Last week, Rwanda became the first nation to elect a majority of women to its legislative assembly. It has been a long road since the 1994 genocide, when many women were raped or widowed. Some in the country hope that having more mothers in parliame...
A British woman who had been helping the handicapped in Afghanistan has become the latest victim of Taliban violence targeting foreign aid workers in the country. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from Kabul that Afghanistan's government and ai...
By Nico Colombant Monrovia 02 April 2008 A second Indian all-female contingent has been deployed in Liberia for a few months now, showing that women can become the norm for peacekeeping operations. They are also inspiring Liberian women to become par...
By Cathy Majtenyi Somaliland 03 March 2008 Female genital mutilation, or FGM, is a traditional practice that is performed throughout the Horn of Africa and other parts of the continent. The procedure is often called female circumcision, and it is ill...
By Cathy Majtenyi Nairobi, Kenya 24 December 2007 There are a record number of women seeking office in elections scheduled in Kenya for December 27th. And they face a number of challenges on the campaign trail, including violence and discrimination....
By Naomi Schwarz and Kari Barber Dakar 19 December 2007 The west African nation of Senegal is one of the continent's most sports-minded countries. Many athletes join informal football teams, play basketball, lift weights and go running. The vast majo...
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By Nico Colombant Thies, Senegal 16 November 2007 In the largely Muslim West African nation of Senegal, women have been excluded from joining the army as foot soldiers. But that will change next year, as VOA's Nico Colombant reports from a recruitmen...
Amy Winehouse feeling the pressures of fame One of the UK's top young female vocalists has cancelled a series of high-profile European concerts following a short stay in hospital after suffering severe exhaustion . Smokey-voiced jazz and soul singer...
By Lisa Schlein Geneva 18 September 2007 The United Nations Children's Fund says the practice of female genital mutilation remains unacceptably high in Egypt.But, a UNICEF representative tells VOA the Egyptian government is committed to ending this...