Princess Mako of Akishino, the first child of Fumihito, Prince Akishino, a member of the Japanese Imperial Family visited the indigenous Japanese in Brazil during the Japanese festival. Nearly two million Japanese people or their descendants live in Brazil – mainly in Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city. Shortly after her arrival, Princess Mako toured the Japan Festival, a three-day event showcasing Japanese cuisine, culture and products. She also planned to visit the Monument to Japanese Immigration Pioneers at the city’s Ibirapuera Park and the nearby Japanese Pavilion. Earlier in the week, she visited Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue and Botanical Gardens. Princess Mako visited many Brazilian cities and Japanese cultural sites and meeting with Japanese families in Brazil. Source: Independent.ie

Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta held extensive talks with Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau of Netherlands during her meeting with Princess Mabel where the two leaders focused their discussion on wide range of issues including child bride marriages, early pregnancies, gender violence, HIV/AIDS and how these issues affect the education and development of the girl child. Princess Mabel during the meeting proposed a global movement of all organizations working for women and the girl child to bring the issues affecting them to the global attention. “Let’s create a strong global movement and through collaboration with change makers mobilize resources and compare lessons in various countries”. Their discussion was also circled on the collaboration between the Princess’s ‘Girls Not Brides’ global partnership and Beyond Zero initiative. The First Lady in another session also held separate talks with Prince Harry and Sir Elton John at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, where the…

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka begins an official visit to Senegal, to highlight the importance women’s economic empowerment in the agricultural sector, encourage the repeal of discriminatory laws and to promote women’s leadership and political participation across the country. As part of her stay, the Executive Director will visit Réseau des Femmes Agricultrices du Nord, a network of women farmers of the North, who produce and trade rice. The initiative is supported by AGRIFED, UN Women’s flagship programme on women’s economic empowerment through climate-resilient agriculture, which aims to empower at least of 30,000 women farmers in Senegal by 2021. Since the project started in 2017, over 10,000 women in the network have benefited from the creation of local selling points for rice distribution in Dakar and increased their sales. They have also received training in financial management and how to run and organize their businesses. Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Minister…

Wife of the Chinese President, Peng Liyuan and her husband President Xi Jinping accompanied with UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls’ and Women’s Education, attended a graduation ceremony for pre-school teachers in the South African capital of Pretoria on Tuesday 24th of July, 2018. The Chinese first lady was accompanied by Tshepo Motsepe, wife of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and a representative of the African Self Help Association Trust at the event. The pre-school teachers performed South African songs and dances to welcome the Chinese guests. According to the first lady, teaching is a noble profession. In the quest to help the children realize their dreams and eventually carry forward the cause of national rejuvenation and prosperity, teachers should always bear in mind the expectations and responsibilities entrusted to them by their country, maintain a high standard of professional and personal ethics, stay benevolent and never give…

In traditionally macho Brazil and in the male-dominant sports world, a female coach, Yuko Fujii was appointed head coach of the country’s renowned judo men’s team. Today, she has made history as the first female head coach of Brazilian men’s judo. The only woman to ever coach the Brazilian women’s national football team was fired after less than a year, prompting protests by players. The Brazilian Judo Confederation hopes it is playing a part in changing that. “Our selection of Yuko as head coach for the men’s team really surprised the judo world. I’m sure other federations and other sports teams in Brazil will follow the example.” “Yuko is an excellent example of the increasing recognition of women’s role in sports, especially since judo is a martial art that women have had restricted access to throughout history,” says Ney Wilson, a confederation administrator. Yuko says that she just wants…

A flight school in Saudi Arabia is opening its doors for women, following the end of a decades-long driving ban. Oxford Aviation Academy, a leading trainer and crew recruiter, has already received applications from hundreds of women hoping to start lessons in September at a new branch in the eastern city of Dammam. According to applicant Dalal Yashar, who aspires to work as a civil pilot “People used to travel abroad (to study aviation), which was difficult for women more than men.” “We are no longer living in the era where women were allowed (to work) in limited areas. All avenues are now opened for women. If you have the appetite, you have the ability,” she said. The academy is part of a $300 million project that includes a school for aircraft maintenance and an international center for flight simulators at the airport. Students receive three years of academic…

Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, a former Ghanaian minister of Trade and Industry and Foreign Affairs, has been appointed as the director-general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). Hanna Tetteh replaced Ethiopian diplomat Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde who will now be the Special Representative to the African Union and head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). This disclosure was made by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh served as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 – 2017, prior to which she was the Minister for Trade and Industry between 2009 -2013. While at Foreign Affairs, she was a member of her country’s National Security Council and the Armed Forces Council. She was also the chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-member state bloc, from 2014 to 2015. During her tenure as Trade minister,…