Clippings
Afganisthan
Afghan women now face new dangers
September 2009 (Source: Independent UK) Afghan women can now work and become MPs, but acid is still thrown in the faces of little girls trying to go to school, violence against women is rampant and the Karzai government recently enacted a law which in effect allows men to demand sex or starve their wives. As Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch put it, Karzai made "an unthinkable deal" because he needed to buy the support of fundamentalists in the 20 August elections. The Taliban are not in power, but women can still be sold out because Western-backed politicians, in hock to men whose views on women are just as conservative as the Taliban, don't consider their rights a priority.
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi woman gets key UN post
December 22 (Source: The Independent): Bangladesh national Ameerah Haq has been appointed Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Timor-Leste and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), says a UNDP press release. She is the highest ranking UN staff from Bangladesh and the first woman from Bangladesh to reach this level.
India
AIDWA blames Trinamool, Maoists for West Bengal violence
December 20 (Source: The Hindu):The ground reality in West Bengal is different from what is being projected by the aggressive campaign of the Trinamool Congress-Maoist combine, some civil rights activists and the corporate media, the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) said. A booklet, The Truth Behind the Violence in West Bengal, released here on Saturday said the violence in the State was not a spontaneous upsurge or a no-confidence motion by the Adivasi people but the result of an organised “political vendetta” by right wing and reactionary forces.
Nepal
'Rebels beat state in rights violations'
December 31 (Source: EKantipur): Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari said on Wednesday that the rebel side has outstripped the state in human rights violations during the decade-long conflict. She remarked that none of those involved in the war crime will be pardoned. Minister Bhandari said so in defence of the criticisms against government for its failure to send the accused in human rights violations to the civilian court.
Pakistan
NA enacts law on working women
November 5 (Source: The News):The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2009 which is aimed at making public and work environment safer for women, amid apprehensions from some members that it could be misused, resulting in lesser job opportunities for women.According to the bill, a person insulting modesty of a woman or causing sexual harassment at workplace or public place would be punished with imprisonment which may extend to 3 years or fine up to Rs 500,000 or both
Meeting on CEDAW held
October 22 (Source: The News):The first consultative meeting for Pakistan’s fourth periodic report on Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) implementation was held at Ministry of Women Development on Wednesday. Chaired by Ministry of Women Development Secretary Sarod Lashari, the meeting was attended by all focal persons on the CEDAW implementations from line ministries.
Sri Lanka
