Egypt’s highest Sunni Muslim authority has stated that there can be no justification for molestation, in a country where many people often blame women themselves for the widespread problems they face. In a statement, Al-Azhar blasted all forms of harassment as “a forbidden act and deviant behavior”. “Criminalizing molestation must be absolute and free from any condition or context,” the statement released Monday said. “Justifying molestation with the behavior or clothing of the woman is a misunderstanding, for harassment is an assault on the woman and her freedom and dignity,” it said. Some 60 percent of women in Egypt said they had been victims of some form of harassment during their lifetimes in a 2017 report from U.N. Women and Promundo. Three-quarters of men and 84 percent of women polled said that women who “dress provocatively deserve to be harassed.” The divisions have been highlighted by a recent debate over…

FINCAD, the leading provider of enterprise portfolio and risk analytics for multi-asset derivatives and fixed income, today 23 August 2018 announced the recipient of their annual Women in Finance Scholarship award. The $10,000 award was given to Monica Carrasco, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Wealth Management at the Université de Genève. FINCAD’s Women in Finance Scholarship is aimed at encouraging talented women who are working to further their education in Finance, particularly in the areas of derivatives and financial risk management. “This year our scholarship selection process was far from easy,” commented Bob Park, President, CEO, and Founder of FINCAD. “We heard from 260 applicants in 66 different countries, many of which demonstrated impressive qualifications in the areas of financial engineering and risk management. But ultimately, Monica’s remarkable range of experience, rich multicultural educational background and deep understanding of risk management and the capital markets secured her the…

Rahi Sarnobat on 22 August 2018 became the first Indian female shooter to win gold at the Asian Games, achieving the rare feat after nerve-wracking 25m air pistol finals. The 27-year-old held her nerve to pip Thailand’s Naphaswan Yangpaiboon in a heart-stopping contest after both were tied at 34 points following 10 series of five shots each, taking it to a shoot-off. Both found the target four times in the shoot-off, leading to another shoot-off where Rahi shot three and the Thai two, ensuring a historic gold for the Kohlapur-born shooter. The bronze went to South Korea’s Kim Minjung. She was in the lead for the major part of the final and her first 10 shots were on target. She got a five out of five even in the sixth series. With her stellar effort, she became the second gold medalist from the Indian shooting contingent after 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary…

President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, on Thursday 23 August 2018 honored Ida Odinga, Kenyan businesswoman, activist, and of Raila Odinga, the former Prime Minister of Kenya with one of the highest civilian awards, Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.) for her services to the nation. During the ceremony which also saw other outstanding women feted, Ida, wife of Raila Odinga, was also recognized as a trailblazer, who has contributed immensely toward the protection and growth of women’s welfare in Kenya. The Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, Rachel Shebesh, who emceed the session, read out Ida Odinga’s name as a president’s award honoree. “Ida Odinga is a woman who has supported political leadership in this country. She is a prominent entrepreneur, an activist, and an educator. She is awarded EGH, Elder of the Order of the…

A team of five (5) teenage girls representing Nigeria has defeated teams from the United States, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to win the 2018 Technovation world pitch junior division which was held in San Francisco. The team, Save-A-Soul from Regina Pacis Model Secondary School, Onitsha, comprising of Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye developed a mobile application called ‘FD Detector’ to tackle the problem of fake pharmaceutical products in the country. The Nigerian schoolgirls were selected from 2,000 mobile app developers to represent Africa at the world pitch. This is the first time a Junior Nigerian team will emerge among the finalists to visit Silicon Valley and the Nigerian teenage girls will be pitching their app to investors in Silicon Valley, California. Technovation is a program that invites girls to identify a problem in their communities and then challenge them to solve them by…

“When it comes to the start of breastfeeding, timing is everything,” said Henrietta Fore, the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Executive Director, on the eve of World Breastfeeding Week. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world by providing infants with the nutrients they need. “In many countries, it can even be a matter of life or death,” she added. In the report, Capture the Moment, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) note that while newborns who breastfeed in the first hour of life are significantly more likely to survive, they estimate that 78 million newborns are excluded. “Each year, millions of newborns miss out on the benefits of early breastfeeding and the reasons – all too often – are things we can change,” she continued. “Mothers simply don’t receive enough support to breastfeed within…