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Wednesday, August 19, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Reproductive and Sexual Rights
CHILE: Despite Decline in Fertility, No Drop in Teen Pregnancies
The life of Yasmín Inostroza, 19, provides a sadly typical portrait of Chile's 85,000 teenage mothers.HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: Preventing History From Repeating Itself
For children in Mozambique who are orphaned by AIDS, burying parents may simply signal the start of their battle with the pandemic. All too often, these orphans also find themselves amongst those most at risk of contracting HIV.CULTURE-SWAZILAND: Sugar Daddies – The Bitter Truth
"People who don’t know me see this stylishly-dressed young woman driving a nice car, and they think, ‘Isn’t she lucky? She has a rich man as a lover to give her things’," says Angela Shabalala as she manoeuvres her blue BMW sedan onto a highway leading to the Swazi capital, Mbabane.BANGLADESH: Bleak Future Awaits Sex Workers’ Children
When asked his mother's name, four-year-old, bright-eyed Jowel ventures softly, ''Ma''.HEALTH: AIDS Research Skewed Toward African Tragedy
The tragic situation in Africa has led AIDS researchers to ignore the realities of other regions of the world, including Latin America, local activists stressed at the end of a major international conference held here this week.SPAIN: Gay Marriage Takes Root Despite Opposition
The recent legalisation of same-sex marriage in Spain is taking root, in spite of continued opposition from conservative parties and the Catholic Church.RIGHTS-CAMEROON: When Husbands Become Pimps
Business at the numerous money transfer agencies in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, is typically a brisk affair. Of the many people who frequent the agencies, one group is of particular interest, however: the husbands of women who have gone abroad to earn money from prostitution.RIGHTS: Gay Ex-Ministers Preach Acceptance
When Steven Parelli and José Ortiz were evangelical ministers, they tried desperately to "cure" their homosexuality through religious support groups, which merely added to their feelings of guilt and depression.HEALTH-SWAZILAND: A Message to Teenagers – Take Charge!
A new advertising campaign aimed at curtailing teenage HIV rates by promoting abstinence is using a combination of traditional and modern values in its appeal to Swazi youth.HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Two High-Profile Campaigners Tackle AIDS
Former South African president Nelson Mandela and United States First Lady Laura Bush campaigned in two South African cities this week against the spread of AIDS.WOMEN-CUBA: Nobel Peace Nominee Defends Diversity
Nearly 20 years ago, when Lizette Vila began to work in Cuba with the disabled, transvestites, people living with HIV and alcoholics, she avoided talking about minorities, because "the word in itself was a kind of discrimination."HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Keeping Mom Alive Is the Best Medicine
It is tempting to call it a "no brainer": the idea that attempts to prevent transmission of HIV from mothers to children should be matched by initiatives to keep these mothers alive after they give birth./ARTS WEEKLY/FILM: Indian Cinema Examines Lesbian, Gay Themes
A city known for film literacy and great directors like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen this eastern metropolis witnessed something unique recently - a film award instituted on the theme of gay rights.HEALTH-NAMIBIA: “Wanted by Many People” – Cared For by Few
"It's the wrong profession to be in," says Father Herman Klein-Hitpass, with a nervous chuckle.ASIA: Dons Take Second Look at Gay, Lesbian Studies
Dede Oetomo, an openly gay Indonesian anthropologist, quit his post at a major university in his country when his request for a new academic programme - a masters degree in sexuality - was turned down.HEALTH: Asian Homemakers Now at High-Risk for HIV/AIDS Infection
Pheng Pharozin, 25, a soft spoken Cambodian woman was happily married with an infant daughter when she tested positive for HIV two years ago.RIGHTS-INDONESIA: Protests Rise Against Draft Anti-pornography Bill
A planned anti-pornography bill is drawing protests from activists who fear that the legislation could end up infringing on human rights in this largely Muslim country of 216 million people.SPAIN: Gay Marriage Law for a ‘Decent Society’, Says Prime Minister
The legalisation of gay marriage in Spain will make it possible to build a decent country, "because a decent society is one that does not humiliate its members," Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said Thursday.RIGHTS-MEXICO: Pride Parade Highlights Continued Discrimination
Anhalí is putting the final touches on the devil costume she plans to wear for the Pride Parade this Saturday in the Mexican capital, which is expected to draw around 60,000 members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.HEALTH-SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS Orphans – a Silent Tsunami
Twelve million and counting: that is the number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This figure is expected to double by 2010.REFUGEES-KENYA: Contraceptives – Both Needed and Scorned
As the international community marks World Refugee Day, a Somali woman's tale of how she helped fellow refugees terminate pregnancies has highlighted the shortcomings of reproductive health care in refugee camps.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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