Gender based violence is entrenched in the strong patriarchal ideologies of control, subversion and subordination of women and girls. Efforts to resists this has mostly been undertaken at individual level. As a result, patriarchy continues to thrive

Brutal crimes of violence against women and girls have massively increased and become pervasive in the country.

South African activists are pressing charges against the South African Jewish Community Security Organization (CSO), the South African Zionist Federation and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) for the recent violent assault of two young women Palestine solidarity protesters (including the daughter of a senior member from South Africa's largest trade union federation, COSATU) . One Palestine solidarity protester was left in a state of concussion due to the assault injuries.

Commission tells Egyptian government to compensate women as well as to investigate the assaults and punish those responsible

Rather than continuing to operate on an exclusive basis, the LGBT movement in Uganda should strive to nurture a multivariate movement for social justice, creating a multi-normative society for their safety and the peaceful coexistence of future generations

In honour of International Women’ Day (8 March), a global examination of the problems and issues facing women in the last few years is presented. In order for these issues to be eradicated, progressive women need to work alongside progressive men for a better world

Victim protection is a critical response measure, but women need to address systemic issues. They need to challenge systems that undermine their ability to participate in decision making and their control over resources

In honor of International Women’s Day the achievements of some remarkable African women in politics, business and literature are celebrated in defiance of the stereotypical depictions of African women

The political economy of care centres on the unpaid work of African women in socially reproducing workers as well as caring for the sick in society. Social mobilization and policy actions to overcome the crisis of reproduction is necessary to address this unpaid work that is vital for the perpetuation of neoliberal capitalism.

href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108642318594291840692">cc C P [/urlThe Saharawi case represents a unique example of women’s inclusion in state-building for an Islamic government-in-exile.

South African women are regularly confronted with systemic sexual harassment, violence, and murder as the recent cases of Shrien Dewani, Anene Booysen and Reeva Steenkamp illustrate. Sustainable development will be unobtainable when women and children are brutalized by violence and any other form of gender based discrimination of which the state has a duty to prevent.

Our country is reeling with shock at the ongoing rape and violence against women, rich women and poor women, white women and black women, by men of all races and classes. And our country is reeling in shock at the levels of corruption. The trial of the Mpsiane's in KwaZulu-Natal has shown just how extreme the situation has become in terms of government corruption. But we are also reeling in shock from the corruption scandals around MTN, the construction cartel and other big corporates that have even go so far as to fix the price of bread.

We would have expected a decent President to announce special courts to deal with rape and violence against women. We would have expected a decent President to announce special courts to deal with corruption. Instead we get special courts for protesters!

Zuma is more like Ben Ali or Mubarak than a true representative of the people. His conduct in his own rape trial was shocking. No one could ever say that he is a leader that has the moral authority to take a stand against corruption. He has militarised the police and said nothing when poor people's movements are openly repressed by the police and the ANC. Now he pretends that violence is coming from protesters when we all know that in most cases it is the police that bring violence into the equation. There is a very long list of protesters that have been killed by the police since 2000. In fact the number stands at more than 70! What kind of democracy is this where the police can kill more than 70 protesters?

CONTACT

Ayanda Kota 078 625 6462 (Spokesperson, UPM Eastern Cape)

Motsi Khokhoma 073 490 76 23 (Spokesperson, UPM Free State)

Despite their endless preaching about human rights to the global South, the so-called developed democracies are themselves blighted by serious violations which they have done little to address

The Fellowship is an opportunity for Kenyan women to design and implement solutions to the challenges faced by their communities.

With an increasing number of women occupying positions of power globally, hopes are rising that these women will use their intellectual property to advocate for full and equal recognition and status for fellow women

Many women in the Lango sub-region continue to live under systematic abuse and severe reproductive health complications as a result of long years of armed conflict.

The detainees are in danger of torture and ill treatment by the security forces. They should be released immediately or formally charged and allowed access to family and lawyers.

While the nomination to key ministerial posts shows commitment of the government to involve women, it must not mask the massive day-to-day persecution of women in Somalia. A drastic ideological change is needed.

Lawmakers moved a step closer Tuesday 13 November to approving a bill that would harshly crack down on gay rights, including banning same-sex marriage and public displays of affection between homosexual couples. The bill which has already been approved by the Senate passed a second reading in the House of Representatives with an unanimous vote and will now see a clause-by-clause review in the chamber at an undetermined date.

Are the rights of women seriously under threat in post-revolution countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya? There are grounds for concern, but it is too early to tell, activists and experts say. 'There is very little that you can say in terms of rollbacks or undermining of women’s rights ... anything specific,' said Liesl Gernholtz, head of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch. Women organised and led some of the demonstrations that toppled decades-old governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen – and helped the rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.