspora Connect - to bring together issues related to the Zambia Diaspora, as we work with GRZ to make progress on many issues. The blog will serve as a focal point for the initiative. In particular it will facilitate the ongoing consultation [ Zambia Diaspora E-Conference 2008 Preliminary Report (Consultation) ], highlight new research and papers related to the Zambia diaspora, news related to the network, and most importantly provide a platform for serious ongoing debate on diaspora related issues.I hope that readers of the Zambian Economist and Afriwomen: Positive Participation will make it a habit to visit that blog regularly to share views and information on diaspora related matters. We'll aspire to ensure that Zambia Diaspora Connect is non-political and well managed as a platform for diaspora related dialogue.

The Rape Victim who took the stigma out of HIV

2008-12-20T19:26:00.001Z

Source: Independent.co.uk
19th December 2008

Independent Appeal: The rape victim who took the stigma out of HIV
The victim of an appalling crime when she was nine, Memory Phiri was treated like an outcast. The experience has turned her into an eloquent campaigner against prejudice. Paul Vallely reports
Friday, 19 December 2008
"You can be a hero," said the young woman, looking directly into my eyes. "There is a hero in you." This was not flattery. Memory Phiri believes that anyone can do something of heroic stature, if they so choose. After all, she did.
She does not look an obvious candidate. A diminutive figure, with eyes almost as big as her hooped earrings and feet clad in boots that look as if they came from children's department, she looks like a slip of a schoolgirl as she sits quietly in the green room backstage at the Royal Albert Hall. But she has come a long way from the little village in Zambia, where she was raped when she was only nine, to become one of the world's most persuasive Aids campaigners. Now just 20, she was about to step out on to the stage to address an audience of 4,000 people.
The occasion was a concert to mark the 50th anniversary of VSO, the charity once known as Voluntary Service Overseas, one of the three charities being supported by this year's Independent Christmas Appeal. On stage were the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and a bill of internationally renowned African artists, including Angelique Kidjo. Yet Memory seemed unfazed to be among their number.
Her journey has been extraordinary. Eleven years ago, Memory and her sister, who was 14, had accepted a lift home from a man in a lorry after visiting her sister's dying husband in a Zambian hospital. After dropping her sister off, the man raped the nine-year-old. That same year, her mother died (her father had died when she was seven) and she and her siblings were split up. The boys went to live with their grandma and she was sent to live with an aunt.
When she was 13, her aunt decided she could not afford to keep her and sent her to an orphanage. The City of Hope orphanage just outside the capital, Lusaka, has links with the Zambia Open Community Schools project, which provides a free basic education to 16,000 orphans in a country where, still, a third of children between seven and 13 (mostly girls) do not attend school. VSO provides many of the teachers who volunteer to work in the schools and assists with books, clothing and food.
On arrival at the orphanage, each girl is given a medical check-up. There the Salesian nuns who ran it discovered Memory was HIV-positive. "They didn't tell me immediately," she says. "I was the only one of the 84 girls there who was positive. They discussed among themselves how they should handle the situation." But one of the other pupils, who was washing up in the nuns' kitchen, overheard. Not long after, graffiti appeared on the wall outside her classroom. It read, "Memory Phiri has Aids", she says.
"The other girls right away didn't want to play with me. They even refused to eat with me. I went to see the nun in charge, an Italian named Sister Maria, who sent me to see a counsellor. The counsellor gave me a lot of information about HIV. I thought, 'Why is she telling me all this?' And then it clicked, and I started crying. It was my most saddest moment in life. My grandmother had just died. My two young brothers were eight and 10; who was going to look after them?"
Sister Maria arranged for Memory to meet counsellors who were HIV-positive. "That gave me great courage," Memory says. "I thought, 'If they can live with it then I can'." But the other girls in the orphanage continued to shun and scorn her. At this point, Memory took a courageous step. "With Sister Maria's help, I called them into groups and told them my story. All the girls wept when they heard. They thought that to have HIV must mean you were a prostitute or had been sleeping around with boys." The school bully, who had written the graffiti, apologised to Memory. "A number of girls had been raped too but had never been able to talk about it. They came to me privately and told me their story. It all changed. Everyone was kind to me."
Her HIV counsellors were impressed by the instinctive skill with which she handled her peers. They arranged for her to begin counselling training. She was put on anti-retroviral drugs and her condition began to improve. Her CD4 count – which measures the level of HIV in the blood and helps predict the risk of complications and infections – rose from 104 to 700 (the range in normal adults is between 500 to 1,500 cells per cubic millimetre of blood). Her latest was 1001 as her body continues to respond to the anti-HIV therapy.
"I have to take my medicine at 7am and 7pm, and can't miss by more than 30 minutes," she says. "I have to eat lots of nutritious vegetables. But it is important to feed the mind too; if you say, 'I will die soon', you will; but if you say, 'I will see my children's children' then you take control. When you have a car, it is you who is the driver, and you tell the virus, which is the passenger, where it will go. I feel much healthier now." The advice she gives herself is the same as she now delivers to HIV-positive people the world over.
The process has helped her come to terms with the rape which gave her the virus. "I think it will always be in my mind. He was a stranger but I can remember his face. At first, I had evil thoughts about him. But through the therapies I was trained in as a counsellor I came to see that I am not the problem, he is the problem. I used to feel if I see him I would kill him, but today I would just look at him and nothing else. But it has taken me five or six years to get to that point."
In the process, she became a national figure as the first girl in Zambia to break the news that she had HIV. She became a poster-girl in schools, clinics and hospitals, and attended international conferences in South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria and New York where she addressed the United Nations "to tell them how people in the rural areas with HIV are still neglected". She added: "I feel proud of myself. By the time I die, I know I'll have had an impact on many people's lives. I've tried to do my best."
Her favourite technique in dealing with children orphaned by HIV, or who have themselves contracted the virus, is what she calls a hero book. "In it, you look back at where you have come from. You write down your happiest moment, your saddest one, and tell the story of someone who has been a hero in your life. Not Superman or even Nelson Mandela. It might be your mother or father, or your auntie, anyone whose courage you admire. A hero is a person who is able to overcome a problem without hurting others." At this point Hugh Masekela, the master of African jazz, a dumpy man in a flat cap, enters the Albert Hall green room. He asks to meet her, and she hugs him casually. "He looks fatter than in his photograph," she says after he has gone. The star is clearly not her hero, so who is? "Sister Maria. She is a very strong lady, very hardworking, full of ideas. She's like my mother, so caring and so kind. She gave me hope when I had no hope."
Through her training, Memory has also been catching up on her education, doing two school years in one for the past seven years. "I am in grade 12 now. Most people in the class are 18 and two years younger than me, but that is OK. Next year, I will begin to train to do accounts and get a job so I can save the money to train to be a doctor," she says, calculating that in four years she will have earned enough to begin her seven-year medical training. She will be a doctor, she says, by the time she is 31. She would like to specialise in paediatrics.
"I know people who are not HIV-positive who have no hope for life. But me, every morning, I smile and say, 'It's a new day and I'm breathing'." Then she adds: "There is a strength in all of us; we just have to find it." Of such stuff heroes are made. You could be a hero too. Do something heroic today.

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