02 May 2023 - NPWJ News Digest on FGM and Women's Rights

Articles

The disproportionate impact of climate change on women
ORF, 01 May 2023

The climate crisis – a planetary phenomenon that impacts all people – has become one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. Marginalised groups such as racial and ethnic minorities, and those belonging to lower socioeconomic backgrounds, however, experience the effects of climate change more intensely. But among these marginalised groupings, it is the women who experience the most detrimental as well as disproportionate effects of climate change. Therefore, they need to be placed at the forefront of climate-adaptation strategies in times of pressing climate variability and ongoing change.

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Empowering African women leaders is key for health equity
Springer Nature, 01 May 2023

The African Union has committed to gender equity for the continent. Yet women are underrepresented in education, in the workplace and in leadership positions. We must act now to achieve gender equity and combat existing structures of discrimination. We propose actions to help women to get there, stay there and thrive as leaders. Today, women and girls still face disadvantages in access to education, work and opportunities to contribute to the development of our societies through leadership. A pathway to change the current ecosystem, which undermines the potential of African women, is needed.

 

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Rwanda: Institution of Engineers Calls for Gender Equality in Hiring Process to Boost Women's Employment
AllAfrica, 01 May 2023

The survey by the Institution of Engineers Rwanda (IER) recommended capacity-building and awareness to ensure that employers get an understanding of gender equality. The recommendation was made on Friday April 28 2023, during the stakeholders' engagement meeting after presenting the findings of the survey on the challenges faced by women engineers in practice. The purpose is to enhance women's employment in engineering – considering that the profession is male-dominated – and to establish robust frameworks and policies to counter any potential harassment against women, creating inclusive hiring processes, building an enabling environment, a clear policy on discrimination, as well as prioritising work-life balance.

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Afghan Women Demand Justice From World Leaders: “Talk To Me, Not About Me.”
The Khaama Press, 01 May 2023

The “Talk to Me, Not About Me” letter was prepared by 21 Afghan civil society and women’s organizations in response to the Doha meeting, where the UN and other nations will discuss recognition of the Taliban. They expressed their outrage over the Taliban’s recognition on Sunday, April 30, while Afghan women, members of civil society, and media organizations remain denied access to fundamental human rights. The letter states, “As Afghan women and members of civil society and media groups, we are outraged that the UN or any of its Member States would consider recognizing the Taliban, a terrorist group whose deeply repressive regime has systematically sought to erase more than half of the population from society.”

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CAMEROON: WOMEN'S LAND RIGHTS REMAIN IN LIMBO
Fair Planet, 01 May 2023

Women's ownership of land in the country remains taboo. But environmentalists point out that the fight won't end by eliminating misogynistic customary laws. Meanwhile, some men allocate meagre plots of land to women in their family, who then carry out farming and livestock breeding. But this applies only to a privileged few who live in urban centres and are financially secure enough to purchase and own land.

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New State Secretary for Gender Equality and Opportunities appointed
The Brussels Times, 30 Apr 2023

Marie-Colline Leroy has been appointed Belgium's Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity on Sunday, replacing Sarah Schlitz who resigned earlier this week. The Royal Palace confirmed in a statement that 39-year-old Leroy, who was the House Chair of the Social Affairs Committee and member of the French-speaking Green party Ecolo will be the new State Secretary for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity. She will be sworn in on Tuesday.

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Women’s rights at stake as India’s population surpasses China’s
NBC News, 29 Apr 2023

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by the end of this month, with an estimated 1.43 billion people, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The U.N. Population Fund previously said that India would have almost 3 million more people than China by the middle of this year. Though population growth is slowing in both countries, India’s youthfulness — about two-thirds of its population is under the age of 35, according to the International Labor Organization — means it will continue growing for decades. This has experts warning that women from Indigenous groups, lower castes and other marginalized communities often face greater obstacles in making their own reproductive decisions.  

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