CONFERENCES & OPPORTUNITIES
The International Women’s Program of the Open Society Institute is pleased to announce a 2008 Call for Proposals.  

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNS
Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work, Campaign 2008-2009
Equality without Reservation

NEWS & ARTICLES
GENDER
GENDER RIGHTS
Two Activists (and Two Views) of Women's Rights in Morocco
Code of conduct for Turkish women sparks controversy
Islamic seminary rejects mosques for women in India
In Europe, debate over Islam and virginity
A Triumph for Women at the UN
… and in Yemen, Government body moves to stem female genital mutilation
Law Limits Age Gap Between Spouses to 25 Years in Egypt
Judge Acquits a Man Who Raped a Pregnant Woman in Morocco
Sexually Harassed Student Has Been Arrested in Iran

GENDER ECONOMY
Employers Pushing Women Out of Work Force
First Islamic Investment Holding Company for Women Formed in Kuwait

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
“I Sold My Daughter to Feed the Rest of My Family” – Afghanistan
Woman Murdered by Relatives to “Maintain Family Honor” in Palestine

GENDER & MEDIA
Countering the Negative Image of Arab Women in the Arab Media: Toward a “Pan Arab Eye” Media Watch Project

BOOKS & REPORTS
GENDER
GENDER & SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Women entrepreneurs in the MENA region: characteristics, contributions and challenges

GENDER RIGHTS
The economic imperatives of marriage: emerging practices and identities among youth in the Middle East
HEALTH
Turnover of health professionals in the general hospitals in West Nile region

RESOURCES & TRAINING MATERIALS

DONOR’S PROFILE
Oxfam America

GENDER RESOURCES  
CRTD.A produces documentary on rural women leaders

MANUALS AND TOOLKITS
The logframe handbook: a logical framework approach to project cycle management
Guidebook on Developing Women’s Entrepreneurship and E-Business in Green Cooperatives in the Asian and Pacific Region

CONFERENCES & OPPORTUNITIES
The International Women’s Program of the Open Society Institute is pleased to announce a 2008 Call for Proposals.  
WP invites proposals from local, national, regional or international organizations which focus on one or more of the following objectives… For more information

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNS
Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work, Campaign 2008-2009
The year 2009 is significant in many ways for the International Labour Organization (ILO). It is the 90th anniversary of the founding of the ILO, the 10th anniversary of its gender equality action plan and the year the International Labour Conference (ILC) will hold a general discussion on “Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work”. For more information

Equality without Reservation
Eliminating Discrimination Against Women in the Arab Region
Appeal to all Arab Governments for the Withdrawal of Reservations and the Ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.

NEWS & ARTICLES
GENDER

GENDER RIGHTS
Two Activists (and Two Views) of Women's Rights in Morocco
Saida Idrissi and Nadia Yassine have a lot in common in the fight for women's rights in Morocco. The two advocates battle violence against women while campaigning for their education and the ability to participate in politics. They are nonetheless separated by a divide that makes it impossible for them to work together, weakening the drive for equality in the Middle East. For more information

Code of Conduct for Turkish Women Sparks Controversy
In a website declaration, Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate, the Diyanet, has given a long list of do's and don'ts on how women should behave in public life.
For more information

Islamic Seminary Rejects Mosques for Women in India  
An Indian seminary in the northern city of Deoband has rejected a proposal by the All-India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board for the establishment of separate mosques for Muslim women.
For more information

In Europe, debate over Islam and virginity
As Europe’s Muslim population grows, many young Muslim women are caught between the freedoms that European society affords and the deep-rooted traditions of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.
For more information

A Triumph for Women at the UN
Something happened last week that few papers reported on and which few of us would really grasp as significant in any way. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1820, which said that sexual violence in conflict zones is a matter of international peace and security.
For more information

… and in Yemen, Government body moves to stem female genital mutilation
The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), a government body, has drawn up a national action plan to end the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Yemen. For more information

Law Limits Age Gap Between Spouses to 25 Years in Egypt
The Egyptian authorities have banned a 92-year-old man from marrying a 17-year-old girl, the Egyptian al-Akhbar newspaper has reported. The ministry of justice invoked a law which says the age gap between spouses should not exceed 25 years. For more information

Judge Acquits a Man Who Raped a Pregnant Woman in Morocco
On April 30, 2008 the Court of Appeal in Salé acquitted a man who raped a married, pregnant woman, who is the mother of two children. The woman was the victim of rape at the Avicenne hospital on September 13 by Mr. T. S, an official at the same hospital, while she was having a scan. More Information

Sexually Harassed Student Has Been Arrested in Iran
A female student in the Iranian city of Zanjan who alleged she was sexually harassed by a senior male lecturer - triggering a massive demonstration by her fellow students - has herself been arrested. For more information

GENDER ECONOMY  
Employers Pushing Women Out of Work Force
As Lisa Seftel was planning for her first child, she thought she had struck a good deal with her boss. After the baby came, she'd work three days managing a family-owned consultancy's Manhattan headquarters and two days at home in a New York suburb. For more information

First Islamic Investment Holding Company for Women Formed in Kuwait
The shares of the first Islamic holding company established and directed by women and intended to serve women in the country will soon hit the Kuwait market. For more information

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
 “I Sold My Daughter to Feed the Rest of My Family” – Afghanistan
SHEBERGHAN, 18 May 2008 (IRIN) - Sayed Ali (not his real name) said he sold his 11-year-old daughter, Rabia, for US$2,000 to a man in Sheberghan city, Jawzjan Province in northern Afghanistan to feed his wife and three younger children. More Information

Woman Murdered by Relatives to “Maintain Family Honor” in Palestine
The Palestinian Centre for Human (PCHR) condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of a woman in Rafah on Tuesday 3 June, allegedly to maintain “the honor” of her family. PCHR calls for the perpetrators of all so called ‘Honour Crimes’ to be rigorously prosecuted, and for appropriate legal action to be taken in order to end such crimes. More Information

GENDER & MEDIA
Countering the Negative Image of Arab Women in the Arab Media: Toward a “Pan Arab Eye” Media Watch Project
Media has a powerful effect on people, who subconsciously adopt and internalize attitudes, beliefs, and values presented graphically or textually. Read more

BOOKS & REPORTS
GENDER
GENDER & CITIZENSHIP
New Book on Gender Justice, Citizenship and Development
Gender Justice, Citizenship and Development is a contribution to current efforts to re-energize and re-politicize the gender equality agenda in international development. For more Published by: International Development Research Centre (IDRC). For further information and to read the book

GENDER & SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA region: Characteristics, Contributions and Challenges
This project report aims to provide relevant and focused information on the characteristics, contributions and challenges of women business owners in five Middle East and North African (MENA) countries: Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Through interviews, surveys and meetings, its research produces an executive report for each country. Available online

GENDER RIGHTS
The Economic Imperatives of Marriage: Emerging Practices and Identities Among Youth in the Middle East
The socio-political impact of delayed marriage for Middle Eastern youths
This paper issued by Middle East Youth Initiative, argues that the political economy of youth should be conceptualized through this lens of the “marriage imperative” because the financial investment in marriage takes years to accumulate and influences other key transitions of adolescence, including schooling, employment, education, and identity formation. For more information

HEALTH
Turnover of Health Professionals in the General Hospitals in West Nile Region
This paper, published in Health Policy and Development journal, compares the attrition rates of health professionals in three private not-for-profit and three government general hospitals in West Nile Region, Uganda, between 1999 and 2004. It also examines the destination to which the health professionals were lost, the reasons for their leaving and the source of new staff. Available online

RESOURCES & TRAINING MATERIALS
DONOR’S PROFILE
Oxfam America
Today, CIVICUS would like to acknowledge Oxfam America’s generous support in holding a successful World Assembly. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

GENDER RESOURCES
CRTD.A Produces Documentary on Rural Women Leaders
The Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTD.A) has produced a documentary film on the Women Economic Empowerment Project (WEEP). The film highlights the lives and profiles of rural women in various parts of Lebanon and emphasizes the work of CRTD.A in these areas and its focus on leadership and social and economic empowerment. More Information

MANUALS AND TOOLKITS
The Logframe Handbook: a Logical Framework Approach to Project Cycle Management
This guide summarizes the rationale and essential elements of the logical frame (logframe) for practitioners. While primarily aimed at providing guidelines for World Bank usage, the handbook can also be used by World Bank clients and consultants. Available online.

Guidebook on Developing Women’s Entrepreneurship and E-Business in Green Cooperatives in the Asian and Pacific Region
This document explores the potential for women in entrepreneurship and e-business in the niche area of green or “organic” cooperatives. Direct link to the guide