Gender News Archive

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Ugandan schoolgirls meet McKinnon and former New Zealand MP Marilyn Waring: Released: 15 June 2007; Lifting millions of Africans from poverty and ending conflicts on the continent should rank among Commonwealth priorities, say pupils
Commonwealth says Uganda on course for CHOGM: Released: 14 June 2007; Facilities likely to be completed on time, Secretary-General says after visiting Kampala
Political commitment is critical to achieving gender equality: Released: 14 June 2007; Only five Commonwealth countries have achieved the 30-plus per cent target of women’s representation in parliament
Commonwealth journalists learn skills on business and gender reporting: Released: 14 June 2007; 8WAMM training programme covered the Secretariat’s Hub and Spokes Project and gender issues in journalism
Invest in search for HIV vaccine says Uganda's First Lady: Released: 14 June 2007; “We must act, and act now”
Women entrepreneurs showcase crafts at Uganda meeting: Released: 14 June 2007; Trade fair a “welcome” opportunity for small businesses to sell to delegates
1406078WAMMCommunique: Released: 14 June 2007
Commonwealth MPs seek special fund for women in leadership: Released: 13 June 2007; Leaders should develop accountability measures such as gender audits to monitor and evaluate efforts taken to increase women’s empowerment in decision-making
Commonwealth must urgently address gender financing: Mozambique: Released: 13 June 2007; Discriminatory laws deny women entrepreneurs a chance to access financial support
Museveni says no equality without transformation: Released: 13 June 2007; Change can occur if poor nations are allowed to process their products and access markets of richer Commonwealth countries, Uganda’s president says

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International Women’s Day is held each year on 8 March. It was first observed worldwide in 1909.

There are 20 women Presidents and Prime Ministers in the world; seven from Commonwealth countries: Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, India's President Pratibha Patil, Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Malawi's President Joyce Banda, Mauritius' President Monique Ohsan Bellepeau and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar.

Currently, 13 Commonwealth countries are in the top 40 for mainstreaming women into Parliaments: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda. Rwanda ranks first with 56 per cent.

A third of African countries have over 30 per cent representation of women in governance.

Following constitutional amendments to reserve a third of all local government seats for women in India, over one million have been elected to the Panchayat Raj (local government)

Each year, more than 500,000 women – at least one every minute – die from pregnancy-related causes. The vast majority of these deaths occur in developing countries. An African woman's lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes is one in 16; in Asia, it's one in 65. In Europe, it's one in 1,400.

Women produce half the world's food, but own only 1 per cent of its farmland.

Past mortality rates for females in child-bearing age groups were higher than males at the same age. This is no longer the case. Female human life expectancy is considerably higher than men.

The first computer programmer was a woman in 1842: Ada Lovelace (1815–1852), analyst of Charles Babbage‘s analytical engine.

The first country to grant women the right to vote was New Zealand in 1893.

700,000 people will experience domestic violence in the UK. 90 per cent are white British females

Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disabilities among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war.

More than one billion people live in extreme poverty, 75 per cent are women and girls.

7 of the top 9 Fortune list of the most powerful businesswomen are from Commonwealth countries.

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Enquiries on our gender work:

Ms Linda Kalindi
gender@commonwealth.int

Media enquiries:

Victoria Holdsworth
+44(0)20 7747 6383
v.holdsworth@commonwealth.int

Gender News Archive

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