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Saturday, November 14, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Gender
MIDEAST: Gaza Graduates Search for Vitamin W
"We fast a long time," says Gaza graduate Mona Ismail, 23. "Only to break our fast on a piece of onion."
PARAGUAY: Indigenous Women Leaders Buck Discrimination
More and more indigenous women in Paraguay are overcoming sexist resistance in their communities and emerging as leaders within and outside of their villages, fighting for the rights of their people and against discrimination.POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Victory for Frelimo Amid Claims of Election Fraud
The incumbent, President Armando Guebuza, has won the Mozambican 2009 elections in a landslide, obtaining three quarters of the votes, according to official results.UGANDA: Helping Hand For Homophobia From U.S. Christians
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill under consideration in Uganda was sparked by a conference in Kampala earlier this year at which fundamentalist Christians from the U.S. identified homosexuality as a threat to "family values".
Q&A: Inclusive Sex Education Needed in African Schools
With the exception of South Africa, most African countries criminalise same-sex relationships with imprisonment, while incidents of violence against gay women and men are poorly investigated and rarely taken to court.
Q&A: “CEDAW is UNIFEM’S Entry Point”
On Sep. 14, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly adopted a resolution that opened the door for the creation of a new U.N. agency specifically for women.
BRAZIL: Leading Ladies Give Gender Slant to Campaign
With the possible participation of three high-profile women candidates in Brazil's 2010 presidential elections, the irruption of gender issues in the campaign in Latin America's largest democracy seems inevitable.FRANCE: Top Designers Make Dolls to Fund Darfur Vaccinations
Designer rag dolls, the concept couldn't sound more frivolous. But dolls made by top fashion designers such as Armani and Prada are helping to fund a vaccination programme in war-torn Darfur.
RIGHTS-UGANDA: “You Cannot Tell Me You Will Kill Me Because I’m Gay”
The Ugandan government will put to death gay citizens repeatedly caught having sex and throw into jail those who touch each other in a "gay" way, if a new proposed Bill becomes law.MEXICO: Women Package the Sweet Taste of Nostalgia
Years ago, when Catalina Sánchez saw an opportunity to earn an income and improve her family’s living conditions by growing and selling nopales - an edible cactus native to Mexico - she probably never imagined that her idea would spawn three businesses.
Q&A: Put the New Women’s Agency in Africa
On Sep. 14, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution that gave the green light to the creation of a new U.N. agency for women.HEALTH: New Task Force Targets Poor in Breast Cancer Fight
The rate of breast cancer in developing countries is on the rise, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, which estimates that the poor will account for more than 55 percent of breast cancer deaths this year.RIGHTS-CAMEROON: The Reverend Raped Me
A countrywide survey of the incidence of rape in Cameroon has returned disturbing statistics: 20 percent of the nearly 38,000 women surveyed reported having been raped; another 14 percent said they had escaped a rape attempt.
PERU: Cuzco Women Stand Up to Violence
For tourists and other visitors, Cuzco has a special fascination as the ancient capital of the Inca empire. But social scientists know it as one of the areas in the world with the highest rates of violence against women.
SIERRA LEONE: New Dawn for Small Farmers?
They call her "Marie Nerica", after a new breed of rice.CHILE: Women in Arms
The official version of Chilean history renders women’s political participation "invisible" and relegates them to a secondary or anecdotal role, says journalist Cherie Zalaquett, author of a new book, "Chilenas en armas" (Chilean Women in Arms).
CHILE: Teen Pregnancy, a Problem That Won’t Go Away
Chile currently stands out for its spectacular progress in a number of health indicators, including maternal and child mortality and chronic malnutrition. But these successes obscure an acute social problem that refuses to yield: the steady rise in the number of teenage mothers.
Q&A: "Guardian Angel" of Gulf Transsexuals
Transsexuals in the Gulf call Bahraini lawyer Fawziya Janahi "guardian angel". She is the Arab world's only female lawyer who takes up cases on behalf of clients who want to change their sex.RIGHTS: Rising China Poses Danger to Peace, Say Nobel Laureates
An ascendant China that ignores human rights in Tibet and Xinjiang, poses a danger to world peace, say Nobel laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Jody Williams.AGRICULTURE-KENYA: Finally, a Windfall for Tea Farmers
Despite the sweltering sun and with a heavy load on her back Mary Muthoni strides to the tea buying centre with joy and pride painted on her face. "This is a different year," she smiles, hurriedly greeting other women farmers at the centre. For them, the story is the same: blessings in times of calamity.HEALTH: U.S. Urged to Double Aid to Global Projects
As the effort to achieve universal health coverage within the U.S. crawls forward in Washington, a new report by a coalition of global health organisations details how the U.S. can "help lead the world to universal access to comprehensive health care in developing countries".« 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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