Women's voices on Empowerment, Leadership and Technology... ICTs in Afghanistan and Palestine advance women's education. In an interview with the Women's Learning Partnership (WLP), Sakeena Yacoobi of Creating Hope International asserts that access to computers gives children rare educational resources and provides women with resources.

I am interested in discussing ideas of beauty and body image across cultures. I read a New York Times article about women and girls in Mauritania. It is beautiful and sexy to be fat, so girls are overfed. Sometimes they throw up. Some have even died from too much food. There are even medicines one can take to speed up the weight gain. Although only 2 in 5 Mauritanian women are overweight (less than in the US) in a Sub-Saharan Africa country, this is remarkable. Is it because being fat means that you are wealthy enough to have a lot of food? Some say it's because men can't see anything under the loose-fitting clothes Mauritanian women wear unless they are fat and curvaceous. But being fat is very unhealthy. It increases the likelihood of diabetes and heart problems. What do you think of this??

For the full story: In Mauritania, Seeking to End an Overfed Ideal

Egypt banned female genital mutilation! It is estimated that 90% of Egyptian women have undergone genital mutilation procedures, which may include excision of the clitoris or go as far as stitching up the vaginal opening. But following the death of a young girl in June, human rights groups have pressured the government and medical professionals to stamp out the practice. For more details on the story see BBC News- Egypt forbids female circumcision. For more information on FGM see the World Health Organization's FGM page. What do you think about this??

Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh was finally freed on bail Wednesday, May 16 after enduring nine days in prison for her role in a peaceful protest on March 4. Bail was posted on Monday, but her release was delayed until Wednesday. As is customary, her friends and family waited outside Evin prison to take her home on Monday. They waited until 9pm, when prison officials informed them that Zienab would be personally escorted home. Instead of taking her home, however, on Wednesday prison officials dropped her off at Kaj Square from where she subsequently contacted her father.

We are very relieved that Zeinab has been released, but continue to be concerned about the government's targeting of "One Million Signatures" campaign members.

For further details, please see:

• Another Iranian women's rights activist arrested and denied bail; More activists summoned to Revolutionary Court
• Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh, Released after Spending Nine Days in Prison

Inequitable Distribution

• Among the 4.4 billion people who live in developing countries
• THREE-FIFTHS have no access to basic sanitation
• Almost ONE-THIRD are without safe drinking water
• ONE-QUARTER lack adequate housing
• ONE-FIFTH live beyond reach of modern health services
• ONE-FIFTH of the children do not get as far as grade five in school
• ONE-FIFTH are undernourished
• The 3 RICHEST PEOPLE in the world own assets that exceed the combined gross national product of ALL LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES and their 600 million people.
• The richest 20% of the world's population enjoys a share in global income that is 86 times that of the poorest 20%.
• More than 1.2 billion people in the world live on less that $1 a day. More than 50% of them are children. Nearly 1 billion cannot meet their basic consumption requirements.
• The assets of the 200 richest people are more than the combined income of 41% of the world's people.
• A yearly contribution of 1% of their wealth or $8 billion could provide universal access to primary education for all.
• Industrialized countries hold 97% of all patents, and global corporations hold 90% of all technology and product patents.
• Over 80% of foreign direct investment in developing and transtition economies goes to just 20 countries, with China receiving the maximum share.
• Debt relief for the 20 worst affected countries would cost between US $5.5 billion to $7.7 billion, LESS than the cost of ONE stealth bomber.

Inequitable Consumption

• Basic education for all would cost $6 BILLION a year;
  $8 BILLION is spent annually for cosmetics in the United States alone.
• Installation of water and sanitation for all would cost $9 BILLION plus some annual costs;
  $11 BILLION is spent annually on ice cream in Europe.
• Reproductive health services for all women would cost $12 BILLION a year;
  $12 BILLION a year is spent on perfumes in Europe and the United States.
• Basic health care and nutrition would cost $13 BILLION;
  $17 BILLION a year is spent on pet food in Europe and the United States.
• $35 BILLION is spent on business entertainment in Japan;
  $50 BILLION on cigarettes in Europe;
  $105 BILLION on alcoholic drinks in Europe;
  $400 BILLION on narcotic drugs around the world; and
  $780 BILLION on the world's militaries.
• 20% of the world's people in industrialized countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures,
  while the poorest 20% account for 1.3%
• The overall consumption of the richest 20% of the world's people is 16 times that of the poorest 20%.
• The share of the poorest 20% of the world's people in global income is 1.1%, down from 1.4% in 1991.
• There are 16 cars per 1,000 people in developing countries and 405 cars per 1,000 people in industrialized countries.
• On average, developing countries have one doctor for every 6,000 people whereas industrialized countries have one for every 350 people.

Source: Women's Learning Partnership's website: Resources section