Women World Wide, May-June 2011

May 19, 2011

by Artemis

In its annual report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization recommends giving women full legal rights to buy, sell, and inherit land, borrow money, open bank accounts, sell their produce, sign contracts, and be educated. These rights also need to be enforced and publicized. This could increase global harvests by between 2.5 and 4%, reducing the numbers of undernourished people by between 100 million and 150 million. Increased yields by women farmers would also allow them to buy more food for their families.


In Syria, 2,000 women and children shouting, “We will not be humiliated!” blocked a major road to protest the action of the security forces of President Bashar Assad, who incarcerated hundreds of men from their villages. This had been Assad’s attempt to stifle the movement growing since Feb. 11 demanding political reforms. The protesters succeeded in making the government release 100 of the men and vowed to remain until all had been released.


After the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Makena to produce a weekly shot for pregnant women at risk of premature delivery, the drug company shot the price of the drug from $20 to $1,500 per dose. Women are to take the drug for about 20 weeks. After women all over the U.S protested, Makena lowered the price to $650 per dose. The protests continue.

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