The continuing discrimination and violence faced by women and those living with HIV and AIDS advocates in South Africa is enormous and warrants the attention and action of government officials and the international community.

The purpose of the workshop is to familiarize participants with the situation regarding the underlying social factors that influence prevention, care and treatment practices, such as gender norms, gender-based violence and alcohol and drug abuse in the region, as well as communication approaches to address them.

Management and Board of the Gender Development Institute (GDI) invites participation in the 4th International Gender Conference. The theme for this conference has been chosen because Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is a major Public Health and Human Rights problem throughout the world.

Most Swazi women who face domestic violence do not take their children and walk out of the house. "They say, 'who is going to feed me?'" Nonhlanhla Dlamini, Director of the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), told IRIN. But this is changing. An innovative SWAGAA programme to empower women economically in Swaziland's patriarchal society is helping many out of a cycle of abuse and dependency.

Women in Sierra Leone stand to enjoy unprecedented rights under new laws making wife-beating a criminal offence, allowing women to inherit property, and protecting young women against forced marriage. One human rights coalition said the three laws, enacted by Sierra Leone’s parliament 14 June, will “help to radically improve the legal position of women in Sierra Leone.”

IDS does not only travel with truckers along African highways; it flies business class with men in dark suits, crawls into marriages and lurks in playgrounds. It smiles at you every day at work and, disproportionately, affects African women and girls because of gender inequalities.These were the words of activist Deborah Williams, from Tobago, at the one-day Forum for Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya.

Egypt has announced that it is imposing a complete ban on female circumcision, also known as genital mutilation. The announcement follows a public outcry after a young girl died during the operation. A ban was introduced nearly 10 years ago but the practice continued to be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

As part of the ongoing ‘Gender is My Agenda Campaign,’ aiming to mainstream gender in the African Union (AU), the women’s civil society networks have organized the 10th AU Pre-Summit Consultative meeting which was held in Accra, Ghana, on the 23rd and 24th June. This meeting precedes the 9th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union and will be the 10th in a series of consultative meetings of civil society networks concerned with gender issues and the promotion of women’s human rights in Africa.

Gays in Uganda call upon Minister of Ethics and Integrity James Nsaba Buturo to disclose emails expressing animosity that he claims to have received. The allegation is being condemned by a couple of gay organisations in Uganda. Victor Juliet Mukasa, chair of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), has denied knowledge of such hate mail but advised that if Buturo “is really receiving the mail, let him expose it so that it can be addressed.”

A national gay radio show, Tuesday Night, which was elbowed by the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in 2005 returns to the airwaves in July. The show was off-air for almost two years after “the SABC placed unreasonable terms” that lead to closure broadcast, according to producers. The show promises a variety of educational, informative and entertaining programmes such as current affairs, community events, arts and talk.

The New York Office of the International Service for Human Rights' (ISHR) seeks an intern to monitor and report on the 39th session of the Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York to be held from 23 July to 10 August 2007. The internship offers a unique opportunity to view the UN human rights system at work in New York.

Four Kenyan women, who were set to share their personal stories about undergoing abortion, had to pullout of a discussion forum at the last minute following threats and intimidation from anti-abortion activists.The forum, organised to initiate discussion on unsafe abortions, was disrupted by activists claiming to represent the rights of unborn children.

Egypt on Thursday finally banned all female circumcision, the widely practised removal of the clitoris that just days ago cost the life of a 12-year-old girl. Officially the practice - which affects both Muslim and Christian women in Egypt and goes back to the time of the pharaohs - was banned in 1997, but doctors were allowed to operate "in exceptional cases".

The violation of minority rights is often a first sign of an approaching conflict, which could be prevented by protecting minority communities at an early stage, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) has stated in a new report. "There is no 'one-size-fits-all' model for conflict prevention but consideration of minority rights can help offer solutions," MRG said in Minority Rights: The Key to Conflict Prevention, issued on 26 June.

Gender activists congratulate the Finance Minister of Mauritius, Rama Sithanen, for making moves in the right direction with the 2007/2008 budget. The budget makes provision to close the gender gap and challenge gender stereotypes. While Mauritius has reformed its legislation and awareness, the budgets to back them up have so far been lacking.

Hargeisa, the peaceful capital of the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland, has become a new centre for the Somali Diaspora wanting to perform female genital mutilation (FGM) on their daughters. Most live in countries where FGM is strictly forbidden, including when this is done abroad.

Uganda's Constitutional Court recently nullified a law that made adultery criminal for women, but not men. The case also strengthened women's rights on divorce and inheritance. In April, the Kampala-based group, Law and Advocacy for Women in Uganda, brought a separate case before the Ugandan Constitutional Court, arguing that the 1995 national constitution ensures equal protection under the law.

Sierra Leonean women can now rest, and enjoy the fruits of their long walk to freedom. The country's parliament took the bull by the horns to enact a law that outlaws domestic violence in all its forms as well as guarantees the rights of women to inheritance and registration of customary marriages.

Despite Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s incessant homophobic public comments, Gays and lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) is spreading its wings. The organisation which pushes for social tolerance of sexual minorities and the repeal of homophobic legislation in Zimbabwe, has recently established a new centre for its Bulawayo members.

While Ugandan religious leaders and government are up in arms in the fight against homosexuality in the country, more gay organisations are emerging who aim to “protect and promote homosexuality”. Established in 2004, Ice Breakers Uganda has recently surfaced with an undertaking to raise awareness about all gay people and their rights in the country, to stand up in defense of those rights and to create massive health awareness to gay people in risky sexual behaviors.