By: Malva Izquierdo Three decades after Nicaragua launched the first of many reforms aimed at giving women equal land rights, experts say rural women remain exploited and open to disinheritance, violence and abuse. Many women are locked out of land – first by a father then by a husband – while others say they are treated worse than the animals they tend. Yet all this was supposed to end decades ago. The first promised wave of reform to property law began in the 1980s, a new drive followed in the 1990s and the latest big attempt to give women fair treatment came just six years ago. All have failed, according to the experts, creating fresh opportunities for men to use ‘asset violence’ and blackmail to control both wife and land. Rene Rodriguez, author of a study by the Managua-based research institute, Nitlapan, says a major problem lies with inheritance…

African First Ladies have been called to intensify efforts in advocating changes in attitude and cultural norms as well as removal of legal and political barriers that stand in the way of the continent’s transformation, Ethiopia’s First Lady said. Speaking recently at the 18th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFL), First Lady Roman Tesfaye said African First ladies are increasingly using their role and influence to bring about changes nationally and internationally. She said “we, First Ladies of Africa take pride in our individuals and collective contributions to the encouraging socio-economic and political strides Africa is making.” African First ladies should not be considered as treating symptoms of social and economic problems or only reaching out of humanitarian causes, the First Lady added. “Our advocacy should continue to be geared towards addressing the root causes of the problems our society is facing,” she…