African women look within for change

October 30, 2009 Society No Comments

(CNN) — Grammy-winning singer Angelique Kidjo joined human rights activists to demand courts martial for troops who publicly gang raped women in the streets of the West African country of Guinea last month.

It’s part of a strong message against rape that Kidjo, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and activist Leymah Gbowee are spreading to the women of Africa, the governments of Africa and the rest of the world.

“I refuse any man to stand here and justify rape to me, because every girl, every woman that is raped is their mother, their grandmother that they are raping, their sister and their daughter,” Beninese singer Kidjo told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Friday.

“And we cannot sit back — I can’t just accept it, and I’m never going to accept it in my life’s breath.”

Governments, international and regional groups “have failed the women of this world,” said Gbowee, founder and executive director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa.
… Continue Reading

Search This Site:

Archives

Stats

  • Categories: 10
  • Entries: 647
  • Words: 391,151

Featured Content:

Madagascan bird declared extinct

May 26, 2010

London, England (CNN) — The Alaotra Grebe, a small diving bird native to Madagascar has been officially classified extinct, according to a leading bird conservation organization. BirdLife International reported that the species, once found on Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in Madagascar, declined rapidly due to carnivorous fish being introduced to the lake and the [...]

10 things we have learnt about Africa

April 15, 2010

The Pew Research Center has just released one of the biggest ever studies on attitudes to religion and morality in Africa, which has revealed a host of interesting facts. Here are 10 things we have learnt from the study, which surveyed 25,000 people in 19 countries. 1. 75% of South Africans think polygamy is “morally [...]

Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt

February 28, 2010

A colossal red granite head of one of Egypt’s most famous pharaohs has been unearthed in the southern city of Luxor, officials said. The 3,000-year-old head of Amenhotep III – grandfather of Tutankhamun – was dug out of the ruins of the pharaoh’s mortuary temple. Experts say it is the best preserved example of the [...]

Octopus snatches coconut and runs

December 14, 2009

An octopus and its coconut-carrying antics have surprised scientists. Underwater footage reveals that the creatures scoop up halved coconut shells before scampering away with them so they can later use them as shelters. Writing in the journal Current Biology, the team says it is the first example of tool use in octopuses. One of the [...]

25 years on, Bhopal still suffers from gas leak tragedy

December 2, 2009

Bhopal, India (CNN) — T.R. Chouhan walked solemnly through the rusted remains of the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. “I come here frequently,” he said. “We used to work here, and now this is the condition of the plant. So it feels really bad.” Chouhan was a 10-year veteran employee of the plant [...]

Glaciers disappearing from Kilimanjaro

November 2, 2009

(CNN) — The ice and snow that cap majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are vanishing before our eyes. If current conditions persist, climate change experts say, Kilimanjaro’s world-renowned glaciers, which have covered Africa’s highest peak for centuries, will be gone within the next two decades. “In a very real sense, these glaciers are being decapitated [...]

‘Lipstick Killer’ behind bars since 1946

October 24, 2009

Dixon, Illinois (CNN) — William Heirens, the “Lipstick Killer,” is believed to be the longest-serving inmate in the United States. He turns 81 on November 15. Diabetes has ravaged his body, but his mind is sharp. “Bill’s never allowed himself to be institutionalized,” said Dolores Kennedy, his long-time friend and advocate. “He’s kept himself focused [...]

Study: States can’t afford death penalty

October 20, 2009

WASHINGTON (CNN) — At 678, California has the nation’s largest death row population, yet the state has not executed anyone in four years. But it spends more than $130 million a year on its capital punishment system — housing and prosecuting inmates and coping with an appellate system that has kept some convicted killers waiting [...]

Odd facts about Nobel Prize winners

October 9, 2009

It’s Nobel Prize announcement week, and if you had Carol W. Greider, Elizabeth Blackburn, or Jack Szostak in your office pool, you’re off to a good start (the trio will share this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine). As we await news of the rest of the winners, here are some stories about past Nobel laureates. [...]

Report: More than 1M preemies die in first month annually

October 4, 2009

(CNN) — More than 1 million babies born prematurely die each year before they are a month old, the March of Dimes said Sunday in the first comprehensive global report on premature births. The organization suggested the situation could worsen if the rate of premature births increases. Each year, 12.9 million infants — or nearly [...]

Calendar

October 2009
M T W T F S S
« Sep   Nov »
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  

Sponsor

Recent Comments:

  • Mad American: I would be willing to bet this project would have been much different if the scientists had to pay for it out of their own pockets. Its so easy to sp...
  • Mad American: Does no one else think this is a rediculous waste of money. We are in a recession, yet we can spend $80 Million to crash into the moon... which may a...
  • Skinny Dipper: Direct NK and US negotiations is a victory for North Korea. From Pyongyang's view, the US will be negotiating with the "one true" Korea....
  • KatieP: Awesome news about women's boxing in the 2012 London Olympics. Australia should field some strong contenders....
  • M Stein: Race is a sociological concept, not a biological category,” This is just a lie. There are readily identifiable clusters of points, corresponding t...

Popular Content: