Women’s News

March 21, 2018

WNC Board Meeting: Commemorating International Women’s Day

On February 17th, 2018, dozens of dedicated members of our growing international network convened in Paris, France, to discuss areas of strategic focus for the year ahead. The session opened with an address by WNC’s distinguished Vice-President, Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi and Chairperson of Women Power Connect, a national level organization of women’s groups in India. Before opening the floor to the exchange of ideas on pressing social, economic and political issues, […]
March 14, 2018

What it Means to be a Rural Woman

  The rural sectors of the world are some of the most hidden places; but the women who live there are even more invisible. Rural women lack opportunities and rights, rendering them silent, especially those within rural areas of large cities. Forty-three per cent of the agricultural workforce across the world is made up of women, yet they lack the same access to tools, credit, agricultural materials, and chains of high-value crops that men have, according to the United Nations […]
March 7, 2018

This Year’s IWD pays Tribute to Rural Women

Violet Rusu International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated worldwide on March 8 to acknowledge the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe. The UN-recognized event is celebrated annually on March 8 with a different theme. This year’s topic is, Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives, paying homage to the rural activist women who are often overlooked on the global stage. In comparison to their urban counterparts, rural women fare worse regarding discrimination […]
February 14, 2018

Homage to Pakistani human rights champion Asma Jahangir

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistani human rights campaigner Asma Jahangir, who faced death threats by fighting for unpopular causes and was jailed in the 1980s for her pro-democracy work during military rule, died on Sunday in Lahore. She was 66. Accolades for the fiery activist, whose name was virtually synonymous with human rights in Pakistan, poured in from political and legal figures. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lauded her “immense contributions towards upholding rule of law, democracy and safeguarding human […]
January 22, 2018

Women of Iran Protests: A Call For International Solidarity

With the recent surge of protests across Iran, many political observers were left bewildered, both by the timing and the nature of the grievances expressed throughout the country. Others, with ears closer to the ground, were quick to point out their mistake: Iran-watchers have long looked to Tehran’s cosmopolitan elite while neglecting concern for the country’s expansive working-class. Indeed, popular dissent first broke out in the city of Mashhad, Iran’s second most populous city, before spreading to places like Arak, […]
December 8, 2017

Event on Gender based violence and human rights

A very important symposium was held at the University of Amsterdam on December 8, 2017 entitled: “Gender based violence and human rights: international perspectives.” The panel discussion focused on to which extent does international law affect domestic implementation in the domain of policy and legal measures regarding gender based violence? Which future directions should be prioritized? National and international experts reflected on developments in international regulation of gender based violence. The morning program addressed global developments. The afternoon program focused on […]
November 28, 2017

Tribute to Françoise Héritier

Françoise Héritier (15 November 1933 – 15 November 2017) An emeritus professor, Françoise was the Chair of Comparative Studies of African Societies at Collège de France (a prestigious institution) from 1982-1998. She was the successor of Claude Lévi-Strauss and was also influenced by Alfred Radcliffe-Brown’s work. Her work focused mainly on the theory of alliances and the prohibition of incest. Héritier became interested in anthropology in the late 1950s while she was still a student of history and geography with […]
November 26, 2017

To end violence against women, we must unite!

To end violence against women, we must unite! Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today. Gender inequality persists worldwide. Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will require more vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter deeply rooted gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms.
November 14, 2017

Iceland: Tops countries on equal pay

Iceland is a model in many areas, whether environmental or economical. For the 10th consecutive year, the country maintains its first position on equal pay, according to the Global Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum in November 2017. One of the reasons for this top ranking is the recent parity law adopted last March which requires companies to prove by 2020 that women earn the same salary as their counterparts for the same job, otherwise, companies will […]