Last year, I traveled to Swaziland, a country roughly the size of New Jersey surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. Swaziland has about 1 million people, and has the unfortunate distinction of having the world’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS, 25.9%, and therefore a life expectancy of 48 years of age. …
Efforts to combat trafficking are diverse and growing. Businesses, NGOs, academics, politicians, governments and individuals all have a role to play.
So, instead of spending Thanksgiving weekend watching the Macy’s Parade, eating turkey and shopping (my usual Thanksgiving activities), I was in Amsterdam and London …
I loved Robin Wright’s new book, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion in the Islamic World. (And thanks to The Clash for inspiring the title!) The book couldn’t be more timely given current events. It is a smart, provocative and compelling read, and I …
I woke up this morning to the amazing news that three women shared this year’s Nobel Peace Prize: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee; and Tawakkul Karman, a Yemeni opposition leader. These three women have all been trailblazers for non-violent social …
In 1995, then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton riveted the world at that year’s Beijing World Conference on Women. She made a compelling case for all of us – particularly governments – to address the issues important to women and girls, and made the tag …
Kah Walla, the only woman in the race against long term incumbent Paul Biya filed the papers making her candidacy official last week. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/3rxf5xy
The Whistleblower opens this Friday in selected cities and then to a broader audience on August 12. Here’s my review of the movie, which is worth watching:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephenie-foster/whistleblower-film_b_914881.html
Well, some think so. The question has generated quite a bit of controversy; here’s my blog post on the topic:
http://stepheniefoster.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=319&Itemid=54
After a decade of reporting, this year’s focus shifts to how to move forward. In the words of Ambassador-At-Large Lou CdeBaca, “This year’s TIP Report focuses on how governments can move toward a more targeted, purposeful approach that fully addresses the minimum standards to fight trafficking …
Freedom House’s 2010 edition of Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa is out and a great resource. It analyzes the status of women in the region country by country. As Queen Noor has said, “It is vital that MENA countries more urgently recognize that the …
Farishta, Patricia McArdle’s first novel, is a compelling and readable book about the challenges faced by soldiers and civilians stationed in Afghanistan — the constant fear of attack; the unforgiving landscape; the hostile and often corrupt warlords; the uncertain loyalties of Afghan colleagues; the efficacy of their mission; and the constant isolation. See the rest of the review at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephenie-foster/farishta-a-compelling-nov_b_870080.html?ref=tw
Last week I was in Armenia with the National Democratic Institute, helping women there build a policy platform they can use in both advocacy and election campaigns. Here is a link to a piece I wrote on this great conference:
http://stepheniefoster.com/administrator/index.php?option=com_content§ionid=-1&task=edit&cid[]=261
Paul Biya has been the President of Cameroon since 1982. He is being challenged this fall by Kah Walla, a dynamic woman who previously served as a city council member in Douala, Cameroon. Ms. Walla has been recognized by the World Bank as one of seven women entrepreneurs in Africa working …
Raufa Hassan was a fearless, focused and inspirational Yemeni political activist, journalist and thinker. She died last week at 53. These tributes below capture her well. I first met Raufa in Sanaa, Yemen, in 1997 when I travelled to Yemen on my first ever trip to work with non-American women …
How can we best ensure that development assistance reaches those who need it most? Here are six building blocks.
