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Articles by Rhona Scullion
Sudan: Govt May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues
Just four months ago, Sudan took the monumental step to ban female genital mutilation, a painful, unnecessary and dangerous procedure that leaves lasting scars. Generally carried out on girls before they reach puberty, genital mutilation is now punishable in Sudan by up to three years in prison and subject to a fine.
Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues
Africa, Crime & Justice, Education, Gender, Gender Violence, Headlines, Health, TerraViva United Nations Opinion By Rhona Scullion, PassBlue* Reprint | | Print | A performance at a photo show in El Fasher, Sudan, 2018. The new transitional government of Sudan criminalized female genital mutilation this spring, but the practice has not ended.
Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues
This article was originally published on PassBlue. It is reposted here with permission. A performance at a photo show in El Fasher, Sudan, 2018. The new transitional government of Sudan criminalized female genital mutilation this spring, but the practice has not ended. (Mohamad Almahady / UNAMID) Just four months ago, Sudan took the monumental step to ban female genital mutilation—a painful, unnecessary and dangerous procedure that leaves lasting scars.
Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues
A performance at a photo show in El Fasher, Sudan, 2018. The new transitional government of Sudan criminalized female genital mutilation this spring, but the practice has not ended. MOHAMAD ALMAHADY/UNAMID Just four months ago, Sudan took the monumental step to ban female genital mutilation, a painful, unnecessary and dangerous procedure that leaves lasting scars.
Women and Brexit: Their Voices Are Just Not Heard
Brexit protesters, near Parliament, London, January 2019. Women will likely take the biggest hit from Britain’s exit from the European Union, say rights specialists in the country and a UN rights advocate. NOTTINGHAM, England — It has been more than two and a half years since Britain voted to leave the European Union. As the rest of the world knows, nothing since then has gone smoothly. It’s not even clear where most voters stand on the issue today.
UN Peacekeepers Murdered on Duty Die in Obscurity
Sgt. Maj. Albert Ndikumana, 29-year-old Burundian peacekeeper, was killed during an ambush on Aug. 23, 2018, in the village of Pavika, Central African Republic. He received “the last honors of his UN family,” the Minusca mission said, on Sept. 6 in a ceremony held at its headquarters in Bangui. Beyond such official recognition, peacekeepers murdered in the line of duty receive little notice from the UN in New York.
Pursuing Justice for Peruvian Women Forcibly Sterilized Under Fujimori's Rule
María Ysabel Cedano, director of Demus, a women’s rights group in Lima, Peru. It has sought damages for indigenous women in Peru who were forcibly sterilized at one point in the country’s long armed conflict. LIMA, Peru — Despite making great economic strides in recent years, Peru has a violent history that remains relatively fresh for many people here.
Industrial Mining: A Wild Frontier in Need of Monitoring
Extracting minerals from the earth is a messy, albeit lucrative business, and the disputes that plague the industry tend to be equally challenging. As the center of international trading of mining company stocks, London is regarded by some watchdog groups as a hub of multinational mining companies that they say tends to disregard the environment and human rights.
'Period Poverty': Why No One Is Talking About Eco-Friendly Solutions
A teacher distributing free sanitary pads to students in Pader, Uganda. The subject of “period poverty,” in which women and girls cannot afford basic sanitary protection every month, is still taboo across the world, while promoting sustainable solutions is an equally queasy topic.
A Novel Idea: Putting Refugee Health Care Experts to Work
With a record 65.6 million people displaced from their homes around the world — 22.5 million of them classified as refugees who have fled across borders — alarms are sounding about the health risks in overcrowded refugee settlements. Sanitation is soon overwhelmed, hygienic conditions rapidly deteriorate and malnutrition rises, contributing to the spread of contagious infections and neglected chronic diseases. Visiting medical teams come and go but health hazards remain.
A New Index Rates the Well-Being of Women in 153 Nations
A new women, peace and security index was unveiled at the United Nations recently. At its core, the WPS index, as it is known, provides evidence for what advocates have been saying all along: that the active and equal participation of women in all aspects of society is critical for peace and security, especially in vulnerable or conflict-ridden areas. The index is published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.
UN Day: Another Day, Another 34,000 Refugees
Oct. 24 is not just another day on the calendar. It is United Nations Day, an excellent time to take note of one of the accomplishments the world body has achieved in its 72-year history. The global institution has made it possible for the economic and social development for people worldwide. There is, however, one issue that has garnered significant attention but regrettably has not stayed on the front page and is slipping from the public eye.
From Rice to Power at the United Nations
President Obama’s choice of Samantha Power to become the next United States ambassador to the United Nations and her recent confirmation by the Senate sends a strong, positive signal to all human-rights defenders. “As one of our country’s leading foreign policy thinkers, Samantha knows that our nation’s interests are advanced with strong and principled American leadership,” Obama said in the White House announcement on Aug. 1.
Agritourism in Sicily: Getting to Know the Mediterranean Farmers
BELPASSO, Italy — The Oasi di Francesca farm-stay hotel is situated in an unlikely spot here in Sicily, about a kilometer from an Italian naval air base and a half hour to the large port city of Catania in the east, facing the Ionian Sea. Among the acres of low-lying artichoke plants — as well as pigs, sheep, horses, donkeys, chickens, cats and dogs — the military base is within view of the salmon-colored two-story inn.
The US, as Predicted, Loses a Valuable Vote at Unesco
As predicted by PassBlue, the United States has lost its voting rights in Unesco, since it stopped paying its dues almost exactly two years ago because of a Congressional ban on support for any UN agency that gives full membership to the Palestinians. Unesco suspended American voting rights on Nov. 8, as well as those of Israel, which also stopped paying dues two years ago as a protest to Palestine’s affiliation.
Keeping a Close Eye on the UN’s Use of Unarmed Drones
In 2007, for the first time in history, United Nations forces operated an unmanned aerial vehicle — a small prototype for a short period by the UN mission in Haiti. In 2013, the UN officially launched drones (formally known as unmanned aerial systems, or UAS) for surveillance in a peacekeeping mission.
Nikki Haley Is Better Known in the UK Than Her British Counterpart. How Come?
DUNDEE, Scotland — While most British people have a generally positive view of the United Nations, public awareness of who their diplomats are and how they carry out their work in New York is minimal to nonexistent. Yet the United States ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has had no trouble attracting headlines in Britain — and elsewhere beyond America — notably related to the tensions with North Korea.
A Hint on Confronting Islamist Power. Or Maybe Not.
Will it never end? When will time run out on the array of shape-shifting militant Islamist movements intent on moving into shaky trouble spots around the world to impose their extreme ideology, harness the population and hijack the local economy? How long will it take for the international community — the ubiquitous West — to come up with viable strategies to blunt if not block this type of jihadist campaign that has already shaken up Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, Libya and Mali?
America’s Pledge to the Paris Agreement Doesn’t Hinge on Washington
When Donald Trump, defying science and public opinion, reversed American policy and announced in June that the United States would leave the universally endorsed 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, his decision may have given more impetus to a growing trend away from reliance on shortsighted national politicians.
In Breakaway Abkhazia, Revived Traditions Put Women on the Edge
SUKHUMI, Abkhazia — Here in the Caucasus region, hugging the Black Sea, this is what the capital of the small breakaway territory of Abkhazia looks like, more than 20 years after severing from Georgia: a city in tatters with abandoned buildings lining the streets and bullet holes still pockmarking the facades. The territory’s quarter of a million people remain isolated from the West; as a result, women’s lives have become more precarious.
The UN Pension Fund’s Leaders Must Go
The General Assembly resolution passed in December could not have been clearer: the United Nations pension fund has failed to deliver on both the investment side, led by Carol Boykin, and the secretariat side, led by Sergio Arvizú. The resolution came on the heels of critical reports documenting massive foreign-exchange losses, low investment income and unprecedented delays in pension payments to new retirees and survivors, among other managerial deficiencies.
Is Feminism in Britain Slipping Under Theresa May's Leadership? Women's Groups Wonder
British Prime Minister Theresa May and Donald Trump meeting at the White House on Jan. 27, 2017. May’s support of women’s rights in her country is being questioned by a range of civil society groups. CROWN COPYRIGHT/JAY ALLEN NOTTINGHAM, England — Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May once famously wore a “This is what a feminist looks like” T-shirt and has been vocal in her support for women — much more than her only female predecessor and fellow Conservative Party member Margaret Thatcher.
Colombia’s Rejection of the Peace Agreement Creates New Hurdles for Women
BOGOTÁ — By a thin margin, Colombian voters said no in early October to a peace agreement to end the decades-long war in the country between the guerillas, FARC-EP, and the government. The painstakingly written peace pact was developed with considerable contributions from women to embed commitments to gender rights in the country’s post-conflict setting. Now those gender elements, new rights won for women by women and the LGBTI community, could be weakened.
Yikes! Has the UN Really Named Wonder Woman an Honorary Ambassador?
The United Nations has appointed two public figures to large roles in the organization. The most recent high commissioner for refugees, António Guterres, was tapped this month to be the next secretary-general, ending an eight-month campaign that included — and rejected — seven capable female candidates. The UN also named Wonder Woman as an honorary ambassador (or mascot, as some media are calling her) for the empowerment of women and girls.
No Prosecutions for Female Genital Mutilation in Britain, So What Is the Problem?
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NOTTINGHAM, England — Female genital mutilation has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985. Scotland has similar but separate legislation. Much more comprehensive laws forbidding the practice were introduced in 2003 and again in 2015, creating additional safeguards and stringent punishments for those practicing FGM, as it is known. Yet no one in Britain has successfully been prosecuted for the crime, which suggests that programs to prevent the procedure are failing.
By Rhona Scullion, Dulcie Leimbach Verified, Laura E. Kirkpatrick Verified, Irwin Arieff, Joanne Myers
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PassBlue
Verified
Guterres Leads Latest Poll for UN Secretary-General Again, but It May Not Matter
The latest Security Council straw poll pointing to the selection of the next secretary-general of the United Nations happened on Sept. 9, with the results leaving António Guterres of Portugal still the front-runner ever since the informal, anonymous balloting began in the Security Council in July. The latest poll is the fourth such vote; the next one is Sept.
In Post-Brexit Tangle, Scotland’s Leader Acts Decisively
DUNDEE, Scotland — Before dawn on June 24, Britain voted by a majority to leave the European Union. Yet every region in Scotland voted to remain, and now Scots face the prospect of being pulled from the European Union against their will.
Now Is the Time for a Female Secretary-General, Says a New Campaign [Video]
Convinced that after 70 years it is time to choose a woman for the United Nations’ top job of secretary-general, a new movement led by an academic spcialist on the organization has been assembled to formally support the election of a woman for the job. The current secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, a Korean, finishes his second five-year term on Dec. 31, 2016, and is unlikely to try for another, even though the UN Charter does not disallow it.
Top Choices From the #THISBOOK Campaign
Launched by the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, the #THISBOOK campaign was a means to help promote books written by women who had changed people’s lives and perspectives. From classics to contemporary, fantasy to literary fiction, any and all suggestions were welcomed. The short list for the Baileys Fiction Prize has been available for a while now and the winner will be announced tomorrow on the 4th of June.
French Open: Shock Exit of Serena Williams
Well, first it was Wawrinka, then Li Na, and now the women’s defending champion herself, Serena Williams, have all fallen in the first couple of rounds of the French Open in exits that have sent shock waves through the stands of Roland Garros. The 2014 tournament is certainly proving to be the most unpredictable tennis event of this year as the tops seeds and safest bets seem to be dropping like flies.
Bets Being Taken on Federer Twins Tennis Future
In light of the recent news that Roger Federer is once more a father to a set of twins – this time two baby boys – many are now taking bets on the likelihood that his four children will follow in his footsteps and have glittering tennis futures of their own. With two girls and two boys, there a multiple possibilities on which to base these predictions covering all of the main formats in competitive tennis, from singles to doubles and mixed doubles.
Best Kept Secrets About Shakespeare
Today is the Bard’s 450th birthday and amid the global celebrations, commemorations and fanfare it seems like the perfect time to dig up some of the best kept secrets about William Shakespeare and his incredible literary contributions to the world. Despite never publishing his own plays (they were all published posthumously by various friends), his name is one of the most well-known in the world of theater and his poetry is also a staple on any English literature course the world over.
Westboro Baptist Church Sent Packing by Counter Protest in Oklahoma
Nothing like a bit of your own medicine, or ambiguous divine intervention – whichever way people choose to see it – to take a group down a peg or two, and that is exactly what happened to the notorious Westboro Baptist Church in Moore, Oklahoma at the weekend.
Facebook Fallout Caused Mexican Teen to Stab Best Friend 65 Times
In a damning reflection on the dangers of social media a fallout on Facebook has caused a Mexican teen to murder her best friend by stabbing her 65 times in the back. Erandy Elizabeth Gutierrez was furious with fellow teen, Anel Baez, for posting semi-nude photos of the two of them to the social network and swore to have her revenge. The 16 year old Gutierrez took to another social network to warn Baez, also 16, that she would be fortunate to still be alive at the end of the year.
Chromosome by Design Close to Artificial Life
Thanks to an incredible scientific breakthrough the field of genetics has taken a substantial leap forward. An international group of scientists led by a team at New York University have managed to create a chromosome of their own design taking them one step closer on the path to creating artificial life. The findings of the group were published in the respected journal Science on the March 27 this year.
Same Sex Marriage Still Needless Source of Controversy
When numerous same-sex couples said “I do” on the stroke of midnight in England and Wales yesterday, the same-sex marriage milestone was finally reached by many who had long campaigned for what is being hailed as a victory for equality. There was a rush by many to coordinate their nuptials in order to claim the accolade of being the first same-sex couple to get married in the UK.
Female Genital Mutilation Case Political Statement or Real Prosecution?
When it was announced that the UK would be carrying out its first female genital mutilation (FGM) prosecution since the practice was first made illegal in 1985, the decision was widely welcomed as a statement against the socially, medically and legally unacceptable nature of the practice. However, with publicity for the case that is currently ongoing, at an all-time high for the divisive subject, there has been a controversial but predictable backlash against the landmark trial.
Love Locks No More as American Expats Hail Them Paris Bridge Hazard
In a most unromantic move two American women living in the French capital of Paris have lambasted the tourist driven obsession of attaching love locks to the Ponts Des Arts Bridge.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Means Modern Mysteries Still Possible
In a world where people on opposite sides of the planet communicate with a swipe of their index finger or a jab of their thumb on the many gadgets that modern technology has gifted humanity, the concept of instantaneous information and location is often a given.
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