Global News Post: Women's Issue

India: Gang-Rape Victim Flown to Singapore

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">An Indian woman who was the victim of a gang
rape and brutal beating earlier this month in New Delhi has been flown to
Singapore for further treatment, while the government pledges to focus on the
issue of women's safety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The 23-year-old arrived at <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>'s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mount</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:placename>
 <st1:placename w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placename></st1:place> early Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">B.D. Athani, medical superintendent at the
Indian hospital where she had been treated, said the woman has already
undergone three operations and remains in critical condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Based on the advice of a team of
doctors, the government of India has made arrangements that the patient be
shifted in a well-equipped air ambulance to a renowned hospital identified by
the doctors, involving minimum journey so that she can be provided with
state-of-art medical treatment that may perhaps stretch to many weeks," he
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Athani says the hospital in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region> has
an advanced multi-organ transplant facility, and that arrangements have been
made for the woman's family to accompany her there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She was traveling on a charter bus December
16 when a group of men on board raped and beat her with an iron rod and then
threw her from the bus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Police have arrested six alleged attackers,
who are accused of rape and attempted murder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a
development conference Thursday that attacks against women happen "in all
states and regions" and require greater attention from national and local
officials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The safety and security of women is of
the highest concern to our government," saidn Singh. "A commission of
inquiry is being set up to look into precisely these issues in the
capital."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> cannot have meaningful
development without the active participation of women, and that their security
must be assured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The attack has sparked widespread protests
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>
urging the government to address crimes against women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One panel announced by the government
Wednesday will review the police response to the attack, while another will
suggest ways to make the capital safer for women as well as changes to the law
to create stiffer penalties for such crimes. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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India: Gang-Rape Victim Flown to Singapore

An Indian woman who was the victim of a gang rape and brutal beating earlier this month in New Delhi has been flown to Singapore for fu...

Over a Billion Women Lack Safe Sanitation

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By
Joe DeCapua<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_-PICEJmq205_oIMDGHxtw8qujOtjp1K_9h8wbrqY85ROhX6p4leFNhe_f89QuRSew1offptyOEIoSw66zWwRW9058ISyR-Tdozoghy1N8WJKQLy6ySc1HixcltvqHaGWO0fjcogjqI/s1600/007D07BE-E70B-4A2E-A6E9-F2F636F3CEFA_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy5_cw0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_-PICEJmq205_oIMDGHxtw8qujOtjp1K_9h8wbrqY85ROhX6p4leFNhe_f89QuRSew1offptyOEIoSw66zWwRW9058ISyR-Tdozoghy1N8WJKQLy6ySc1HixcltvqHaGWO0fjcogjqI/s320/007D07BE-E70B-4A2E-A6E9-F2F636F3CEFA_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy5_cw0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Aminata Rabo, of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Burkina Faso</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
lost a son to chronic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">diarrhea and a daughter to
malaria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Credit: Water Aid</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo © VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">November
19th is World Toilet Day. It’s estimated that more than a billion women lack
access to safe sanitation. The NGO WaterAid says a lack of adequate toilets
puts women at risk of shame, disease, harassment and even violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">WaterAid
Chief Executive Barbara Frost said governments need to invest a lot more in
sanitation to improve women’s health and livelihoods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“On
World Toilet Day, the message that WaterAid is putting out is that one in three
women still don’t have a decent toilet. And what that means is that they have
to wait until it’s after dark to go out and find a safe place to relieve
themselves – a threat to their health, to their security, to their safety,” she
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She
said the problem is particularly bad in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>,
where seven out of ten women have no access to a safe toilet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Women
and girls bear the brunt of poor sanitation and not having a decent toilet. And
many girls drop out of school at puberty because there isn’t a safe place for
them to wash when they’re menstruating. And also women spend so many hours
looking after their children, who are sick as a result of diarrheal diseases,”
she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">WaterAid
commissioned a survey in five slums in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Lagos</st1:city>,
 <st1:country-region w:st="on">Nigeria</st1:country-region></st1:place>. It
indicates that in the last year one in five women have experienced verbal
harassment or intimidation, or were threatened physically, when going to the
toilet. The NGO said studies in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Uganda</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kenya</st1:place></st1:country-region>
have similar findings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Frost
added the lack of sanitation has other tragic consequences as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Every
day 2000 mothers lose a child as a result of waterborne diseases, which is a
terrible trauma and tragedy. And many other women are having to stay at home
looking after their children, who’ve got diarrheal diseases as a result of
drinking unsafe water or using poor sanitation,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">WaterAid
has programs in 27 countries in Africa, <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>
and the Pacific region. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Over a Billion Women Lack Safe Sanitation

By Joe DeCapua Aminata Rabo, of Burkina Faso , lost a son to chronic diarrhea and a daughter to malaria. Credit: Water Aid P...

INDIA: Don’t Give Mobiles to Girls - BSP MP

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MUZAFFARNAGAR
(NNN-PTI) -- A BSP MP has kicked off a controversy by saying that girls should
not be given mobile phones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Don't
give mobile phones to children, especially girls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">I
say this at all the places where I make my speeches. And if any of these kids
have a mobile, take them away. What are they missing anyway? What are the girls
missing without mobile," Rajya Sabha MP Rajpal Singh Saini said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Our
mothers, sisters.. Did they die if there were no mobiles during their time,"
he said addressing party workers here last night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Saini
also reportedly conveyed this view to a man who sought his help after his
daughter had eloped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
BSP leader told him that the mobile phone was the main cause behind his
daughter's elopement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
BSP leader's comments come months after a panchayat in Baghpat had banned love
marriages and barred women below 40 from going out for shopping and using
mobile phones outside their homes. --NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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INDIA: Don’t Give Mobiles to Girls - BSP MP

MUZAFFARNAGAR (NNN-PTI) -- A BSP MP has kicked off a controversy by saying that girls should not be given mobile phones. "Do...

INDIA: Rise in Serious Crimes against Women

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Serious crimes against women have increased in the last few years and proper measures should be taken to penalise offenders, Home Minister Sushil kumar Shinde said Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The minister also called on the police force to take stern measures in keeping tabs on child trafficking, Press Trust of India reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Serious crimes against women have increased during the 2009-11 period. We<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">need to adopt appropriate steps for swift and salutary punishment to persons found guilty of violence against women," Shinde said while addressing members of the police force at an annual conference here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"And in 2011 alone, about 60,000 children were reported to be missing in the country," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed a 'Track the Missing Children Portal' which has been successfully piloted in West Bengal over the last three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The portal will be made available to all police stations and child care institutions in the country to enable faster detection of matches of lost and found children.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Home Minister urged police chiefs to increase the number of women in their respective organisations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"The overall representation of women in the police force should be increased through affirmative action as there are only 83,829 female police in the country as of January this year," he said. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: Rise in Serious Crimes against Women

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Serious crimes against women have increased in the last few years and proper measures should be taken to ...

Men and Women in South Africa Still Not Equal: Minister Xingwana

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">PORT ELIZABETH (SOUTH AFRICA) (NNN-SANEWS) -- While South Africa has recorded great strides in the quest for women empowerment and gender equality, there was still persistent inequality between women and men, says Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The problem was compounded by the continuing practices of patriarchy and sexism, Xingwana said at a gala dinner to honour women judges on Friday night. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She told the gathering in the Eastern Cape, organised by the International Association of Women Judges, that her department remained concerned about the slow pace of transformation in the judiciary to include more women on the bench. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Quite often, when we talk about women representation on the bench, we are told that there are no women to appoint. This is an insult to all women in the legal profession," Xingwana said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She believed that women were as competent as their male counterparts. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The real reasons behind such assertions are the stereotypes that influence the perception of the world around us."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">South Africa's first female Judge President was only appointed two years ago when President Jacob Zuma approved the nomination of Judge Monica Leeuw to lead the North West High Court in 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Xingwana now wants to see 50-50 gender parity in the judiciary. Her address was a strong call for South Africa to do more to ensure that women took their rightful place in the country's courts. It was also seen to be reflective of the frustration felt by many at the perceived slow pace of transformation in key sectors of governance and the economy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The pursuit of race and gender representation is not an idle numbers game, but a constitutional imperative... [The Constitution] requires that when appointing judicial officers, the need for the judiciary to reflect broadly the racial and gender composition of South Africa should be considered."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Given the fact that women constituted 52% of the population of South Africa, it was reasonable to demand that the judiciary should progressively realise the 52% women representation on the bench, said Xingwana.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As a country that had made great strides since the attainment of democracy in 1994, South Africa should be careful of "attempts to reverse some of the gains we have made in this direction," the minister warned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I call on women judicial officers to become vocal on matters such as these so that together, we can ensure that the agenda of women empowerment and gender equality is consolidated and advanced."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Turning her focus to the issue of violence against women, Xingwana moved to underscore that government had done fairly well in tackling the war against gender-based violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cabinet had approved the establishment of the National Council against Gender-based Violence, which is a high-level, multi-sectoral national response to the scourge. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, the minister expressed confidence that the work of the council would lead to a significant reduction in the incidents of violence against women and children. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The council will be launched later this month. It will, among other things, review and monitor the implementation of the existing 365 Days National Action Plan on No Violence against Women and Children, which was adopted on 8 May 2007. -- NNN-SAnews<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Men and Women in South Africa Still Not Equal: Minister Xingwana

PORT ELIZABETH (SOUTH AFRICA) (NNN-SANEWS) -- While South Africa has recorded great strides in the quest for women empowerment and gender ...

Women Make History on Day 7 of London Games

Women Make History on Day 7 of London Games

By VOA News Fans at the 2012 London games witnessed history Friday, watching as several countries fielded female athletes for the very fi...

Is Marriage An Obsolete Institution?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By   <a href="http://www.groundreport.com/dchaitanya"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">D. Chaitanya</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Quite a good majority of urban educated and employed women believes it as ‘yes’. Women are born free, but still their freedom is shackled under the guise of marriage, through out their life. Even though the shackles of marriage were broken by the hard-core feminists long ago, it is only today majority women around the world are realizing the importance of physical freedom to them unrestrained by the institution of marriage. Today they either prefers to be single or to have only live in relationships with a view not to lose their natural freedom. Increasing education and good employment opportunities are infusing confidence among the educated women that they are no more dependents on men. They firmly believe that marriage thoroughly hinders their physical movements and restricts their freedom of thought and do not want to mortgage their unrestrained freedom of movements for the institution of marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even in traditional societies like India, now a days certain sections of educated young women prefer dating, live in relations, or temporary physical relations for amusement, instead of being capitive in life long marriage. This is apparent if you see the ‘dating’ and ‘singles’ portals, where millions of employed urban educated women seeking relationships with men for temporary economic support or physical satisfaction. Dating and friendship are preferred over marriage, by majority such young employed women as traditional domination of men in the guise of husbands, over the women, is no more tolerated issue now a days..  The matrimonial, dating, friendship sites in India show the number of Divorcees or separated or 35+ unmarried women keeping their profiles, but they remain unmarried even after they crossed 40+ years, because, their preferences, tastes are not liked by majority men as still 90% of Indian men seek that their life-partner must be like a traditional obeying wife to the husband, in spite of her good education and employment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Indeed, candidly speaking women lose their freedom as every husband often looks her wife with suspicion, if she freely talks or interacts with any other man, in his presence or in his absence. This ‘suspicion’ is the very fundamental issue where women think that they lost their freedom with the marriage and being trampled by husband. Her mind gets grilled between respecting the traditional role as a typical wife and her values, and accepting modern thinking based on equal rights, freedom of thought and movements unrestrained by any force. In this chaos, majority educated women preferring the ‘freedom’ over the ‘marriage’.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But still the hypocratic human societies are imposing the system of marriage on the women of which women are unable to come out legitimately. Any physical relationship if women established with a man, beyond marital purview, is being considered by human society and law, as illegitimate relation and on par with prostitution. This is the greatest obstacle that is forcing the women into the institution of marriage.  If chance gets several married men often enter into physical contacts with other women out of lust or for physical amusement. But, if a married women enters into physical contact with another man, she will be called as ‘characterless’ and a ‘debachee’ and she will be given up by the husband.  That hypocratic and discriminatory image what the modern women want to avoid by avoiding the very marriage itself. Without entering into the matrimonial relationship, if a woman does have any number of secret contacts she can not be questioned in general by anyone, and her freedom of life remains intact.  That freedom, infact women wanted even after the marriage, but the society is not accepting this and calling it as illegitimate. So, even today the women’s struggle for absolute freedom is going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Her mind and movements are being controlled in the guise of institution of marriage for which the ‘husband’ is the Ruler and wife is ruled. Now the rebellion is “why should we be ruled by the husbands”? “If we enter into the marriage we will be ruled, if we do not enter into the marriage we can not be ruled by men and our freedom remains untouched” this is the changed trend in women attitude, which is not digestible to men. Even if laws relating to equal rights, freedom etc., are enacted for physical control of the bodies, human mind and thoughts can not be controlled by the law and legal bodies. That freedom unrestrained by law or other humanly controls are being desired by the women. Therefore for majority sections of educated women institution of marriage has become outdated. They need something new institution.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Will Plato’s communism of wives works out for those sections of modern women? Surveys and debates have to be conducted by bigwigs on this topic, to minimize the psychological sufferings of women and to increase their freedom. ---<a href="http://www.groundreport.com/Lifestyle/IS-MARRIAGE-AN-OBSOLETE-INSTITUTION/2947071"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Groundreport</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Is Marriage An Obsolete Institution?

By D. Chaitanya Quite a good majority of urban educated and employed women believes it as ‘yes’. Women are born free, but still thei...

Indian Women Migrants Vulnerable to Exploitation in Gulf: UN

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) - Indian women, who form the third largest female migrant workforce from South Asia in the Gulf, often end up in vulnerable situations while working for employers as justice is out of their reach, a latest UN report says.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The report, titled 'Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf', said migration of women from South Asia to the Gulf was likely to increase despite conditions that could lead to exploitation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"It is also likely that women migrants will continue to encounter discrimination and exploitation at different phases of the migration cycle, in both sending and receiving countries," Press Trust of India quoted the report as saying. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The report was also critical of provision that made it mandatory for female emigrants from India to have completed matriculation or be of 30 years of age. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"Though it was initiated with the objective to protect the rights of workers, anecdotal evidence indicates that the provision not only restricts the rights of women to work but also promotes unregulated migration, where female workers end up in more vulnerable situations," the report said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In 2010, about 6.45 million female migrants originated from South Asia, with Nepal having the highest number of migrants followed by Sri Lanka and India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Saudi Arabia received the highest proportion of Indian migrant workers to the Gulf region in the same year. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The report said recruitment in Gulf countries was usually carried out under the kafala system where contracts were very individualised and made women workers highly dependent on their employer. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"Insufficient pre-departure orientation makes single women migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation and human rights abuse, as they are often duped by agents or employers," the report added. -- NNN-BERNAMA</span></div>

Indian Women Migrants Vulnerable to Exploitation in Gulf: UN

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) - Indian women, who form the third largest female migrant workforce from South Asia in the Gulf, often end u...

‘SABLA’ Scheme Expected to Benefit about 100 Lakh Adolescent Girls Every Year

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">New Delhi (PIB) --- As many as 100 lakh adolescent girls per annum are expected to be benefitted under the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG)–‘Sabla’ scheme- of the Government. The centrally-sponsored scheme was introduced in 2010-11 on a pilot basis in 200 districts in all States and UTs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Against the allocation of Rs. 340 crore for the year 2010-11, a sum of Rs. 330 crore (approx.) were released to States/UTs. The year 2011-12 was the first complete year of implementation of the scheme, against the allocation of Rs. 750 crore in 2011-12, Rs. 561.11 crore have been released to States/UTs for implementation of the scheme. As reported by States/UTs, coverage for nutrition under Sabla in 2011-12 was 84.82 lakh adolescent girls. An allocation of Rs. 750 crore is made for the scheme for 2012-13. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This was stated by the Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

‘SABLA’ Scheme Expected to Benefit about 100 Lakh Adolescent Girls Every Year

New Delhi (PIB) --- As many as 100 lakh adolescent girls per annum are expected to be benefitted under the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empower...

India Has New Map to Make Travel Safe for Women

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- An exclusive travel map for women will become reality soon, aiming to help women avoid travelling after dark to places where incidents of eve-teasing and sexual abuse against women are high, Press Trust of India (PTI). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A state map marked with dots highlighting the 'shady places' is an initative being launched as part of the Nirbhaya project under the social welfare department, is the brainchild of Jagjeevan N, the former head of gender self learning programme. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He said that to collate data required for such a map, the Kudumabsree workers of all panchayats will collect information on incidents of eve-teasing and attacks against women from their respective wards with the help of cops and the excise department. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The information for the map would be collected through survey forms that would be distributed in all houses in the locality. Prior to the distribution of survey forms, a list of different kind of issues would be prepared," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Kudumbasree workers will collect information and then categorize it on the basis of the nature of crime. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After data is collected from ward, they will compile it and then it will be superimposed on the map of the ward. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Each kind of crime will be differentiated from one another by the colour of the spot. Incidences of sexual assault will be marked red. Yellow, blue, orange, and green colours would also be used," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even though the draft plan is yet to get a final nod of the government, five panchayats in Malappuram have already started mapping crime against women on a trial basis. The Kudumbasree workers of Areekode, Alankode, Vandur, Kalikavu, and Moothedam are now being trained to carry out the survey. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sibin P Paul, gender resource person and coordinator of Kudumbasree, Malappuram, said workers will be directed to specific wards based on the number of crime cases reported from different areas in panchayats. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The data would also be collected through Ayalkoottams, schools, and Kudumbasree meeting and, it will be coordinated by the panchayat-level Jagratha Samitis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Apart from this, the maps will make people aware of the crime status of their native villages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The map will help women identify the places that are more dangerous tovisit and the places where they should be more careful while travelling," said P K Thomas, executive director in-charge of Kudumbasree Mission. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According to sources at the district office of social welfare department the map will highlight spots even in rural areas and will ensure safety for children too. The crime mapping is also likely to help authorities take pre-mptive steps to prevent violence in the marked areas. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India Has New Map to Make Travel Safe for Women

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- An exclusive travel map for women will become reality soon, aiming to help women avoid travel...

India: Rape of Girls Inside Juvenile Home Comes To Light

India: Rape of Girls Inside Juvenile Home Comes To Light

ALLAHABAD (NNN-PTI): In a shocking incident, the alleged rape of at least three girls aged less than 10 years inside a state-run juvenile ...

India and Brazil Sign Statement of Intent for Promotion of Gender Equality and Advancement of the Rights of Women and Children

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPpvhH-yRvbBVDhyphenhyphenh2ksjChHuArnfFGsNyTJaBRdmN56jf-1QFerx7SSNeR0_e5L1Nwo_wExhDcxb6DpUdqi65XPZtm_9hSeKeQ7nw1sE7ydL5Gz6NAf1NbjLj9l4pUk8H0vnj2zylY0/s1600/l2012033039997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPpvhH-yRvbBVDhyphenhyphenh2ksjChHuArnfFGsNyTJaBRdmN56jf-1QFerx7SSNeR0_e5L1Nwo_wExhDcxb6DpUdqi65XPZtm_9hSeKeQ7nw1sE7ydL5Gz6NAf1NbjLj9l4pUk8H0vnj2zylY0/s320/l2012033039997.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PIB Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">New Delhi (PIB) --- India and Brazil signed a statement of intent for promotion of gender equality and advancement of the rights of women and children, here yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the statement both the countries will work towards formalization of a Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement (MoU/A) which will address several issues regarding promotion of gender equality and advancement of the rights of women and children in the two countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) will be formed which will be headed by representatives of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, India and Secretariat of Policies for Women of the Federative Republic of Brazil and comprise representatives of other Ministries, Departments and Organizations as these may be co-opted by the signing parties. Details of the JWG will be worked out within ninety days from the declaration of this statement and its meeting alternatively in both the countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As its first activity the JWG will include an Action Plan that includes the identification of actions at different levels aimed to achieving the following- <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">a.       Economic empowerment of women; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">b.       Inclusive education; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">c.       Advancement of the rights of children; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">d.       Egalitarian, pluralistic and inclusive participation of women in spaces of power and decision making including political leadership; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">e.       Equality of women in the workplace; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">f.       Skills development and skills up-gradation of women and adolescents; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">g.       Improvement of living conditions and overall health of women and children; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">h.       Women’s access to civil documentation, in rural and urban areas; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">i.       Eliminating discrimination and violence against women; and such other goals within the purview of this Statement as the competent authorities may agree upon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Moreover, the countries also agreed to provide mutual cooperation in terms of exchange of visits and sharing of information and experience through publications, workshops, seminars, conferences, trainings and video conferences; sharing of best practices; promotion of civil society co-operation; establishment of joint institutions, projects and other joint mechanisms, as the competent authorities may agree upon regarding these objectives. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In addition to this, both the countries agreed to work towards promotion of the value of education as a fundamental tool to achieve empowerment, participation, inclusion, tolerance and respect for diversity by which they are characterized; achieve health for all women and children; condemn all acts of violence committed against women and children and join forces to fight gender based violence in any of its manifestations, within the framework of the international agreements and of the respective national legislations in force; and to take steps to increase egalitarian, pluralistic and inclusive participation of women in positions of power and decision-making at national and regional level. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The countries also stated their intent to pay special attention to the inclusion of women in economic processes, promoting their economic empowerment and focusing on women who live in conditions of extreme poverty; promote information exchange between the countries to eliminate discrimination against women and to achieve gender equality, as an essential step to achieve more inclusive societies, where women can participate on equal terms with men in political, social and economic spheres of both countries; and continue to promote gender equality through mainstreaming gender in all public policies taking into account especially the circumstances that characterize vulnerable groups of women. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India and Brazil Sign Statement of Intent for Promotion of Gender Equality and Advancement of the Rights of Women and Children

PIB Photo New Delhi (PIB) --- India and Brazil signed a statement of intent for promotion of gender equality and advancement of the righ...

All Women Power on Board Air India

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSY0XQa34LKdMo61_x_hA7Jk4jqX25V65nVFlYDYRaaAvOZjw85zdmJw5v4-QhbhcT0FWSfxG1-OL1vcD9D5sO5mNZD_nAWabNINW6HUVvYTi6Ec5qBKbgfey7KgX6-rMuQpym93NfHs/s1600/2012030814254677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSY0XQa34LKdMo61_x_hA7Jk4jqX25V65nVFlYDYRaaAvOZjw85zdmJw5v4-QhbhcT0FWSfxG1-OL1vcD9D5sO5mNZD_nAWabNINW6HUVvYTi6Ec5qBKbgfey7KgX6-rMuQpym93NfHs/s1600/2012030814254677.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Bouquets for Air India’s all women crew at Chennai airport as head towards the aircraft on an international flight. The national carrier, marking the International Women's Day, is operating all women crew international flights to one city in each of the three continents namely USA, Europe and Asia March 8, 2012. The three flights operated from Mumbai will include an ultra long haul flight AI 191 to Newark, AI 131 to London and AI 342 to Singapore. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On the domestic routes the airline’s subsidiary, Air India Express, will operate three flights, two on the Delhi -Chennai route and the other Delhi-Kathmandu route. Air India has more than 5,000 women employees on its workforce. Photo courtesy thehindu --- NNN<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

All Women Power on Board Air India

Bouquets for Air India’s all women crew at Chennai airport as head towards the aircraft on an international flight. The national carrier,...

More Work Needs to be Done to Empower Women, Says Indian President

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil lighting the lamp at the<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Stree Shakti Puraskar, 2011 presentation ceremony, on the occasion of<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">International Women’s Day Celebrations, in New Delhi on March 07, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Women and Child Development,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Smt. Krishna Tirath is also seen.</span>PIB Photo<o:p></o:p></i></div></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">  </span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- Appreciating the extraordinary roles played by women in different spheres, President Pratibha Patil said more works needs be done to empower women to make them self sufficient, reported Press Trust of India (PTI).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"Women can play an important role in focusing on issues related to gender inequality, ways to eliminate poverty and on social practices that are disadvantageous to the development and empowerment of women and the girl child. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"Women's empowerment is an important field where more work, needs to be done," Patil said in her message to the International Women's Day, to be observed on Thursday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Pointing out its importance, she said the day is to celebrate the spirit of ordinary women, who have played extraordinary roles in shaping their families, communities, society and countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"At the same time, it is a day to reflect on the progress made in achieving the goal of all-round development of women, and of implementing a pro-active agenda of change," the President said, while greeting them for their continuing role and relentless effort in shaping the destiny of country. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

More Work Needs to be Done to Empower Women, Says Indian President

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil lighting the lamp at the Stree Shakti Puraskar, 2011 presentation ceremony, on the occasion ...

Women need to lobby to eliminate their invisibility in Higher Education: Dr. Sen

Women need to lobby to eliminate their invisibility in Higher Education: Dr. Sen

On 7th March 2012, in a seminar for the celebration of World Women's Day at the Heritage Academy Kolkata, Dr. Madhumita Sen, Head of t...

Do Women Take Too Much Initiative in Love?

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Svetlana Kolchik<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Are men hunters no more? Is it up to women nowadays to make the first move?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">These questions popped up in my head after the latest issue of the Russian Marie Claire came out and our magazine once again turned into a large 24/7 dating agency. Traditionally, in the month of February, we run the Top Bachelors of the Year project. We publish a selection of eligible single guys' photos, along with their brief interviews, and provide a special email at which the readers could then contact the men they liked via the magazine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">This year, we featured fifty men, ages ranging from 21 to 45, about a third of them coming from the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> and Western Europe, and the rest from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. As always, there was no shortage of men – despite all the stereotypes, there're plenty of good unattached guys out there. The project was a huge hit: since the day the Marie Claire had hit the newsstands, we've been getting dozens of emails daily, girls writing from all over <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region> and even from abroad. Some of them are in their 20s, but most – in their 30s, elaborating in their messages about how well they'd done career-wise so far but how much they'd like to start a family now (the majority had left their cell numbers to apparently speed up the process). Most women had their photos attached, some rather risque. A few had written up to ten identical emails, asking us to forward those to different guys. Others sent actual letters sticking into the envelope a cinema ticket or a hot exhibit invitation for their preferred bachelor. “Here's my work address for a bouquet to be delivered,” one girl wrote to the guy who had mentioned in the interview that he enjoyed giving flowers to women.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">With my mailbox getting seriously overloaded with megabytes of flirty blondes, brunettes and redheads, I began to freak out. Russian females have always been regarded as strong inside, but soft and feminine on the outside. Perhaps it's one of the main reasons Western men still fancy them so much. With a project like that, aren't we undermining our femininity flair a bit, letting the girls not only choose, but chase as well? What's the incentive for a guy to pursue a girl if the prey is already out there, nearly desperate to be taken? I've heard a lot of complaints lately from women across the world about men becoming passive and lacking initiative in a relationship. And in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the country where beautiful women are so plentiful, the girls lament about the men being plain spoiled. Isn't it us, females, who're spoiling the opposite sex in the first place?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Back in the 90s, when I started going out, the celebrated The Rules Book, by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, two bored <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> housewives-turned bestselling authors, became my Dating Bible. The book, which sold millions of copies worldwide and is still considered one of the all-time most popular relationship manuals, called for a return to old-fashioned gender games, where males were supposed to be the hunters, period. Don't speak to a man first, don't ever call a man, never tell a man what to do and let guys do all the chasing, otherwise you go against nature and it never works, the writers insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As ridiculous as they sounded, I tried following those Rules religiously for some time. Sometimes it worked, but more times it left me frustrated, and the guys - suspicious of too much scheming involved. So I kind of gave up any rules, letting the relationship evolve more like a dance, where both sides make the steps at the right place and time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">I called a few of this year's bachelors to see how they felt about women initiating things in relationship. The guys I spoke to didn't seem to mind. “It's not that easy to meet a right person these days, so you do need some facilitation,” one guy said. “And, if you do get together with a girl, in the end it doesn't really matter who made the first move.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Times have evolved, and the old dating approach no longer works,” another guy mused. “Modern women just go for what they want, and I see nothing wrong with it.” This guy, a successful good-looking Western 33-year-old businessman who's worked in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city> for about ten years, surely doesn't lack female attention here. Still, he seemed quite happy to take part in the Marie Claire bachelors issue. “It's easier than easy to find a girl in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>, but it's very difficult to find a relationship,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">And he's definitely right. Otherwise we wouldn't have such an easy time finding a load of singles for this project each year. It's also true that while being all too willing to find a mate, we, girls, remain quite selective when it comes to making a choice. Just as another bachelor stressed, “No matter how generous the supply, you still ought to behave like a man with a girl, otherwise you get dumped soon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The views expressed in this column are the author’s and may not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">*<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Russia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has always been referred to as feminine and Russian women have been one of the most popular stereotypes of this nation, both positive and negative. But is this an all-male fantasy? Here is a hip, modern, professional and increasingly globalized Russian woman looking at the trends around her, both about her gender and the society at large. She talks and lets other women talk.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Svetlana Kolchik, 33, is deputy editor-in-chief of the Russian edition of Marie Claire</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">magazine. She holds degrees from the Moscow State University Journalism Department and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has worked for Argumenty i Fakty weekly in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city> and USA Today in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Washington</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place>, and contributed to RussiaProfile.org, Russian editions of Vogue, Forbes and other publications</span></div>

Do Women Take Too Much Initiative in Love?

By Svetlana Kolchik Are men hunters no more? Is it up to women nowadays to make the first move? These questions popped up in my head af...

Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Abdoulaye Bah<o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvIGa6ppPajBTlreDc37bLSBsfUcD1PMJIq8tIxqe0ptclr4QisC6dJYlvsYo-KbYGDtJI-S3nY17VWvPjEYAN-EWQ4AwVwklM6ypEhWJ7YUvcwpwcz22C1SJoArEwWf2n0QMwWkPSE/s1600/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvIGa6ppPajBTlreDc37bLSBsfUcD1PMJIq8tIxqe0ptclr4QisC6dJYlvsYo-KbYGDtJI-S3nY17VWvPjEYAN-EWQ4AwVwklM6ypEhWJ7YUvcwpwcz22C1SJoArEwWf2n0QMwWkPSE/s320/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><st1:place w:st="on"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">Europe</span></i></st1:place><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;"> - Satellite image : Creative commons<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><a href="http://www.groundreport.com/GlobalVoices"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Global Voices</span></a></span></i></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> ---<b>Nowadays, it is a common occurrence to witness African-born women having successful careers in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>. Despite the evident challenges, many of them have also distinguished themselves in politics. Still, it was not so long ago that such success would have seemed impossible. To achieve greatness, these women have often come a long way, both literally and figuratively.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In order to better appreciate the progress made, one needs to think back to the 19th century and consider the image of black women in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> then. For the purpose of this article, we will only address the story of women from the African Diaspora who have been elected to positions of leadership in countries other than the colonial powers that previously ruled their home countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A history of racism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The story of the “Hottentot Venus” is symptomatic of the relationship between the West and African women in the last two centuries. Sébastien Hervieu, an Africa correspondent for Le Monde newspaper in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, tells the story of Sarah Baartman from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>, better known as the “Hottentot Venus”. In an article published in October 2010 in his blog afriquedusud.blog.lemonde.fr, he reviews [fr] Abdellatif Kechiche's [fr] film about her tragic story, Black Venus:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At the beginning of the 19th century, this servant was brought to <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> and became a fairground attraction because of her prominent physical attributes. Some “scientists” used her presence to support the theory that the “black race” was inferior. When she died at only 25, her genitals and her brain were placed in jars of formaldehyde. Her skeleton and a molding of her body were exhibited at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Man</st1:placename> in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>. It was only in 2002 that <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> agreed to return Sarah Baartman's remains to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>, thereby drawing to a close a long running legal and diplomatic imbroglio [fr].<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sarah Baartman died in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city> on 29th September 1815. More than 100 years later, the Khoïkhoï people in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> called on Nelson Mandela to demand the restitution of Sarah's remains. The demand was met with the refusal of the French authorities and the scientific community citing the inalienable heritage of science and the state, but <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> eventually repatriated the body to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> where, in accordance with the rites of her people, it was purified and placed on a bed of dried herbs which were set alight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Norway</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Two centuries later, the position of black women in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> has drastically changed. Amongst others, many have now been elected to political office.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> is one of these women, and one of the most interesting because she shows the contradictions that still exist within some countries. She had to step down from a ministerial post in the Norwegian government just four months into her job. An article on Grioo.com sets out her career [fr]:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Born in Martinique, 44 year old Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen gained her post as Minster for Children and Equality in the centre-left Norwegian government on 18th October 2007 […] She is married to Terje Osmundsen, a politician and member of the Norwegian conservative party. After their marriage she took Norwegian nationality and renounced her French nationality as the country does not allow dual nationality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In an interview with Patrick Karam from the website fxgpariscaraibe.com in 2008 she explains [fr] some of the things that played in her favour in being appointed and why she stepped down following a controversy over an alleged conflict of interest in the hiring of a political appointee:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> there must be parity of representation between the two sexes within the administrative councils, with a minimum of 40% women. We are also pursuing a policy which encourages men to take more responsibility at home, leaving women able to pursue a career. I also worked on child endangerment, violence, abuse… I worked for four months without criticism and it was a real success. The criticism began with the appointment of an ombudsman for children. In hindsight everyone can see it was something being made out of nothing. I gave in to the power of the media."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sweden</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Nyamko Sabuni [fr] is a former minister in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region>, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Born in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Burundi</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1969, her father fled the country due to persecution. She was elected to the Riksday as a member of the parliament in 2002, and at 37 years old became a Swedish government minister from 2006 to 2010. An article published on congopage.com sets out [fr] her progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In 1981, at the age of 12, she arrived in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region> with her mother and three of her brothers and sisters. There she was reunited with her father, an opposition politician imprisoned several times in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Congo</st1:place></st1:country-region> (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), who had come to the Nordic country with the help of Amnesty International.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Netherlands</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Born in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region></st1:place> in 1969 and circumcised at the age of 5, Ayaan Hirsi Ali went to a Muslim girl’s school. Subjugated by her parents, her clan and her religion up to the age of 23, she took advantage of a trip to visit family in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> to flee and escape a forced marriage. Taking refuge in <st1:city w:st="on">Holland</st1:city>, she adopted Western liberal values to the extent that she became a young member of parliament in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">The Hague</st1:place></st1:city> and declared herself to be an atheist. After having worked in the country's social services she knows, at first hand, the horrors tolerated against women in the name of multiculturalism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A fierce opponent of some of the aspects of Islam and African traditions that go against basic human rights, she founded an NGO whose aims are set out, on her website Ayaan Hirsiali in the following terms:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"In response to ongoing abuses of women’s rights, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her supporters established the AHA Foundation in 2007 to help protect and defend the rights of women in the West from oppression justified by religion and culture."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success

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