John Muchangi Njiru, a young journalist from Kenya and one of Women Deliver’s “100 Young Leaders” from 2010 was recently presented with the HIV/AIDS Reporting Award at the 2012 CNN African Journalist Awards. Read more...
Updates
Celebrate Solutions: Making Schools in Zambia Safer Spaces for Girls
August 13th, 2012
By: Harshi Hettige, Women Deliver
Over 600 Zambian girls have been empowered to stand up against violence as a result of the Tisunge Ana Athu Akazi (Lets Protect Our Girl Children) Coalition (TAAAC). The Coalition took action in a country where one-third of girls surveyed reported that they knew of girls who had been sexually harassed by a teacher, and half reported knowing girls who had been exploited by a family member.
Led by Equality Now and with a grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, TAAAC unites Zambian organizations to take action against gender-based violence. Read more...
Partnering with Youth for International Youth Day 2012
August 9th, 2012
August 12th marks the 4th anniversary of International Youth Day, an event organized and adopted by the United Nations. Recognizing the growing role and importance of young people as stakeholders in global development, this year’s theme, “Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth,” is a call to action for organizations and individuals to develop partnerships and involve youth, especially in the areas of education, including sexual and reproductive health; political inclusion; employment; and protection of rights. Read more...
Breakthrough for Women in Senegal’s Lower House
August 7th, 2012
By: Souleymane Faye; Originally Posted on Inter Press Service
A record number of women were sworn in as legislators as Senegal’s new parliament was inaugurated on Monday. Sixty-four women now have seats in this West African country’s 150-member National Assembly, thanks to a law on gender parity. But the breakthrough made by women candidates has relaunched a debate on the quality of their work in the legislature. Elections to the National Assembly, the lower of two houses of parliament, took place on Jul 1, and were comfortably won by the Benno Bokk Yaakaar coalition (BBY), whose candidate – Macky Sall – won the presidential election in March. Read more...
Celebrate Solutions: Berhane Hewan Prevents Child Marriage in Rural Ethiopia
August 6th, 2012
By: Harshi Hettige, Women Deliver
“I hate early marriage. I was married at an early age and my in-laws forced me to sleep with my husband and he made me suffer all night. After that, whenever it starts to get dark, I get worried, thinking that it will be like that. This is what I hate most.”
— 11-year old girl from Amhara region, Ethiopia. Married at age 5, lost her virginity at age 9.
The Berhane Hewan (“Light for Eve” in Amharic) project was established to help girls like this one by providing best practices to protect them from early marriage and supporting those who are already married. Read more...