Leading to Beijing +20: 12 Critical Areas of Concern — by RDM

The Beijing+20 platform for action has 12 critical areas of concern: women and the environment, women in power and decision-making, the girl child, women and the economy, women and poverty, violence against women, human rights of women, education and training of women, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, women and health, women and the …

Leading to Beijing +20: Female Genital Mutilation — by VLF

The WomanStats team is busy with preparations for the Beijing +20 conference that will be held in New York City next March. As always, we are dedicated to helping policy-makers access the data they need to make informed decisions about women's security. You can bet that we will be at the Beijing +20 conference, doing everything in …

Homeland Cutting: FGM/C in the US

What is FGM/C? Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, or FGM/C for short, is a traditional practice that involves the cutting and partial or total removal of the female genitalia. It is an appalling practice that an estimated 140 million women and girls worldwide suffer from (1). This act is typically performed on young girls before the age …

Penelope in Ethiopia

While coding a document about female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia, I found that the education of women makes no significant difference in the practice of FGM.  The prevalence of FGM according to woman’s level of education is: No education – 80.4% Primary education—78.4% Secondary education—78.2% "The results can only be explained by the social …

Sudan: Law Without Education Falls Short

A new law was passed in Sudan at the end of 2008, marking great strides in the improvement of the status of women, but more than a law is necessary for change. In Sudan, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is now illegal and will no longer be a performed procedure at hospitals and clinics. But in …