With the year coming to an end, I'd like to wish you best wishes for a 2007 full of happiness. What is happiness you ask? The Economist may have the answer for you.

Imams in Bangladesh Mobilize Against Human Trafficking: This brief article discusses how more than 2,000 imams in Bangladesh are fighting human trafficking by working with a local NGO, which provides training to and supports networking among Imams in what are considered the 20 most affected districts. With approximately 250,000 mosques in Bangladesh and at least as many imams, this training and support is a significant national effort to combat trafficking. According to the article, many imams have a deep-seated mistrust for NGOs. "By linking anti-trafficking to the teachings of Islam and showing tangible changes in the communities involved, the project works to build trust between the imams and the NGO community." Imams involved in the project include information about trafficking prevention in their weekly prayer recitations, and they organise village gatherings and lead community watchdog groups. Interesting read!

This briefing paper came out a month ago, but I just received it as a forward. Exploring some really complex issues, "The Role of the International Criminal Court in Peace Processes" explores how in attempting to reconcile the often competing public policy goals, the starting point is to recognise that prosecution by the ICC is one of the few credible threats faced by those commiting mass scale atrocities. The authors argues that to ensure this continues to be the case, the ICC must secure convictions to demonstrate its credibility and effectiveness. If ICC prosecutions are consistently trumped by peace processes, its value as a deterrent will be compromised. Read in full here.

In the early 80s, women earned 65 cents for every dollar in hourly pay that men did. And then began a period of steady optimistic gain, when the gap seemed to be narrowing, with women earning 75 cents for every dollar men earned by the mid-90s. Now researchers say that gap is no longer narrowing. Suprisingly, the gap for women with 4 year college degrees has actually widened since the mid-90s. Feminists have for long been decrying how educated women will be forced to leave the workforce to raise a family, especially given the lack of institutional support systems in place in the US, compared to other developed countries. "If the government offered day-care programs similar to those in other countries or men spent more time caring for family members, women would have greater opportunity to pursue whatever job they wanted." Another reason may be that women don't value high-paying jobs as much as men do, instead pursuing careers that are fulfilling in other ways. Interesting read on this topic.

What role does Somalia play in tensions in the Horn of Africa region? A new fact sheet by Reuters explains the crucial role this country plays in the region.

The experience of illegal migrants is something that is fairly unknown to most people, beyond generalizations. A series in the NYT's tracks a family of 3 sisters - Veronica, Irma and Raquel- and their experience as immigrants from Mexico in the US. It's fascinatingly detailed, providing a glimpse into the complexities of what it means to be an immigrant, whether it be legal or illegal.

Even on the eve of his departure as SG, Kofi Annan remains involved in the deteriorating situation in Darfur. A lack of political will on the part of leadership in Khartoum has meant peacekeeping forces are unable to be effective. Jean Marie Guehenno, UN's head of Peacekeeping Forces, says "So long as the politics of Darfur are what they are with fragmentation of rebel movements and more and more military operations announced by both sides, no force will be able to make a real difference. So it's very important to get the politics right". Swedish foreign minister Jan Eliasson has been appointed as a special envoy to deal with the spiraling humanitarian and security crisis in the Darfur region. Speaking to reporters in New York at his year-end press conference, outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that he and Secretary-General-designate Ban Ki-moon had agreed to ask Eliasson – who served as Assembly president during its 60th session in 2005-06 – to serve in the new post.

Gender mainstreaming has still not progressed beyond being a buzz word. A recent report titled Gender Based Guide to World Bank and IMF Policy-Based Lending highlights the gendered impacts of World Bank and International Monetary Fund policy-based loans. These loans impose policies on borrowing countries such as decreasing public spending, privatization of essential services and unilaterally liberalizing trade. These policies often deepen poverty, undermine gender equality, contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring about increased violence against women. Through case studies, the authors demonstrate that the Bank and Fund neglect these gendered impacts of their policy-based loans. They urge them to stop imposing harmful policy reforms on sovereign countries. Click here to read report in full.

The new U.N. human rights watchdog agreed Dec. 13 to send a high-level mission to Sudan's Darfur to probe allegations of worsening abuses against civilians. "The decision ... sends a united message that the ongoing violence and killing in Darfur is unacceptable and must stop," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement. The move, seen as a way to increase international pressure on Khartoum to accept UN peacekeepers, coincided with a call from the US Sudan envoy for the country to act within the next week to help the UN bolster African Union (AU) forces.

"A billion dollars sounds like a lot of money but it is equivalent to just a dollar a week for each of the 21 million people we help."
-High Commissioner Antonio Guterres, UNHCR, speaking to donors at a pledging conference, on the UN refugee agency's global appeal for 2007 to assist some 21 million people around the world. UNHCR hopes to raise USD 1.06 billion in its initial appeal. "When you consider the huge needs of those fleeing the horrors of Darfur, Iraq and Somalia and those in protracted refugee situations like Thailand and Pakistan, it is really not a large sum of money." The UNHCR received USD 365.6 million in firm pledges at the gathering in Geneva, while a further USD 28.2 million was pledged in writing before the meeting began, allowing agency operations to continue uninterrupted into 2007.

Eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women will have a profound and positive impact on the survival and well-being of children, according to a new UNICEF report issued on its 60th anniversary. "The State of the World’s Children 2007" report examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives -- and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and shows how investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children. The UNICEF report presents seven key interventions to enhance gender equality: Education, Financing, Legislation, Legislative quotas, Women empowering women, Engaging men and boys, and Improved research and data. Click here for report in full.

The number of people living in extreme poverty could be cut in half over the next 25 years as global economic output, increasingly driven by developing countries, more than doubles, according to World Bank projections released this week. Total international economic output is projected to climb to USD 72 trillion by 2030 from USD 35 trillion in 2005 as annual growth averages about 3 percent, reflecting growth rates of 2.5 percent for high-income countries and 4.2 percent for lower-income developing countries. That outlook was in the World Bank's latest ‘Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization’ report, the first to make such long-run forecasts. Click here for report in full.

Women in the Arab world are not realizing their full potential and are still denied equality of opportunity, says the Arab Human Development Report 2005: Toward the rise of women in the Arab world, arguing that this represents not just a problem for women, but a barrier to progress and prosperity in Arab societies as a whole. This report, the final in a four-part series examines the situation of women in the region, with a special emphasis on health, education, and political participation. It also assesses the advancement of women by analysing Arab society’s desire for such progress, and the kinds of social action that are needed to achieve the goal of gender equality in the Arab states. Selected parts online, here.

A forgotton crisis: "It's hard to comprehend just how traumatized and desperate many of those affected by the fighting have become. This is a very real humanitarian crisis in one of the most forgotten corners of the world." - Jean-Charles Dei, WFP Country Director, calling for urgent international funding and a presence on the ground in the north-western Central African Republic (CAR) to support its emergency feeding operations, where violence, fighting and rebel attacks spreading terror and uprooting scores of thousands of people. "The world must wake up to the reality and extent of the suffering here in Central Africa," he said, voicing particular concern for an estimated 150,000 people who are believed to be living in the bush, surviving on little more than the wild food that grows around them.

President Musharraf seems to be on a one man crusade to increase the rights of women in Pakistan. After signing the controversial Women's Protection Law last week, Musharraf in a televised press conference today stated that he aims "to emancipate women through legislation and that Pakistan needs to eliminate unjust social practices that hinder women's development". The Women's Protection Law replaces the country's very problematic Hudood Ordinance (which for example place the burden of rape on the woman herself), whereby future rape cases will be tried in the more moderate civil court system, rather than the religious courts. Amidst calls from religious parties for nationwide protests in response to what they consider a violation of Islamic principles, Musharraf stated that he planned to continue working for gender equality by next targeting Pakistan's antiquated inheritance laws and working to make forced marriages illegal.

I just finished reading "The Gender Dimensions of Post-Conflict Reconstruction- The Challenges in Development Aid" and found it had several really good points and very relevant to my own research interests. The authors propose a conceptual framework to ensure gender issues is included in the analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation of post-conflict reconstruction, which is often lacking. A rights based approach serves as the foundation in identifying three interrelated kinds of rights which must be guaranteed to women in the post-conflict period: the right to participate meaningfully in policy-making and resource allocation; the right to benefit equally from public and private resources and services; and the right to build a gender equitable society for lasting peace and prosperity. The paper is divided into three corresponding sections. The conclusion is a point I very much agree with: successful post-conflict reconstruction depends on women’s rights and gender equality. Click here for to read in full.

During this 16 days of activism against gender based violence, today's NYT has a poignant article on how prevalent child sexual abuse is in many parts of Africa. "Even as this region races to adopt many of the developed world’s norms for children, including universal education and limits on child labor, one problem — child sexual abuse — remains stubbornly resistant to change. In much of the continent, child advocates say, perpetrators are shielded by the traditionally low status of girls, a lingering view that sexual abuse should be dealt with privately, and justice systems that constitute obstacle courses for victims."