Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Urgent Call for African Food Sovereignty Movements to Connect with Radical Feminist Movements on the Continent Mariam Mayet, Stephen Greenberg and Linzi Lewis of the African Centre for Biodiversity Africa is facing dire times. Climate change is having major impacts on the region and on agriculture in particular, with smallholder farmers, and especially women, facing drought, general lack of water, shifting seasons, and floods in some areas. Small holder women farmers are at the cold face ... MORE > >

Break the Menstrual Taboo Tharanga Yakupitiyage It is time to rise up and fight a long neglected taboo: menstruation. Marking International Women’s Day, United Nations human rights experts called on the international community to break taboos around menstruation, noting its impacts on women and girls’ human rights. “Persistent harmful ... MORE > >

Island Women Take the Lead in Peatland Restoration Stella Paul Eluminada Roca has lived all her life next to the Leyte Sab-a Basin peatlands. The grandmother from of San Isidro village in Philippines’ Leyte island grew up looking at the green hills that feed water to the peatland, she harvested tikog—a peatland grass to weave mats—and ate the delicious fish ... MORE > >

Protecting Women’s Space in Politics Isabelle Arradon Women human rights defenders around the globe are facing heightened threats of violence and repression. Sometimes they are targeted for being activists, and sometimes just for being women. World leaders should do much more to secure space for women’s safe participation in public life. In early ... MORE > >

Smart Tech Will Only Work for Women When the Fundamentals for Its Uptake Are in Place Ibrahim Thiaw Science and technology offer exciting pathways for rural women to tackle the challenges they face daily. Innovative solutions for rural women can, for example, reduce their workload, raise food production and increase their participation in the paid labour market. But even the very best innovative, ... MORE > >

International Women’s Day in Cameroon: A Day for All Women? Sarah Rayzl Lansky On March 8, women all over Cameroon will don custom-made dresses sewn of pagne, specially printed for International Women’s Day. They will parade through cities and towns, joining women around the world in celebration of the day. International Women’s Day, which the United Nations officially ... MORE > >

Decent Work Still a Distant Dream for Many Latin American Women Mariela Jara Women in Latin America earn one-fifth less than men for every hour worked, on average - one of the statistics that reflect the continuing inequality in the world of work that makes it unlikely for the region to meet the goal of equal pay by 2030. Hugo Ñopo, a Peruvian economist with the ... MORE > >

The Future Women Want: Free of Violence Maureen Kangere Bakera excelled in school. As a girl who grew up in a rural, poor community, she had, against all odds, realized her education goals and was elated to go to the capital city, Kampala where she would now work. She had studied Statistics – a field where women were few. She knew many girls and ... MORE > >

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY - Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change IPS World Desk In an increasingly connected world, innovation and technology should provide unprecedented opportunity. But the truth is alarming, as trends indicate a growing divide. Every year, an estimated 15 million girls under the age of 18 are married worldwide, with little or no say in the ... MORE > >

International Women's Day Needs to Return to its Radical Roots Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Ana Ines Abelenda The theme for International Women’s Day this year doesn’t resonate with us. #BalanceForBetter brings to mind slow gradual change, and assumes that if you provide women and girls with equal access then the society will automatically be better. We know that’s false. Access to a broken capitalist ... MORE > >

Latin American Women Programme Their World against the Digital Divide Fabiana Frayssinet Designed mostly by men, many digital applications are not suitable for women, but some initiatives are beginning to include them as programmers and beneficiaries in Latin America, where the gender gap is also technological. Melina Masnatta of Argentina, co-founder and executive director of ... MORE > >

Women’s Feature Service: Mapping the Struggles of Feminism in India Shiwani Neupane Pamela Phillipose was editor of the Women’s Feature Service, the only syndicated news service in India with a gender perspective, for nearly six years, until she stepped down this year as editor in chief and director. She wore other hats for the publication as well, writing and ... MORE > >

International Women’s Day: Don't Let Anyone Tell You How Far You Can Go Leire Gurruchaga Iraola The data – with its sexism and its gaps – shows us that many of the barriers girls experience are determined merely by their gender. This inequality, present in all societies, is by far the most widespread bias. At Educo we are determined, like the women and girls we work with, to put a stop to ... MORE > >

Criminality, School Dropout and Gender Equality Jan Lundius I assume it was the Swedish author Stieg Larsson´s Millenium trilogy (2005-2007) that generated the popularity of Scandinavian Crime Fiction, as well numerous movies and TV-series that followed in its wake. A typical Nordic Noir novel takes place within a gloomy landscape of dreary towns, or a ... MORE > >

Three Ex-UN Leaders Form Women’s Group to Save Multilateralism Dulcie Leimbach As multilateralism takes a beating from President Trump amid the “new world disorder,” as one European diplomat put it, three women who know the United Nations inside and out through previous top leadership jobs have originated a Group of Women Leaders for Change and Inclusion. The goal is to ... MORE > >

Violence Fuels Mobilisation by Women against Brazil's Anti-Gender Equality Government Mario Osava Crime, a key issue in far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's election in Brazil, has a dimension that is gaining in visibility and could turn against his government: gender violence. Elaine Caparroz, a 55-year-old landscaper, was beaten for four hours in the early hours of Jan. 16 in her own home. ... MORE > >

A Global Imperative: Empowering Women is Critical for World’s Economy & People Christine Lagarde March 8 marks International Women’s Day, which provides a chance to reflect on the struggle for greater gender equality. The roots of this annual event reach back more than a century, yet its focus on respect and opportunities for women remains strikingly relevant today—from sexual harassment ... MORE > >

Education Key to Gender Equality in Asia & the Pacific Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Equal rights have been demanded and promised for generations, but last year a shift occurred in the women’s movement. Across Asia and the Pacific and around the world, women demonstrated to condemn a status quo which continues to deprive too many women and girls of respect and equal opportunity. ... MORE > >

UN Accused of Failing to Move Aggressively Against Sexual Abuse Thalif Deen The United Nations, which prides itself with a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, has come under relentless fire for failing to match its words with deeds—specifically in relation to some of the high-profile cases that have jolted the Organization. There have been ... MORE > >