Conakry- Guinea (PANA) -- Guinean female computer expert, Barry Nancy Ba, has condemned early marriage still practised by her Peul ethnic group. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegalese Minister for Trade, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Aïcha Agne Pouye, has deplored the difficulties women encounter in obtaining bank loans in the country "Women have no access to bank credit because the financial institutions require them to provide guarantees which they cannot afford. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- This Algerian woman, Djamila, 36, known as "Jimmy", has been a taxi driver in Algiers for the past five years. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- Olive, in her thirties, is a single-parent teacher in one of Yaounde's High Schools. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Disturbed by reports of forced marriages, mainly within the immigrant Maghreb and African communities, the French ministry of National Education hinted on the occasion of this year's International Women's Day that it was embarking on a sensitisation campaign against the practice. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- As the world marked the International Women's Day, Badra Amamra, a former freedom fighter and first woman to be elected into the Political Bureau of Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN), has renewed her determination to improve the lot of women in the male-dominated society. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The inclusion of cultural considerations in strategies at containing the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially social biases against women, is crucial if the war against the pandemic is to be won. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Siti Rahou, 28, who is Algeria's first female football referee having played in the country's first female team, is a role model in her career. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- Togolese Workers Unions' Confederation organised a function Friday in Lome, to sensitise women in the country on their rights and protection. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- Kenyan women are advocating for a speedy enactment of a new maternity protection law by parliament in order to protect women from discriminatory practices in the workplace. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Culture can be an obstacle to the development of women, Adelaide Fassinou Allagbada, French professor at the University Abomey-Calavi in Cotonou, said Friday. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The UN Education Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in conjunction with media women groups representatives from the east African region, Friday launched a website that would act as a data base and anchor reports on HIV/AIDS. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- Cameroon's first lady Chantal Biya Friday celebrated International Women's Day ahead of a 40,000-strong group of marchers in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital. Full text...

Cairo- Egypt (PANA) -- On the occasion of International Women's Day, Amnesty International volunteer Wafa Attia Friday noted that rural women and others of poor descent in Egypt were yet to be sensitised to raise their voices and have a real say in society. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Access to medication and increased funding for HIV/AIDS education and prevention measures dominated this year's commemoration of International Women's Day in Tanzania on Friday. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- A Committee of French NGOs, is organising an exhibition next week in Paris on "Women in War," an official of the Committee said Friday. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The French government has just concluded consultations with its counterparts in French-speaking Africa for the institution of a "framework law common to French-speaking African countries and relative to the key child protection principles. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- UNICEF is stepping up measures for women's empowerment in Senegal, its Representative for Senegal and Cape Verde, Ian Hopwood, said Friday in Dakar. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- The US ambassador to Benin, Pamela E. Full text...

New York- US (PANA) -- UN Security Council Friday promised to bring women into the mainstream of conflict prevention and resolution, as well as post-conflict rehabilitation. Full text...

Gaborone- Botswana (PANA) -- Botswana's Labour and Home Affairs Minister, Thebe Mogami has condemned a recent pageant organised for girls, saying it portrayed women as sex objects. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Women in Tanzania Friday celebrated the International Women's Day by calling on the government and international community to address the root causes of poverty, saying poverty has continued to deprive the women in the country their economic and cultural rights. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- South African Deputy Defence Minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge Friday called for the mobilisation of women leaders and activists to strengthen the struggle for gender equality. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Excessive reliance on legislation in reforming African traditions that suppress women could lead to undesirable effects, a Beninese lawyer based in Paris, Chantal Heunkpaten has cautioned. Full text...

New York- US (PANA) -- On the occasion of the International Women's Day, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Friday drew world attention to gender issues requiring urgent attention, including high illiteracy among girls and women, and an alarming increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS among women. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigeria Friday joined the rest of the world in observing the International Women's Day, amid questions about the tangible achievements of women in the country. Full text...

Blantyre- Malawi (PANA) -- Police in Malawi's southern District of Machinga have charged a lady traditional ruler to court over the death of a suspected maize thief. Full text...

Gaborone- Botswana (PANA) -- Women in Botswana Friday marked the International Women's Day with a march denouncing increasing violence against women in the country. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- UNESCO in conjunction with media women associations in eastern Africa Friday launched a website that will act as a data base and anchor reports on HIV/AIDS. Full text...

London- UK (PANA) -- Amnesty International has called on the Kenyan government to reform its laws and practices to end impunity of persons committing violence against women. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- As the world observes International Women's Day on Friday, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika paid a glowing tribute to female compatriots, and called for reflection on their struggle to develop the country. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghanaian women are scared stiff and the public is outraged over increasing incidence of spouse killings. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Three women scientists from South Africa left for Paris Thursday, to join more than 300 physicists invited from 65 countries to attend the International Conference on Women in Physics. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya, (PANA) -- Kenyan NGO, Coalition of Women against Violence (COVAW), has urged women to actively engage in initiatives that curb domestic violence. Full text...

Cairo- Egypt (PANA) -- "Progress on the road to a better status for Egyptian women is still very slow,," Hind Wassef of the Cairo-based New Woman Research Centre told PANA on Thursday. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghanaian women are scared stiff and the public is outraged, and they have reasons. Full text...

Sirte- Libya (PANA) -- Five African first ladies who met at the weekend in the Libyan city of Sirte, 450-km east of Tripoli, have advocated the creation of an umbrella group for various African women organisations. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Zambian women were on Tuesday fine-tuning preparations for Friday's international women's day, the first to be held since President Levy Mwanawasa succeeded Fredrick Chiluba following the 27 December 2001 election. Full text...

Sirte- Libya (PANA) -- Five African first ladies Saturday began a meeting at the Libyan city of Sirte, 450-km east of Tripoli, on how to advance the cause of women on the continent. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- Congo's National Development Committee, a women's NGO, on Friday launched Friday a campaign aimed at curbing the violence being perpetrated against women in the current war context. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- The media in Tanzania has reinstated its commitment to intensify the fight against AIDS that continues to ravage the east African country. Full text...

Sirte- Libya (PANA) -- The first ladies of Ghana, Senegal And Rwanda arrived Friday evening in Sirte, 450 km east of Tripoli to attend the second African Women's summit Saturday and Sunday. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Zambia First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa is considering forming a charitable organisation that would look after neglected senior citizens and deprived families, as well as children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- Bride fattening, a practice in Maure society that consisted in "force-feeding" a young girl before she reached puberty, so as to make her plump and attractive to potential suitors, has completely disappeared in Mauritania. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Twenty-six Benin women from various walks of life are to be honoured 8 March as part of celebrations marking the International Women's Day, the organisers have announced in Cotonou. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Preparations are under way in Tripoli, Libya, for a summit of African First Ladies scheduled to precede the upcoming meeting of Sahara-Sahelian Community (CEN-SAD) leaders. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Several dozens of Algerian and French women rallied throughout France under the auspices of a movement dubbed "Flames for Algeria" to protest against the civil war raging in Algeria. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- After intense lobbying for greater gender awareness and recognition, the resilience of women across the world is now under international spotlight with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) saying it will accord them special focus this year. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Ahead of the general polls in Nigeria in 2003, a multi-sectoral forum has advocated a revolutionary transformation of women in the country. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- Three women scientists from South Africa are set to attend next month's international conference on Women in Physics, to hold in Paris, France. Full text...