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AWID strongly condemns Israel’s attacks on civilians in Gaza and calls for an immediate end to aggression by all sides. 23 July 2014 The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) strongly condemns the alarming escalation of violence against the civilians of Gaza since the Israeli Defense Forces launched “Operation Protective Edge” on 7th July 2014, including the recent expansion to a ground invasion, breaking the November 2012 ceasefire.

The draft agreed conclusions, or ‘zero draft,’ produced by UN Women to open discussions ahead of the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will be held in New York between 10 and 21 March 2014, was released on 4 February. AWID offers here initial reactions and analysis as negotiations begin.

The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 - 21 March 2014. The priority theme was "Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls". AWID submitted the following statement as an input ahead of the debates.

HRC Resolution 16/3, “Promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind” stresses that “traditions shall not be invoked to justify harmful practices violating universal human rights norms and standards”, thereby acknowledging that traditions are sometimes invoked to justify human rights violations. Concerns with a traditional values approach to human rights

FRIDAY FILE: Since the end of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, there have been tremendous gains for women, particularly on the political front. By Kathambi KinotiRwandan President Paul Kagame was re-elected into office last September with an overwhelming majority vote of well over 90 percent. Kagame played a central role in putting an end to the horrific events of 1994 that saw between an eighth to a fifth Rwanda’s population massacred in a period of three months.

FRIDAY FILE: How do women fare in this rich nation with a relatively poor women’s rights record? By Kathambi Kinoti

Well, this is fun. Three women, not zero, or one, or two, but three now sit on the Supreme Court. Three seems formidable. Somehow one seems like a token gesture, when all the rest remain men. And two seems tokenish because what can two do. But three—three is a third of the Court. Three is also an odd number and it seems like one might be moving to something of consequence. By Zillah Eisenstein

Well, this is fun. Three women, not zero, or one, or two, but three now sit on the Supreme Court. Three seems formidable. Somehow one seems like a token gesture, when all the rest remain men. And two seems tokenish because what can two do. But three—three is a third of the Court. Three is also an odd number and it seems like one might be moving to something of consequence.

FRIDAY FILE: The war against HIV and AIDS cannot be won without a rights based approach. By Kathambi Kinoti