Anger gives way to hope, for "if winter comes, can spring be far behind?"
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Anger of day one gave birth to HOPE on the second day of the 3rd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2017), which is being organised in the 'Land of a Thousand Smiles' - Thailand - under the aegis of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD). Feminists from the Asia Pacific region, kindled a new optimism to collectively strike at the rise of authoritarian, patriarchal, late capitalism, by organising movements, for a more equitable and just world, through hope and love.
Anger begets hope and drives constructive action for a better tomorrow
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
More than 300 feminist activists, women human rights defenders and global allies are gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand under the banner of '(re)Sisters, (per)Sisters and Sisters', for the 3rd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2017). This 3 days Forum (7-9 September 2017) has been organised around the framework of 'Anger, Hope and Action'.
Collective action and structural changes are vital for gender justice
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
[Watch video, listen podcast] Judy Taguiwalo is a politician as well as a women's rights activist of Philippines. She is the former Minister of Department of Social Welfare and Development of Philippines. Since her student days she has been in the forefront of advancing women’s rights, in relation to societal changes, and has been a member of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) since 1987.
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| Judy Taguiwalo, politician and women's rights leader |
[Spotlight] Feminism is about solidarity, not about matriarchy
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Globally, and in the Asia Pacific region, an authoritarian patriarchal rule is ascendant and feminist space is under increased attack. In order to exist, we sisters (or rather like minded feminists, who do not necessarily have to be females) will have to resist and persist. Resist this patriarchal ascendency and the consequent threats to civil society. And persist to challenge the exploitations and inequalities that are driving us towards unsustainable development.
Globally, and in the Asia Pacific region, an authoritarian patriarchal rule is ascendant and feminist space is under increased attack. In order to exist, we sisters (or rather like minded feminists, who do not necessarily have to be females) will have to resist and persist. Resist this patriarchal ascendency and the consequent threats to civil society. And persist to challenge the exploitations and inequalities that are driving us towards unsustainable development.
Patriarchy abets the malaise of bride kidnapping
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Bride kidnapping (marriage by abduction or capture) is still rampant in many Caucasian countries, including Kyrgyzstan. In fact, the 2015 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee report expressed its alarm at the high prevalence of marriages in Kyrgyzstan that result from bride kidnapping, which appears to be socially legitimized!
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| Aizhamal Bakashova, SHAZET, Kyrgyzstan (CNS image archives, 2015) |
Women human rights defenders spearheading struggle for a better tomorrow
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
The talk about 'sustainable development' and 'no one left behind' looks difficult to believe when people's lives, livelihoods, human rights and dignity are violated in pursuit of the so-called development . Bee Pranom Somwong, who works with Protection International, and is also among the key participants at the 3rd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2017), which opens later this week in Chiang Mai, Thailand (7-9 September 2017), was recently in conversation with CNS (Citizen News Service) on the current development model.
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| Photo courtesy: Bee Pranom Somwong, Protection International |
Is global development agenda rooted in local realities?
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Global processes for development should be rooted in and informed by the grassroots movements. But is there a gap or disconnection? Can we do better to ensure that development discourses at all levels are plugged in affected communities on the frontlines?
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| Photo courtesy: Reasey Seng, Cambodia |
Will struggle of women human rights defenders lead to a just social order?
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| Photo courtesy: Maria Chin Abdullah, Malaysia |
- "On 14 September 2016, the Red Movement leader threatened me with the following statement: I will ambush her in the near future… She won’t feel peace even with 10 or 20 bodyguards, we will whip them… She may no longer walk on this earth."
Are development projects only for the rich?
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Channy Yeam belongs to the minority indigenous Pu Nong tribe, who inhabit the Kbal Romeas village in Stung Treng Province’s Sesan District of Cambodia. She spoke with CNS (Citizen News Service) on the disastrous impact of the development projects, like hydro-electric dams, on the lives of local inhabitants and indigenous communities.
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| Photo courtesy: Channy |
Profit and power over people will fail us on SDGs, says Fiji activist
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
A shrinking civic space is a reality in most countries today. Human rights defenders are being targetted by the State, even though the State is supposed to be the vanguard of human rights. In order to exist, civil society and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) will have to resist the regressive advances of the States that encroach upon their space and rights, and persist in their efforts to effectively insist for development justice.
A shrinking civic space is a reality in most countries today. Human rights defenders are being targetted by the State, even though the State is supposed to be the vanguard of human rights. In order to exist, civil society and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) will have to resist the regressive advances of the States that encroach upon their space and rights, and persist in their efforts to effectively insist for development justice.
[SDM Health Justice Lecture Series] Transforming research outcomes into public health gains: An urgent priority to #endTB
The woes of the 'foreign brides': Xenophobia still lurks around
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Thirty years ago, Taiwan's economy was booming and was better than that of most South East Asian countries. At that time, even China's GDP was lower than Taiwan’s and their foreign policy was not welcoming foreigners. So back then many Vietnamese and Indonesian women migrated to marry Taiwanese men - they preferred them over those from other wealthy countries like Korea or Japan, because many Vietnamese and Indonesians are Chinese descendants.
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| Photo courtesy: Tsu-ying Liang, TASAT |
Private public partnership and sustainable development: In harmony or in conflict with each other?
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Are public private partnerships helpful or harmful to increase progress on sustainable development? CNS spoke with Gerifel Cerillo, the coordinator of 'Tanggol Bayi' - an association of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in the Philippines on this issue. Gerifel will also be a key participant at the forthcoming 3rd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2017), to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand (7-9 September 2017).
Are public private partnerships helpful or harmful to increase progress on sustainable development? CNS spoke with Gerifel Cerillo, the coordinator of 'Tanggol Bayi' - an association of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in the Philippines on this issue. Gerifel will also be a key participant at the forthcoming 3rd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2017), to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand (7-9 September 2017).
Bottom Line: Men escalate domestic violence and women bear the brunt of it
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Mobina was married in 2009, at the age of 22, to a driver. Being the youngest of 8 siblings (4 brothers and 4 sisters), her vegetable-seller father (who died in 2010) and her brothers spent beyond their means in her wedding. But this could not satiate the greed of the sister of Mobina’s husband. She was harassed to bring more dowry. The daily dose of domestic violence forced Mobina to return to her parental home after just one year of her marriage.
Mobina was married in 2009, at the age of 22, to a driver. Being the youngest of 8 siblings (4 brothers and 4 sisters), her vegetable-seller father (who died in 2010) and her brothers spent beyond their means in her wedding. But this could not satiate the greed of the sister of Mobina’s husband. She was harassed to bring more dowry. The daily dose of domestic violence forced Mobina to return to her parental home after just one year of her marriage.
Tackling social taboos to end TB
Traversing TB’s undulating journey of ambitious targets and facile strategies in achieving SDGs
Roger Paul Kamugasha, CNS Correspondent, Uganda
TB is one of the oldest human infectious diseases, but it was only in 1882 that the German Nobel Laureate Dr Robert Koch discovered the cause of it—Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 135 years down the line of this discovery the disease still remains a silent killer. TB cases are still far from declining at the intended rate to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending TB by 2030.
[Call to register] Can mHealth help accelerate progress towards ending TB?
[SDM Health Justice Lecture Series] Inter-sectoral response to #endTB | Break the silence on TB and disabilities
[Watch lecture recording | Listen to podcast] Dr Sunil Khaparde, Deputy Director General (DDG), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; is the head of India's TB programme. Nandita Venkatesan works with The Economic
Times and is a 2 time-intestinal TB survivor and patient-rights advocate.
She lost over 90% of her hearing (profound deafness) due to a rare side-effect
of a second-line TB drug. She recently gave a TEDx talk
on her long ordeal and taking to Bharata Natyam dancing for healing.
Women should not live in fear, but act with courage
Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
"One day, when my first child was barely 6 months old, my husband kicked away the water and food I had served him. On asking him the reason, he started pulling my hair and thrashing me. I was stunned at his sudden violent behaviour. But this was just the start of a never-ending saga of domestic violence that continues till today", said 30 years old Lakshmina. She hails from a Dalit community in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. The only sister of four brothers, Lakshmina is illiterate. She did
start her schooling, but one day, while going to school, she met with an
accident and hurt herself. Her doting mother immediately stopped
sending her to school, saying that she did not want to risk her
daughter’s life.
"One day, when my first child was barely 6 months old, my husband kicked away the water and food I had served him. On asking him the reason, he started pulling my hair and thrashing me. I was stunned at his sudden violent behaviour. But this was just the start of a never-ending saga of domestic violence that continues till today", said 30 years old Lakshmina. She hails from a Dalit community in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. The only sister of four brothers, Lakshmina is illiterate. She did
start her schooling, but one day, while going to school, she met with an
accident and hurt herself. Her doting mother immediately stopped
sending her to school, saying that she did not want to risk her
daughter’s life.
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