The role of culture and religion: constructively addressing ‘the elephant in the room 2/4

For many, faith is a source of strength, solace and learning. In many non‐Western societies, faith is inseparably intertwined with other aspects of life, including politics and development. Religion plays an important role in shaping and influencing societal values, thus putting religious and faith leaders in positions of considerable authority and power. Separating religion and development is therefore...

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Women’s participation and poverty in fragile states 1/4

Half of the world’s poor already live in fragile and conflict-affected states – and the proportion is increasing.1 Fragile states often lack the structures and capacity to carry out basic governance functions.2 This in turn means that poverty cannot be addressed and the poorest stay poor: according to the OECD, “The fight against poverty is slower in fragile states than elsewhere.”3 In more concrete terms,...

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Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated August 26. Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment while also calling attention to women’s continuing efforts towards full equality. Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), a leader in the women’s rights movement, introduced a Congressional Resolution in 1971 designating August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day” to draw attention to women’s on-going pursuit of...

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Right to Dignity of Women in Africa

1. Every woman shall have the right to dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition and protection of her human and legal rights. 2. Every woman shall have the right to respect as a person and to the free development of her personality. 3. States Parties shall adopt and implement appropriate measures to prohibit any exploitation or degradation of women. 4. States Parties shall adopt...

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Rape Poem

There is no difference between being raped And being pushed down a flight of cement steps Except that the wounds also bleed inside. There is no difference between being raped And being run over by a truck Except that afterward men ask if you enjoyed it. There is no difference between being raped And being bitten by a rattlesnake Except that people ask if your skirt was short And why you were out alone anyhow. There...

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Why women and girls safe spaces?

In most societies, women have limited space to meet, and public spaces are often inhabited largely by men5. Traditionally, women’s responsibilities include taking care of children, cooking, carrying out household chores, and generally looking after the family. While these roles may change during crisis, where women may find themselves working or becoming the breadwinner, they remain responsible for the...

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Marriage in Africa

States Parties shall ensure that women and men enjoy equal rights and are regarded as equal partners in marriage. They shall enact appropriate national legislative measures to guarantee that: a) no marriage shall take place without the free and full consent of both parties; b) the minimum age of marriage for women shall be 18 years; c) monogamy is encouraged as the preferred form of marriage and that the...

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Economic and Social Welfare Rights in Africa

States Parties shall adopt and enforce legislative and other measures to guarantee women equal opportunities in work and career advancement and other economic opportunities. In this respect, they shall: a) promote equality of access to employment; b) promote the right to equal remuneration for jobs of equal value for women and men; c) ensure transparency in recruitment, promotion and dismissal of women...

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Health and Reproductive Rights in Africa

1. States Parties shall ensure that the right to health of women, including sexual and reproductive health is respected and promoted. This includes: a) the right to control their fertility; b) the right to decide whether to have children, the number of children and the spacing of children; c) the right to choose any method of contraception; d) the right to self-protection and to be protected against sexually...

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Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in Africa

1. States Parties shall combat all forms of discrimination against women through appropriate legislative, institutional and other measures. In this regard they shall:  a) include in their national constitutions and other legislative instruments, if not already done, the principle of equality between women and men and ensure its effective application;  b) enact and effectively implement appropriate...

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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD – OCTOBER 11

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. This year, as the international community assesses progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since their implementation in 2000 and sets goals to be achieved...

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Right to Education and Training of Women in Africa

1. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to: a) eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and guarantee equal opportunity and access in the sphere of education and training; b) eliminate all stereotypes in textbooks, syllabuses and the media, that perpetuate such discrimination; c) protect women, especially the girl-child from all forms of abuse, including sexual harassment in schools...

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Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment in Africa

1. Women shall have the right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to:  a) ensure greater participation of women in the planning, management and preservation of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources at all levels;  b) promote research and investment in new and renewable energy sources and appropriate...

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Asma al-Ghoul

Asma al-Ghoul is not your typical Palestinian activist. A secular feminist who writes for the Ramallah-based newspaper Al-Ayyam and blogs at AsmaGaza, Ghoul is known for her vocal denunciations of violations of civil rights in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, catching the media's attention when she walked on a public Gaza beach with a mixed-gender group in 2009. When she publicly denounced...

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Threats and emotional abuse 3/3

Many MDWs were threatened with physical violence and even death. They were also threatened with incarceration and denunciation to the police in cases where the employers had not processed the proper residency documents for the workers. Some were threatened with deportation to their country of origin, while they needed to continue working in order to pay back the debt they had accumulated due to the high...

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Denial of privacy and the right to a private life 2/3

Most domestic workers who participated in the study did not have a private space in the house. In the small number of cases where they did, it was often a tiny room fitting nothing more than a small bed or a mattress on the floor. Despite that, most workers said that the small room in the house was better than the alternatives, which include sleeping in the kitchen (19%), the living room (22%), or on...

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