NEWW Polska Online

Housing and Sexual Violence

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

The relationship between sexual violence and housing is multi-layered and complex. Safe and affordable housing is a protective factor against sexual violence (both victimization and perpetration) and a basic need in recovering from a sexual assault. The majority of sexual assaults take place in or near victims’ homes or the homes of friends, relatives, or neighbors. Because of this, many victims wish to relocate after their sexual assaults, but often find they cannot do so because of limited resources. The effects of sexual violence can create an economic downward spiral for many victims, jeopardizing their access to safe and affordable housing. Homelessness increases the risks for both sexual violence perpetration and victimization.

Study: In Brazil, 10 women killed daily in domestic violence

CNN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

According to CNN every day, 10 women are killed in domestic violence cases in a country known for its glorious models. And it takes a high-profile incident - such as the case against a Brazilian goalkeeper who is the prime suspect in the disappearance and murder of a woman - to bring attention to the problem, said Women's Affairs Minister Nilcea Freire.

Ecuador - First Hospital Emergency Room For Victims Of Gender-Based Violence

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

According to official figures, an estimated 83,000 women are victims of psychological or physical abuse, including sexual abuse, each year in Ecuador. This translates to 7,000 gender-based violence incidents per month, and 230 each day. IOM and Ecuadorian authorities, including officials of the Ministry of Public Health, this week opened the first emergency room for victims of gender-based violence in the country.

Lack of housing forces victims of domestic violence in Latin America to stay with abusers

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

The 50-page report, released by the Geneva-based international housing rights watchdog the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), exposes the reality facing women in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, where lack of access to adequate housing, including emergency shelter, prevents victims of domestic violence from escaping their abusers.

Iran – 15 could still die in horrific sentence after being allegedly convicted of adultery.

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

An Iranian woman at a protest in Brussels highlights the barbarity of death by stoning, in which women are buried up to their necks in front of a crowd of volunteers and killed in a hail of rocks. Twelve Iranian women and three men are on death row awaiting execution by stoning despite an apparent last-minute reprieve for a mother of two who had been facing the horrific sentence after being convicted of adultery.

Hotline for safe abortion in Pakistan

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

A coalition of Pakistani women’s organisations has launched a safe abortion hotline with the support of the Dutch organisation Women on Waves and Mama Cash grantee the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership. Women can call the hotline for practical information about sexual and reproductive health in general and about the use of misoprostol, a drug that can be used to induce miscarriage early in pregnancy.

African Women Fight Female Genital Mutilation

NEWW Polska — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

Waris Dirie, an Austrian of Somalian origin, is an inspiration to the many victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), especially in Africa. Born into a family of Somalian nomads, Dirie's genitals were mutilated when she was three years old. She was sold in marriage at 13 years after which she fled Africa. From the heart of the desert to the West, where she became one of the highest paid models, Dirie has come a long way. She has been chosen as the United Nations spokesperson against FGM and is a fierce crusader against the ritual of FGM, calling it one of the biggest challenges facing Somalian women

Women's Economic Opportunity - Index Report

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

An innovative new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit opens a window on to the economic landscape that women face globally and highlights which countries offer the most and the fewest opportunities.

Amnesty International Synthesis Review Of The Stop Violence Against Women Campaign 2004-2010

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

The Stop Violence against Women Campaign was Amnesty International's first long-term global thematic campaign. It lasted six years (from 2004 to 2010), was very ambitious in its scope, and required major shifts in Amnesty International's ways of working.

Measuring Gender Inequality In Africa - Experiences & Lessons From The African Gender Development Index - African Women's Report 2009

WUNRN — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 9:09:40 UCT

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) presents one of its flagship publications, the 2009 African Women’s Report. The report’s theme: Measuring Gender Inequality in Africa: Experiences and Lessons From the African Gender and Development Index, is opportune as African countries are being urged to improve their statistical systems and data collection methods to respond to development concerns. This includes the need to accelerate gender equality in the social, economic and political fields. The central message of the report is that gender equality cannot be adequately implemented and monitored without appropriate data.