In Mauritania, Imams take to Radio Waves to say Child Marriage is Against Islam
“I refused to marry off my daughter for a simple, good reason: I want my daughter to be empowered,” said Lemeima mint El Hadrami, 49. “I don’t want her to go through the same difficulties I did when I was young.” El Hadrami was married when she was only 13. As is often the case […]
Declaration affirms global support for reproductive health and rights
Ministers and representatives of Governments unanimously adopted a political declaration today reaffirming support for the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which established that that reproductive health, individual rights and women’s empowerment are critical to achieving sustainable development. The declaration comes on the 25th anniversary of the ICPD , which represented […]
Female genital mutilation and human rights
Female genital mutilation (FGM), one of the most controversial and not-so-widely discussed harmful traditional practice, cannot be hidden anymore, thanks to the forces of citizen journalism. The debate about FGM like polygamy and witchcraft is volatile whenever it comes into focus. Some Africans, indignant at the western critics denounce the tradition as barbaric and primitive; […]