Reading Room (RSS)

In the aftermath of violence in Kyrgyzstan, women are jump starting peace talks across ethnic lines—and taking the security of their country in their own hands.

"The first time we speak out to take away the anger. The second time we look to the causes of violence. And maybe the third time we have a conversation."

Often called the Switzerland of Central Asia, mountainous and ethnically diverse Kyrgyzstan was once touted as a success case for peaceful coexistence. Now, following violent clashes in June between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, ethnic tension is threatening to topple the stability of the entire region. But, a well-organized and thriving women’s movement could pull Kyrgyzstan back from the brink. Nurgul Djanaeva reports.

Kathmandu (Women's Feature Service) - When Nepal's parliament was assembling to elect a new prime minister in July, very few people noticed that Sharada Nepali, a 39-year-old lawmaker from a minor party, was missing. Away from the television cameras and the excitement in the house, Nepali, a mother of six, was grappling with death in a city hospital; she had tried to kill herself by drinking carbolic acid.

Sexual violence has serious and multiple consequences for the mental health of women.
At the psychological level, it leads to radical changes in the image that the victim has of herself, in her relations with her immediate social circle and beyond, in the community as a whole, and in the way in which the victim sees the past, present, and future.

Almost one in ten women in Armenian has been physically ill-treated by their husbands or partners, according to government research commissioned by a United Nations agency.

Women’s rights campaigners say the Czech Republic’s new government has effectively told women they have no relevance to the country’s future after the new cabinet was formed – without a single female minister.

"Musimy się poważnie zastanowić, jak traktować serwisy społecznościowe w kontekście ochrony danych osobowych. Obowiązujące przepisy prawne pochodzą z połowy lat 90., kiedy technologia stawiała przed nami całkiem inne wyzwania. Wtedy były głównie strony www - statyczne, oferujące dostęp do wybranych przez ich autorów informacji. Dzisiaj wszyscy mogą skorzystać z narzędzi umożliwiających publikację dowolnych treści w sieci. Potrzebny jest przegląd istniejącego prawodawstwa pod kątem wyzwań stawianych przez dzisiejszą technologię."

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