Friday Files

FRIDAY FILE: Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in Zimbabwe are routinely arrested, unlawfully detained and subjected to ill-treatment whilst in prison, all for engaging in peaceful protest. AWID tries to unravel the complexities of the context in which they work to understand how WHRDs are affected by politically motivated violence, the land reform process and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

FRIDAY FILE: The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill, which criminalizes the transmission of HIV and AIDS in cases where a person is aware that they are HIV positive, was tabled in Uganda’s Parliament in 2010. The Bill has a number of adverse human and women’s rights implications.

FRIDAY FILE: Conflict, violence, famine and natural disasters are just a few reasons why women are forced to flee their homes and become displaced. To better understand the situation of women refugees and internally displaced women in Africa, AWID interviewed Yifat Susskind, MADRE’s Executive Director.

FRIDAY FILE: Four years ago, in 2007, a Brazilian judge prosecuted 1,500 women for procuring abortions.[i] That same year, a twenty-year-old woman, Ana María Acevedo, died in Argentina of cancer-related complications because her doctors refused to treat her; she was pregnant and an abortion might have saved her life.[ii]

FRIDAY FILE: About 20 months ago, Chile was shaken by its worst catastrophe in 50 years. For the majority of those affected, reconstruction has been a very slow process and is another unresolved problem that the Sebastian Piñera government has. 

FRIDAY FILE: The 2011-2012 UN Women Report “Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice” analyzes women’s access to justice, from legal frameworks to justice for women during and after conflict.

The Maputo Protocol is a ground-breaking women’s rights legal instrument that expands and reinforces the rights provided in other human rights instruments. The Protocol provides a broad range of economic and social welfare rights for women. Importantly it was produced by Africans and pays attention to the concerns of African women.

The 12th Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Gathering (EFLAC or Encuentro) will take place in Bogota, Colombia, November 23-26. This meeting space, which was started 30 years ago[1] has attempted to be diverse and plural, and has undoubtedly been provocative. AWID spoke to Virgina  (Gina) Vargas*, about the history of the Encuentros and the importance beyond the regional focus. By Gabriela De Cicco

AWID spoke to Ana Cristina Gonzalez, member of the Strategic Steering Commission, about the objectives and expectations for the upcoming “12th Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Gathering” (EFLAC or Encuentro), taking place in Bogota, Colombia, November 23-26, 2011. This gathering marks a historical moment, as the 30th anniversary of the first Encuentro that also took place in Colombia.

FRIDAY FILE: Understanding the inherent contradictions in using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote and protect women’s rights is an important starting point for women human rights defenders (WHRDs) who face risks of violence and intimidation on a daily basis because of who they are and the work they do.