Clippings
Afganisthan
Butchered in the name of honour
A man in the Yakawlang District of Bamyan Province, central Afghanistan, raped Maryam, 14, five months ago. Her mother and brother used razor blades to cut the girl open, take out the foetus, and bury it alive to hide the disgrace, according to Habiba Surabi, the governor of Bamyan. Maryam had initially concealed the rape, fearing this could devastate her family and possibly end her own life. But five months later, when it became clear that she was carrying a baby, her family decided to “remedy” the problem. (8th Jan 2009, IRIN)
Laura Bush Meets With US-Afghan Women's Council
For the last time as first lady, Laura Bush has presided over a meeting of an organization dedicated to promoting women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. During the meeting at the White House, U.S.-Afghan Women's Council participants discussed achievements and challenges in the quest to grow the ranks of businesswomen in a historically male-dominated nation. Ever since the United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001, First Lady Laura Bush has taken a special interest in the Afghan people, particularly its women.For years, the country's former Taliban leaders banned women from formal education and did not tolerate women who stood on their own as business proprietors. Mrs. Bush said Afghan women have made great strides in recent years, but much remains to be done."The women of Afghanistan still need a lot of encouragement. We know that, because of years of lack of education, a lack of health care, of extreme poverty, that women in Afghanistan still face many, many challenges," she said. (19th Dec 2008,VOA)
Bangladesh
Landslide win for Hasina in Bangladesh election
Bangladesh’s former premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed won the country’s first election since 2001 in a landslide today, crushing her bitter rival to retake power in the impoverished south Asian nation. The election commission said Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party had won 229 of the 295 seats in parliament counted so far, giving her an overwhelming win in yesterday’s vote with just a handful of results still to be tallied.“She has a clear majority to govern without any other party,” commission spokesman SM Asaduzzaman told. (30th Dec 2008, The Himalayn Times)
Five women lead 10 major ministries
Five women will, for the first time in Bangladesh, lead 10 important ministries, including the defense, foreign, energy and home, for the next five years.The 32-member council of ministers includes five women, including Sheikh Hasina, sworn in as prime minister for the second term. She leads six ministries — energy and power, housing and public works, women and children affairs, religious affairs, defense and establishment — and two divisions — cabinet and armed forces. Dipu Moni, a physician and first-time lawmaker was elected for the Chandpur 3 constituency, is named as the first female foreign minister. Sahara Khatun, elected lawmaker for the Dhaka 18 constituency, has been given the homeministry. Matia Chowdhury, lawmaker for the Sherpur 2 constituency, leads the agriculture ministry, which she was in charge of on Hasina’s cabinet during 1996–2001. Khulna trade union leader Munnujan Sufian, elected lawmaker for the Khulna 3 constituency, has been made the state minister for labour and employment. ( 8th Jan 2009, New Age)
Women move forward but challenges remain
Women in Bangladesh have taken a significant step towards greater equality, chalking up a parliamentary milestone: nearly 20 percent of seats are to be filled by women. Seventeen directly elected female parliamentarians took up their seats on 25 January, and 45 more are set to join them soon, meaning 62 women out of 345 will sit in the unicameral legislature. “Women ministers will wield power and decide the course of action in important areas like law enforcement, international relations and food security,” said Noorjahan Begum, a leading women’s rights activist since the 1960s. Nevertheless, women still have a long way to go in terms of gender equality. Illiteracy, early and forced marriage, high maternal mortality, social and religious restrictions, coupled with instances of torture, abandonment, and limited job opportunities all contribute to the plight of women, women’s rights groups say. (27th Jan 2009,IRIN)
India
Women leaders to hold key
Four leaders from the fair sex would be the flavour of political season 2009. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati, AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and Trinamul Congress’ Mamata Banerjee will call the shots after the Lok Sabha polls. This will be for the first time in independent India that women leaders would be hold such sway in a general election. Even the third front, sponsored by the Left parties, is depending on women power. In fact, the strategy of Mr Prakash Karat to check the two national parties — the Congress and BJP — cannot work if Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati and Ms Jayalalithaa are not with him.The problems for the BJP is that neither of these four leaders is openly with it. Ms Banerjee, which was part of the NDA, has taken ambivalent position.Significantly, women leaders are dominating Indian politics at a time when Parliament has not been able to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill.( 5th Jan 2009,South Asia Media)
Nepal
Low Women Participation in Political Parties
Although 33% reservation was fixed for women in political parties, the parties have not put this into action. Even the major parties of Nepal have very few women. There are 15% women in Maoist, 4% in Nepali Congress, 24% in CPN-UML and 2% in Madeshi Jana Adhikar Forum. (11th March 2009, Kantipur)
Pakistan
Senate panel for enhancing women’s participation in polls
The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to propose amendments to laws to ensure and increase participation of women in the general elections. The committee met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator SM Zafar. It also asked the ministry for proposals to curb illegal practices of banning women from casting votes. The meeting discussed the final report issued by the European Union Election Observation Mission that had pointed out non-participation of women in the elections in certain areas under restrictive agreements. The committee termed it extremely unfortunate and undemocratic on the part of the local leaders in the remote areas of the country, prohibiting womenfolk from exercising their right to vote. (1st Jan 2009,The News)
IRI awards Sherry Rehman title of Democracy’s Hero
International Republican Institute (IRI) has awarded Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman a title - Democracy’s Hero - for her decades-old struggle for the cause of democracy in the country. According to IRI, Sherry Rehman, one of only two women cabinet members in the present government has worked for democracy in Pakistan for decades, enduring personal injuries, threats from extremists and the loss of her close friend and political party leader Benazir Bhutto. As Member of Parliament representing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), former journalist and television anchor, Sherry Rehman worked diligently to initiate democratic reforms and was the architect of several bills in support of press freedom and women’s empowerment. ( 6th Jan 2009, Associated Press of Pakistan)
Sri Lanka
Election Violence Surfacing Again
An unidentified gang is said to have waylaid and pelted stones at a motorcade, which was transporting a group of UNP candidates contesting the provincial council election in the North Central Province and their supporters at Galkulama on Wednesday, police said. Four of the passengers were injured and admitted to the Puttalam hospital.Police said the UNP candidates and their supporters were on their way to Andigama after attending a meeting at Galkuliya.Mundalama Police are conducting further inquiries to arrest the suspects.( 9th Jan 2009,Daily Mirror)News Sources:
Radio Liberty, Human Rights News, South Asia Media Net, The New Nation, Radio Australia, The Hindu, South Asia Monitor, Asian Tribune, Newstatesman, Nepalnews, Final Call News,
The Kathmandu Post
Others
