AFRICA

Within this region, PeaceWomen is currently monitoring 23 countries (Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Chad, Cote d' Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, Algeria) within five sub-regions.

According to the Human Development Index (HDI), Africa is home to countries with both high levels (Libya 53) and low (Zimbabwe 169) rates of human development, in addition to multiple protracted internal conflicts. According to the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI,) which measures and ranks the level of equality between genders at a country level, countries in Africa rank from 8 (Lesotho) to 133 (Chad).

Currently, there is seven United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

For information on National Action Plans in the region for SCR 1325, please click here.

PeaceWomen focuses our updates on materials related to women, peace and security and therefore our resources should not be seen as a comprehensive source on the broader situation in these countries.

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May 17, 2013 (CNN)
SOMALIA: Inside the Rape Crisis Center Thats Helping Somalia's Women In a classroom tucked away from the world in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, students practice spelling. Ranging in age from 6 to 11, these girls all have one thing in common: They have either been raped or suffered through the rape of a loved one.
May 17, 2013 (Aljazeera)
SOUTH AFRICA and MALAWI: Africa's Women of Power Across the world, women make up about half the population yet they never come close to holding 50 percent of the positions of power in any government.
May 16, 2013 (AllAfrica)
LIBERIA: ERU Officers Gang Rape Woman Three officers of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the Liberia National Police have reportedly ganged raped a 23-year-old woman in Yekepa, Nimba County.
May 15, 2013 (The Guardian)
MALI: Mali's Displaced Women Organise for Long Stay Away from Home, Report The Guardian Two things, at least, matter more to Ramata Touré than the outcome of the donor conference in Brussels on Wednesday at which representatives of more than 100 countries will be asked for €2bn ($2.6bn) to help bring peace and development to Mali.
May 11, 2013 (allAfrica)
SOMALIA: The First Lady On Violence Against Women Asha Haji Elmi was born in Somalia in 1962 where she graduated from the Somali National University in Mogadishu. She e also holds a Master's degree in business administration from the International University of the United States. And 'the wife of Abdi Farah Shirdon, current Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia in August 2012 and is herself Somali Federal Member of Parliament, one of the few MPs of the transition period (2004-2009) to be re-elected. She'was the founder of the Association for the salvation of Women and Children (SSWC) in 1992, at the height of the civil war, and in 2000 promoted the Sixth Clan Association, movement for the promotion of Somali women in the political life of the country. It has also committed to the banning of female genital mutilation, a practice widespread in Somalia. She is currently working in Somalia against sexual violence against women and held a discussion on the topic during the London conference on Somalia in which, for Italy, was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino.