TrustLaw Women reports World's Most Dangerous Countries for Women

Targeted violence against females, dismal healthcare and desperate poverty make Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country in which to be born a woman, with Congo a close second due to horrific levels of rape. Pakistan, India and Somalia ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the global survey of perceptions of threats ranging from domestic abuse and economic discrimination, genital mutilation and acid attack. A survey compiled by the Thomson Reuters Foundation to mark the launch of TrustLaw Woman*, puts Afghanistan at the top of the list of the most dangerous places in the world for women. TrustLaw asked 213 gender experts from five contents to rank countries by overall perceptions of danger as well as by six categories of risk. The risks consisted of health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural or religious factors, lack of access to resources and trafficking. The collection of images that follow were provided by Reuters to illustrate the dangers women face in those 5 countries. -- Paula Nelson (*TrustLaw Woman is a website aimed at providing free legal advice for women’s' groups around the world.)
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Source: www.trust.org 6/15/2011 Fact Sheet Worlds Most Dangerous Countries for Women

Sorority Sisters.

When we were college students with fresh faces and fresh ideals about the world, we believed in service to the community and cherished the times we spent making a difference on our campus. We were leaders, we were dreamers, we were believers. By the time we graduated, we knew we would be friends for life, bound by the serenity of sisterhood.

Fast forward 15+ years, a couple more degrees, the careers, the marriages, the children and the new memories have simply given us more to talk about. Even when those old memories start to fade, we get together and reminisce about those days on the hill when the youth of yesterday had the promise of tomorrow shinning so brightly before us. TJ Butler, author of the novel Sorority Sisters, writes so vividly about the complexities of the simple days of Sorority life. The book was a clear depiction of how Sorors struggle to discover their future. I think TJ Butler should write Sorority Sisters II, the 10 year reunion, and III the 20 year reunion.

Recently, my line sister was in town on business. Another Gamma Mu Soror and I met her at Bus Boys & Poets in DC. Of course we talked about our men, her children, the days on “the Hill”, Gamma Mu chapter, and our 2008 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Centennial Anniversary Celebration hosted in Washington DC. There will be thousands of Sorors converging on DC in July 2008 to commemorate 100 years. Considering the next centennial will not be in our life time, this centennial will be a once in a lifetime experience.