id21 Gender

Improving women’s control over agriculture halts famine in Southern Africa

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:14:55 +0000

Southern Africa suffered severe drought in 2001 and 2002. In some areas food aid took a year to arrive. But, whilst hunger did occur, the predicted severe famine did not. Women played an important role in preventing starvation

Why do community members volunteer in Malawi?

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:43:14 +0000

Many people in developing countries take time to support their communities through volunteering, despite being burdened by poverty and household responsibilities. There has been little analysis of the motivations of community volunteers in developing countries. Understanding why people volunteer is crucial to recognising and supporting the work they do

Improving staple crop boosts women’s influence in northern Nigeria

id21 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:17:37 +0000

Research from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, based in Nigeria, looks at how programmes to improve cowpea have benefitted women in Kano and Kaduna, two states in northern Nigeria. These states are home to the Muslim Hausa tribe

Income inequality and nutritional status for India’s women

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:01:11 +0000

Economic growth does not always improve nutrition for everyone. Diseases of poverty and wealth often co-exist in rapidly-developing economies. Data from Indian women show that income inequality increases the risks of both obesity and under-nutrition

Half of all tuberculosis cases in Malawi remain unidentified

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:55:29 +0000

In 2005, the Malawi National Tuberculosis Control Programme began changing its role from directly implementing TB control activities to primarily focusing on policy and guidelines development, mentorship of district staff and monitoring and supervision. This change was in line with concept of the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) which the Ministry of Health embarked upon from 2004. Central to the SWAp is the need to improve equity in access to services, a key factor in tuberculosis care. This study assesses the programme’s success in reaching the most vulnerable groups.

Stigma and deviance obstruct HIV/AIDS initiatives among female sex workers

id21 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:43:10 +0000

Female sex workers are key targets for HIV/AIDS initiatives, yet the shame and blame surrounding them impedes attempts to contain the disease. The social structures specific to different locations, as well as the home cultures of female sex workers, shape the discrimination they face and the effectiveness of health initiatives targeting them.

Women, food security and nutrition in South Asia

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:32:54 +0000

2007/07 - id21 [Food production has increased across South Asia, both for local consumption and for export. However, many women and children face increasing levels of malnutrition and food insecurity. Empowering women is central to ensuring food and nutritional security in the region]

Reinforcing unequal gender relations in Zambia

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:23:13 +0000

2007/10 - id21 [Mobile phones affect more than just communications. They can also reinforce society’s unequal power relations. A three-year study in Zambia looks at this, partly in terms of relationships between husbands and wives]

Women's literacy training using ICTs

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:10:20 +0000

2007/10 - id21 [About 18 percent of adults worldwide remain illiterate, the majority of them women and mostly from the poor sectors of society. How common is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for women’s literacy training and what strategies can help ensure a project is successful?]

HIV and AIDS deny African women property rights

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:58:09 +0000

2008/08 - id21 [Property grabbing from widows and orphans has long been common practice in Africa. With the escalation of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, the social and economic vulnerability of widows has increased. Without action to boost their rights, the rate at which African women are being deprived of their property will also continue to increase]

Difficult choices for widows in Namibia

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:39:08 +0000

2008/10 - id21 [Given the importance of the institution of marriage, the death of a husband can dramatically affect the lives of women across sub-Saharan Africa. Despite legislation promoting their inheritance rights, many widows in Namibia struggle to cope. Their situation could improve if they marry again but often, remarriage is not desirable or possible for women]

Reducing maternal mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:40:45 +0000

2008/08 - id21 [The fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) aims to reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent between 1990 and 2015. Which strategies are most likely to achieve this? A study in Bangladesh involving the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine aims to fill the knowledge gap]

Trouver son chemin : ce à quoi les femmes enseignantes aspirent dans le Nord du Pakistan

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:09:53 +0000

2008/08 - id21 [Les femmes qui enseignent dans le Nord du Pakistan sont confrontées à des obstacles culturels considérables. Une recherche menée par l’Université Aga Khan analyse les expériences que vivent les femmes qui tentent de construire leur carrière enseignante au sein d’une société patriarcale et la façon dont elles trouvent un équilibre entre leurs différents engagements]

Making sure women’s empowerment helps children in India

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:21:59 +0000

2008/07 - id21 [Development practitioners increasingly see women’s empowerment as central to reducing poverty. Microfinance programmes are being enthusiastically adopted worldwide to promote such empowerment. In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh over five million women have formed self-help groups, but little is known about what impact this has on child welfare]