A mother comforts her child as he receives tetanus and diphtheria vaccinations provided by the World Health Organisation. Credit: UN Photo/Sophia Paris

By Marguerite A. Suozzi

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 3 (IPS/TerraViva) Women in Haiti are more vulnerable than ever to attacks on their dignity and gender-based violence after the massive Jan.  12 earthquake crippled the already struggling nation. Continue Reading

UNIFEM Executive Director Ines Alberdi says the fund has channeled 30 million dollars to projects that combat gender violence. Credit:UN Photo/Mark Garten

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 1, 2010 (IPS/TerraViva) – The 45-member Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), presiding over one of the largest gatherings of women at the United Nations, listened Monday to dozens of speakers spelling out the successes and failures of gender empowerment worldwide.
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Secretary-General Addresses Event on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. UN Photo:Paulo Filgueiras

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 18, 2010 (IPS) – The statistics relating to the world’s socially and economically-distressed women are staggering.
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Maya Yadav (L) mobilises women for gender awareness activities. Credit:Nitin Jugran Bahuguna/IPS

By Diana G. Mendoza

MANILA, Feb 17, 2010 (IPS) – Women and poverty still share an uncomfortable spot on the development matrix of countries across Asia-Pacific that are struggling to end deprivation, according to the newly launched third joint report of the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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Primary health care in Uganda is increasingly entrusted to community-based workers: is the strategy safe? Credit: Charles Akena/IRIN

Isaiah Esipisu

KAMPALA, Feb 22 (IPS) – A severe shortage of highly-trained medical personnel is one of the many challenges to providing health care at a local level across Africa. Task shifting – permitting less-specialised people to carry out certain functions – is one proposal to over come this, but it is meeting resistance. Continue Reading

By Zofeen Ebrahim

KARACHI, Feb 8, 2010 (IPS) – As Kanwal Gul, 25, lay on the delivery table a year ago, preparing to give birth to her first child, she made sure the traditional birth attendant (TBA) assisting her knew exactly what to do. Put on the gloves, she instructed her.
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By Milagros Salazar

Marina Huamani digging a ditch with other villagers from Padre Rumi in Peru’s highlands region. Credit:Milagros Salazar/IPS

PAUCARÁ, Peru, Feb 7, 2010 (IPS) – Although Huancavelica is the poorest region of Peru, it has more than just poverty, malnutrition and unmet needs. There are also women using their creativity, efforts and traditional indigenous knowledge to improve the diets of their families and communities. Continue Reading

By Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi

Many Ugandan parents are still too afraid to test their children for HIV. Credit:Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi/IPS

KAMPALA , Feb 4, 2010 (IPS) – HIV-positive Justine Kirumira* is a mother torn between doing what is right for her daughters and her own fear of HIV/AIDS. She suspects that her eight and 12-year-old daughters may also have the virus. But she may never know the truth of their status because she refuses have them tested.
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