Lawmaker Urges SC to Uphold RH Law’s Constitutionality
The Sun Star - Manila, Philipinnes, 3/31/2014
An administration lawmaker urged the Supreme Court to finally rule on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) law in order for the government to take advantage of the ‘demographic dividend.’ Demographic dividend refers to the shift to low fertility and mortality rates from high fertility and mortality rates. It cuts the growth rate of the labor force and frees up state funds for welfare and economic development. Valenzuela City Representative Sherwin Gatchalian said the RH law, which remains on hold due to an indefinite restraining order from the SC, has a critical role in helping the country achieve a sustainable level of human capital that would in effect increase productive working years and stabilize the country`s labor supply once it is finally implemented.
Myanmar Holds First Census in 3 Decades
The Hindu - Yangon, India, 3/30/2014
Myanmar is holding its first census in three decades despite calls to postpone it because of fears it could further stoke ethnic tensions and violence. The government says that members of a long-persecuted Muslim minority cannot list themselves as ‘Rohingya’ despite U.N. assurances. The administrators in some rebel-controlled areas along the border say they will bar census takers. Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million, emerged from a half-century of military rule in 2011. But newfound freedoms that accompanied its transition to democracy have given voice to religious violence that has left up to 280 people dead.
Discussing Sexual Education Still A Taboo: Expert
The Hindu, India, 3/30/2014
‘Misinformation about sexual health has given rise to a culture of ‘faith healing’ wherein desperate patients are thoroughly exploited by equally ignorant doctors and quacks. There is only one medical college in the country, KEM Hospital, Mumbai that has an exclusive department on sexual medicine’ observes Sexual medicine expert Dr. Prakash Kothari . The doctor who was in Hyderabad to participate in an obstetricians and gynaecologists conference, says that for an average MBBS student, sexual education means learning about male and female reproductive system, which is the same even for a school and college student. ‘Sexual education is more about how an individual develops into a healthy and responsible adult capable of using innate sexual instincts to the fullest potential without being obsessed about it. It enables one to identify and be comfortable with one’s sexuality,’ he signed off.
China`s First Lady Made Unesco Envoy
The Times of India - Beijing, India, 3/30/2014
Chinese president Xi Jinping`s wife, Peng Liyuan, has been appointed as Unesco special envoy for the promotion of women education. Unesco said Peng was given the role for ‘her commitment to empowering girls and women through quality education, her outstanding contribution to fighting inequalities in education, her devoted service to human development and creativity, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the organization’.
Pregnant Women Want RH
The Philippine Star, Philippines, 3/29/2014
Around 1,000 advocates of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, mostly pregnant women, marched to the Supreme Court (SC) urging the high court to declare the statute constitutional and order its implementation. The protest was spearheaded by the Likhaan for the Purple Movement, an umbrella organization of various groups pushing for RH Law. The march kicked off a series of activities to be held in Baguio City where the SC is expected to rule on the RH law on April 8.Actress Giselle Toengi joined the march. She expressed her support for the advocacy by dressing up as a pregnant woman.
People`s Manifesto Echoes Voice of the Unheard
The Times of India, India, 3/28/2014
Senior BJP leader Sanjay Paswan along with CPI, CPI(M) members lauded the People`s Manifesto brought out by civil society organisations led by the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, which backs the social inclusion of those on the fringes. The People`s Manifesto puts forth the demands of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community strongly: Repeal with immediate effect section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises homosexuality, create safeguards to protect the LGBT community from cruelty and ensure they lead a life of dignity and equal opportunity, it is stated in the Manifesto. The document advocates that government must provide equal opportunities and entitlements to all sexual minorities and legal, social and economic recognition to the third sex.
Myanmar Joins FIFA`s Anti-HIV Campaign
Business Standard - Yangon, India, 3/27/2014
Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) has joined FIFA`s health programme ‘Protect the Goal’ together with Myanmar National League and UNAIDS. The programme will create the opportunity to reduce the number of those infected with HIV among youths and educate people through the media and share experiences publicly. The education programme on HIV will be continued by the National HIV Planning of the Ministry of Health in cooperation with Myanmar Red Cross and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).The ‘Protect the Goal’ programme is mainly designed for dealing with the HIV problem in Asian countries such as Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar.
Seminar on HIV/AIDS Prevention Held at PGI
The Hindustan Times - Chandigarh, India, 3/27/2014
A seminar on `HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control` was organised at National Institute of Nursing Education, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, by the students of BSc nursing second year. Nearly 200 students participated in the seminar. The activity was sponsored by Red Ribbon Club and States AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh. Dr Sandhya Ghai, principal, National Institute of Nursing Education, PGIMER, Chandigarh, was the chief guest on the occasion. The chief guest also guided the students to use standard safety precautions for prevention of transmission of infection to themselves as well as to patients.
Congress Bats for Sexual Minorities in Manifesto
Business Standard, India, 3/26/2014
The Congress manifesto released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at the party headquarters, said that the party ‘believes that society should be more sensitive to the rights of the transgender community. The issue will receive separate and continued attention.’ Listing the legal reforms it plans to move in if voted again to power in the Lok Sabha polls, the party said it ‘will enact a law to ensure that consensual sexual relations between adults of the same-sex are not criminalised.’
NHRC Notice to Haryana on Child Malnutrition
The Hindu - New Delhi, India, 3/25/2014
The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of media reports of severe malnutrition among children in Haryana’s Karnal, Yamuna Nagar, Panchkula and Ambala districts. It issued notices to the authorities in the State, observing that it constituted a violation of the children’s human rights. Reports quoting a study of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, stated that the four districts in Haryana had an ‘alarming situation’ of malnutrition among children. While 37.4 per cent of children were found to be underweight, 42.8 per cent suffered from stunted growth and 17.5 per cent from wasting. Ninety-five per cent of the children in Karnal were found to be anaemic.
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