Bango- Senegal (PANA) -- The Senegalese army entered a new phase on Friday in its gender programme with the presentation in Bango, in the north of the country, o f the national flag to the first of the 2008 contingent which comprised the first intake of women soldiers. Full text...

Maputo- Mozambique (PANA) -- A team from the Mozambican Criminal Investigation Po lice (PIC) and the Attorney General's Office have arrived in South Africa to neg o tiate the extradition of a woman, called Diana, who is accused of enticing Mozam b ican girls across the border to Pretoria where they are then used as sex slaves The team, headed by Carlos Come, the PIC national director, also includes assist ant attorney general Andre Paulo Cumbe, and Lurdes Mabunda, head of the domestic violence department in the General Command of the Mozambican police. Full text...

Maputo- Mozambique (PANA) -- A team from the Mozambican Criminal Investigation Po lice (PIC) and the Attorney General's Office have arrived in South Africa to negotiate the extradition of a woman, called Diana, w ho is accused of enticing Mozambican girls across the border to Pretoria where t h ey are then used as sex slaves The team, headed by Carlos Come, the PIC national director, also includes assist ant attorney general Andre Paulo Cumbe, and Lurdes Mabunda, head of the domestic violence department in the General Command of the Mozambican police. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- The Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) in Sout h Africa has concluded a 'milestone' conference where it assessed the progress m a de and challenges facing gender-based violence. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The US government Wednesday pledged a grant of US$ 10 mi llion to enable Kenya set up a rape crisis centre equipped with a forensic labor a tory, besides facilitating the implementation of the sexual offences law that ha s been in abeyance for two years since its enactment by parliament. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) – The African Development Bank- (AfDB) Group has made tremend ous progress on gender issues over the last three years and enhanced the status o f women within the institution, in particular, and Africa in general, a senior o f ficial has said. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) – A non--governmental organization has reiterated calls for an end to crimes against women as the world celebrates International Women's Da y on Saturday. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- An international round-table, titled "Gender Equality: Make it Your Business," organized by the UNESCO Bureau of Strategic Planning's Division for Gender Equality, will be held 10 March, to celebrate this year's International Women's Day (8 March). Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Delegates from around Africa Wednesday began a th ree-day colloquium here, seeking to break a pervasive wall of silence on endless acts of violence committed every day against women and children in their countri e s. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- African countries' report on progress made in pre venting and addressing gender-based violence will be presented at a three-day in t ernational colloquium organized here by the UN in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the Government of Ethiopia this week. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Equality Now, an international human rights organ ization, Thursday called on governments to make specific commitments to end sex t rafficking. Full text...

study Abuja- Nigeria (PANA) -- The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Makerere Universi t y, Uganda, Sylvia Tamale, has disclosed that almost all research on the impact o f HIV/AIDS totally ignores the role of women. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Gambia "Women's Bureau", in collaboration with the Unite d Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Thursday started a new project geared to w ards "capacity enhancement for women in decision-making," the bureau's Executive Director, Mrs. Full text...

By Anaclet Rwegayura- PANA Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) -- Belgium's State Secretary for Family and Disabled Persons, Gisele Mandaila, on Tuesday urged Africa to denounce violence and brutality against women saying such acts were real obstacles to development of the continent as a whole. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- More than 150 political figures, civil society members, senior executives and academics, have signed a petition clamouring for the recruitment of women onto the bench. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday received the 2007 African Gender Award given by Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS), non-governmental organisation. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has decided to build a turnkey headquarters for the Women Africa Solidarité (FAS) NGO. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Rwanda's efforts in promoting women's activities are to be rewarded this year through the African Gender Award 2007 set for presentation next Wednesday in Dakar, Mrs Bineta Diop, from the Geneva-based NGO, Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), announced in Dakar. Full text...

Banjul- Gambia (PANA) -- Madam Isatou Njie-Saidy, Secretary of State for Women Affairs, on Thursday reiterated the importance of a review of the land tenure system which does not favour the majority of women who live in the rural areas. Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- The UN on Monday urged member states to take more action against rape, domestic abuse and all other forms of violence against women. Full text...

Freetown- Sierra Leone (PANA) -- A sixteen days campaign against gender based violence (GBV) has started in Sierra Leone. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- The Union of Mauritanian Women Journalists (UF JM) has denounced its members' "marginalization" during the coverage of official activities, PANA learnt from the association here. Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has appealed for 10 million dollars for a two-year initiative to help women and girls affected by conflicts and natural disasters. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Seven women, including a former Athletics star Nawal Moutawakil, have joined the Moroccan cabinet led by the secretary-general of the Party of Istiqlal, Abbas El Fassi, according to the cabinet list. Full text...

Port-Louis- Mauritius (PANA) -- Some 30 African women ministers and parliamentarians on Monday began a meeting to discuss some challenges of the continent, such as population and development, gender equity, sexual and reproductive health and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday that empowering women was vital to achieve peace and security, improved living standards and respect for human rights. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- The government of Benin plans to invest FCFA 250 million to improve girls schooling before the start of the new school year scheduled 4 October, official sources told PANA Thursday in Cotonou. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The four UN peace missions' focal points in West Africa are expected to convene here Monday to identify practical measures and recommendations for the effective implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman has called for an end to female genital mutilation and child marriages. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- The Secretary of the Libyan general people's committee for posts and telecommunications, Dr Mohamed Moammar Kadhafi, adopted the issuance of a new stamp to depict importance to the Kadhafi project for African women, childhood and youth. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- The recent brutal murders of three lesbians in South Africa show that equal protection promised by the constitution is still far away, Human Rights Watch observed in a letter to President Thabo Mbeki as the country celebrated National Women's Day, Thursday, which is commemorated 9 August. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The Search for Common Ground, UNICEF Canada, USAID's Displaced Children and Orphans' Fund, the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Canada, the Office of Canadian Senator Romeo Dallaire and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, plan to hold a five-day Child Soldiers Simulation Exercise at the KAIPTC beginning Monday. Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today in New York called for greater participation by men in maternal health to ensure safe childbirth and motherhood. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- The Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS has scheduled an extraordinary meeting either for Mali or Ethiopia on yet-to-be decided date following inconclusive deliberations of its fifth Annual General Meeting in Accra on Monday. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- A women's rights group said Thursday the debate on a Union Government for Africa must be a commitment to unite Africa's peoples irrespective of gender by upholding respect for women's rights and equality of opportunities for both men and women. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- The 10th pre-summit consultative meeting on gender mainstreaming in the African Union (AU), which ended here Sunday ahead of the African Unit Summit, has thrown its support for the proposal to impose US$5 tax on each ticket bought for inter state travels and US$10 on each ticket for travellers between Africa other continents as a viable funding for the proposed African Union Government. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- The 10th African Union (AU) Pre-summit Consultative Meeting on gender and promotion of women's rights, opened here Saturday, ahead of the 9th AU Ordinary Summit. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- An average of 74% of Moroccan women suffer domestic violence, says a report on gender-based violence issued Thursday in Rabat. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on regional project to promote women participation in entrepreneurship by lobbying governments to implement women-friendly land and property ownership policies. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) – About 300 girls have been sa-ved from prostitution in Burkina Faso, courtesy of a programme supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Full text...

New York- UN (PANA) -- A new UN report says "rampant gender-based discrimination" is hampering strides by African women in business ventures. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The UNESCO Office in Senegal in collaboration with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, commemorated the Africa Children's Day here Saturday with an elaborate ceremony that highlighted the challenges facing future leaders of a continent scarred by unending conflicts. Full text...

Niamey- Niger (PANA) -- As Africans prepare to observe the Day of the African Child on 16 June, the National Statistics Institute (INS) reveals that the situation of children has significantly improved in Niger in the areas of health and primary education over the past eight years. Full text...

Banjul- Gambia (PANA) - – UNICEF on Thursday called for birth registration in Gambia, saying, "birth registration ensures that children are accounted for in national statistics which helps in ensuring their education and health, among others". Full text...

Freetown- Sierra Leone (PANA) -- Harriet Turay, President of Sierra Leone's advocacy "50-50 Group, has lamented the poor female participation in the country's post-conflict politics ahead of the 11 August general elections. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- A beauty therapist and holder of diploma in Law, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, was Tuesday elected Speaker of Nigeria's lower House of Representatives, marking the first time a woman will act in that capacity in the country's 46-year, post- independence history. Full text...

New York- US (PANA) -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Harbour Arbour late Thursday said sexual abuse and violence against women in Central Africa still persists. Full text...

Blantyre- Malawi (PANA) -- A 42-year-old South African missionary will from Friday, 1 June embark on a 3000- km bicycle ride from the Malawi commercial capital, Blantyre, to the South African capital, Pretoria or Tswane as it is now known. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, Thursday named French tennis star Tatiana Golovin, as a "Promoter of Gender Equality" for the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Partnership for Gender Equality. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Maintaining that the concept of gender in Africa should be more inclusive to cover a number of parameters, women professionals in information science have appealed to governments to reaffirm their pronouncements on gender mainstreaming. Full text...