Although she’s been a standout soccer player for the Pennington School, East Windsor native Megan Porras had never considered playing international soccer. Until she got a call from Walter Bustamante, a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally and then opened the Walter Bustamante Soccer Academy. Bustamante had been impressed with Porras’ soccer skills and had spoken with coaches of the Peruvian national soccer team about getting Porras a tryout. Born in the United States to Peruvian and Dominican parents, Porras holds citizenship in all three countries, making her eligible to play for Peru. So she traveled to Peru just before Christmas last year to try out for the team. And it went well. Porras was told before she left to come home that she had indeed made the women’s under-20 squad. “When I first heard from Walter, I was in complete shock,” said Porras. Initially though, it didn’t fully…

The “silence breakers,” as they are popularly known, circulate petitions demanding investigations into abuse and share Internet memes like clenched fists with painted nails. But Chinese women are finding it difficult to organise a far-reaching #MeToo movement, going up against not just a male-dominated culture but also the ruling Communist Party itself. Government censors, apparently fearing social unrest, are trying to hobble the campaign, blocking the use of phrases like “anti-abuse” on social media and deleting online petitions calling for greater protections for women. And officials have warned some activists against speaking out, suggesting that they may be seen as traitors colluding with foreigners if they persist. “So many sincere and eager voices are being muted,” said Zhang Leilei, 24, an activist in the southern city of Guangzhou who has helped circulate dozens of petitions among college students. “We are angry and shocked.” Women are demanding investigations into bosses, teachers…

Members of a female security unit in Gaza graduated on Tuesday January 23, 2018, in a celebration attended by senior security officials, media reports said. The Director of Palestinian Security Services in Gaza General Tawfiqabu-N’eem, along many other senior security officials, attended the graduation. Reports said that this is the 29th unit of women security staff in Gaza and these women immediately took up their responsibilities in the different security departments. Security officials said that this came as part of the effort to involve women in the operations of the security services in Gaza. Abu-N’eem said: “We are working hard to train enough numbers of women needed for the security operations and we still need more women to be recruited.” Source: Middle East Monitor

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Bience Gawanas of Namibia as Special Adviser on Africa. She will succeed Maged Abdelaziz of Egypt to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to Mr. David Mehdi Hamam who served as Acting Special Adviser since Mr. Abdelaziz’s departure. Ms. Gawanas is currently Special Adviser to the Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Namibia. Prior to this, she was Special Adviser to the Minister of Health and Social Services. A champion of women’s health and rights in Africa, she has been commended for her role in initiating far-reaching campaigns such as the continental Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). Ms. Gawanes was elected for two terms as the Commissioner for Social Affairs at the African Union Assembly of Heads of…