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Friday, November 13, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Gender
FILM: A Congolese Woman’s Journey of Survival and Triumph
Suffering through the atrocities of war affects people in different ways. Some become crippled by anger, others by fear. Some become violent and want only revenge. And some, like Rose Mapendo, an inspiring survivor of the war and ethnic cleansing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, come out with a strong commitment to work for peace and reconciliation.
Argentine Province a Bastion of Opposition to Gender Quotas
Argentina was the first country in the world to adopt a national gender quota law to boost women's political participation. But nearly 20 years later, the legislation that inspired the rest of Latin America continues to run into resistance in one province.
GUATEMALA: Giving Poor Women Entrepreneurs a Boost
Rosenda Gómez, a 53-year-old mother of five, knows all about challenges. To overcome them, she started a modest sausage business in Guatemala, and thanks to her leadership skills and training and other support she received, she is now an example of the economic empowerment of women.
LABOUR-US: Domestic Workers Unite for Their Rights
Ephese speaks rapidly, her hands sweeping the air around her for emphasis. Peach-tipped fingernails come to rest momentarily on her peach-coloured skirt as she leans forward, eyes intent behind wire-rimmed glasses. Her French is direct; her words uncompromising.BURMA: Public Education a Drain on Family Incomes
Once again, parents in military-ruled Burma are counting the cost of a primary education for their children in public schools. It is an annual ritual that comes with the beginning of a new school year, which coincides with the onset of the monsoon rains in June.
DEVELOPMENT: Cambodia Struggles to Reduce Maternal Deaths
For Chan Theary, a remote, mountainous stretch of land in western Cambodia encapsulates the uphill struggle this South-east Asian nation faces in reducing the alarming number of women who die during pregnancy.HONDURAS: Miskito Women Fight on Nature’s Side
Seven years ago, in the isolated Honduran region of Mosquitia, on the Caribbean coast, a group of women, mostly single mothers, elderly or widowed, overcame their fear and timidity -- thanks in part to a waste recycling project.
Arab-Israeli Parliamentarian Fights Death Threats
"I stopped counting after I had received 50 death threats. I told my secretary not to tell me about them any more," Arab-Israeli Knesset (parliament) member, Haneen Zoabi told IPS.
ANGOLA: Changing More than Policies
She may have been little-known in political circles until now, but by putting herself forward as the first female independent presidential candidate, Luisete Macedo Araújo (50) has thrust herself into the limelight.CHINA: Wives of Gays Struggle Alone
Wang Yibing had been married three years before she found out her husband was gay. He had known all along, yet, like many homosexual men in China, had chosen to enter into a traditional marriage to reduce the pressure he was feeling from his family and society.
LATIN AMERICA: Photos a Leveller for Maids and Their Employers
Fifty pairs of women -- maids and their employers -- from Argentina, Chile and Colombia abandoned their daily routines to pose for photographs for a project about the hierarchical relationship that unites them.
MEXICO: Extending the Reach of Safe Abortion
By 5:00 AM, dozens of women are already lined up outside of this clinic in the Mexican capital. Most come with their mothers, sisters, husbands, friends or boyfriends. A few show up alone.JAPAN: Women’s Increased Buying Power a Boost to Economy
Asako Nakano, 52, a company employee, invested in a condominium two summers ago, settling the deal with a down payment of around 155,000 U.S. dollars from her savings.
INDIA: Muslim Women Explore Opportunity in Non-Traditional Fields
In a small, dingy and humid room in Metiabruz, a poor Muslim-dominated locality in Kolkata in eastern India, at least 20 Muslim women are talking with excitement about their aspirations and why they decided to study information technology (IT), a short-term course offered for a minimal fee by a non- government organisation operating in their locality.
DR CONGO: Pursuing Rebels at What Price
Operation Amani Leo, launched jointly by MONUC (the United Nations Mission in Congo) and FARDC (the Congolese army) in January to regain control of mining territories in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu from rebels, while ensuring security for the local population has been extended to September. But Congolese women are arguing for changes in the conduct of military operations.Small Arms Treaty Could Make Dent in Gang Violence
Gangs and armed groups may rank below militaries and law enforcement agencies in the possession of firearms, but "they have consistently shown a willingness to use guns and use them for violence," says Dr. Jennifer Hazen, a senior researcher with the authoritative Small Arms Survey.MALAWI: Changing the Face of Politics
The face of politics is changing in the southern African country of Malawi. And civil society is making plans to ensure that it changes even more.Human Trafficking Still Widespread, U.S. Included
Ten years ago, the U.S. State Department issued its first annual review of governments' efforts to combat human trafficking. Monday, the report included the U.S.'s own struggles with the problem for the first time.
CHILE: Maternity Leave – Longer, or for All Working Mothers?
"In Chile, women carry the entire burden of maternity," says teacher Fabiola Quiñones, who applauds the government's proposal to extend pre- and post- natal leave to six months -- but only if all new mothers who work can have that option.
JAMAICA: Women Caught Between Police and Loyalty for Gang Leader
"I am very much afraid...I'm traumatised," sobbed Marsha, as she recounted the violence that ripped through the constituency of West Kingston last month as police and soldiers searched for Christopher "Dudus" Coke, the reputed head of one of the most notorious criminal organisations in the Western hemisphere.
U.S. Bill Would Outlaw FGM “Holidays”
The U.S. currently lags behind several Western European countries in closing a legislative loophole banning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) beyond its borders to protect U.S. citizens and residents. But this may soon change.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Women make up half the world's population, but don't nearly share half of the world's wealth, well-being and opportunity. Two-thirds of the world poor are women, disproportionally exposing women to precarious living conditions, disease and unmitigated natural disasters. The media, meanwhile, remains a male-dominated sector in much of the world, contributing to women's voices lacking a crucial amplifier to put their concerns on political agendas and unleash the development potential of their ingenuity. Rather than then stereotypical victims of local and global forces, women are also organizer, innovators, conservators and community builders. These are some of their stories.
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