Funding Begins Flowing for African Agriculture

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has received a major boost as several countries have begun drawing on funds from a $22 billion pledge made by the G8.

PERU: Quechua Congresswoman Fights Discrimination in Education

Hilaria Supa has broken down many barriers in her life. Now she has overcome another one, in an unprecedented achievement: this Quechua indigenous woman who never went to school is today chair of the congressional education committee in Peru.

BOTSWANA: HIV-positive Mothers Not Convinced to Exclusively Breastfeed

"An HIV-positive woman must never be encouraged to breastfeed because regardless of what the doctors or researchers say - it is too dangerous for the baby," says Koziba Kelatlhe an HIV-positive mother who was advised by health workers not to breastfeed her child.

500,000 Pregnant Women at Risk in Pakistan Floods

Aid groups and U.N. agencies are raising the alarm over the vulnerability of pregnant women and babies in flood ravaged Pakistan.

Fisheries Can Play Key Role in Africa

Fisheries contribute at least $10 billion dollars to African economies every year. In countries such as Angola, Egypt and Namibia, fisheries are vital economic drivers.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Growing Seed Security

Farmer Obed Dlamini, like many of his colleagues from Swaziland, finds it difficult to find quality maize seeds each planting season. Not only are the seeds expensive but they are often not available.

AFRICA: ‘Welcome to My Taxi – Let’s Do Business with My Cellphone’

In cities across Africa, being an entrepreneur requires no office, business card or investors. All it takes is a cell phone, according to Adele Botha, a researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Tea Bag’ Filter Provides Safe Drinking Water

Though it may look like a tea bag, straining water through this recently developed filter could provide a cheap, easily replenished source of water for those who need it most.

Embattled U.N. Chief on Charm Offensive, Says Press Corps

When an Asian ambassador hosted a sumptuous lunch for more than a dozen U.N. correspondents in his swanky New York apartment many moons ago, he confessed he had a hidden agenda.

SOUTH AFRICA: Public Health Strained by Nurses’ Strike

Striking health workers have continued their work stoppage despite accusations that it endangers patients' lives. They are part of a nationwide strike by public sector workers that has some observers concerned that rising wage demands could harm South Africa's economy.

UGANDA: Unfriendly Nurses and Culture Hinder Male Involvement in HIV Prevention

Irene Wangolo was advised to undergo an HIV test during her antenatal visit and to return to the clinic with her husband so they could be counselled on preventing HIV transmission to their unborn baby. But her husband refused to accompany her saying it was not his business and Wangolo never returned to the clinic in Bungokho in eastern Uganda. So she missed all the services, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).

MALAWI: Women Candidates Hard Hit by Election Postponement

News that Malawi’s November local government elections are to be postponed yet again has hit female candidates hard – and mostly in their pockets. And it could mean that the country will have less female candidates to vote for when they finally go to the polls.

Mali Nomads Flee Drought

Nomadic communities in northern Mali's desert regions are facing one of the most serious droughts of the last twenty years.

Mobile HIV Test Unit a Hit in Congo

"I came here out of curiosity, but I ended up taking an AIDS test. I have the results," Gerard, 30 years old, told IPS. He adds, right before leaving: "The results are negative."

SOUTH AFRICA: Teachers’ Voices Heard in Public Sector Strike

South African teachers - along with other public service employees - have embarked on an indefinite strike over wages. The unions are demanding an 8.6 percent wage increase. Government says it cannot afford to offer 1.3 million striking public servants any more than seven percent.

AGRICULTURE-SOUTH AFRICA: ‘There Is No Dignity’

South African farm workers – especially female labourers – continue to be exploited, despite the existence of national labour laws and regulations designed to protect them. But in the absence of information and education about their rights, workers have a hard time claiming them.

MALAWI: Campaign Against Female Vice President a Campaign Against Equality

The future of women’s political representation in Malawi has come into question as the ruling Democratic People’s Party (DPP) launched a smear campaign against its own member, the country’s female Vice President Joyce Banda. Many had hoped Banda would become the country’s first female president in 2014.

LATIN AMERICA: Gender Struggles and Achievements – for Men

Men in Latin America are increasingly engaged in raising their children, a change that has been largely forced on them by women's self-development. However, men are still a long way from taking on a more equal role in housework, and they are still burdened with the obligation to be the main providers.

KENYA: A Bid to Save Macadamia Crops

Joseph Ndirangu Muriithi is a worried man. After watching the fall of coffee farming in Kenya a decade ago, he now fears that his other cash crop will also go into decline as a new disease preys on his macadamia trees.

SOUTH AFRICA: Climate Change Policy Ignores Women Farmers

When asked if they have already felt the effects of climate change, Mary-Anne Zimri and Katrina Scheepers eagerly nod their heads. The two small-scale farmers say lack of rain this winter has foiled their planting season, ruined their harvest – and drastically slashed their income.

ECUADOR: Small Farmers Sell to Government in “Inclusive Markets”

The powerful middleman threatened them: "I hope it lasts for you. I hope the government buys your beans forever, because I don't want you ever coming back to me!"