News

24.05.2013 Despite Annulment, Genocide Trial a Breakthrough for Justice and Truth The sentence of 80 years in prison against former de facto president Efraín Ríos Montt for genocide and crimes against humanity committed during Guatemala’s armed conflict, emitted on May 10, 2013,...

14.05.2013 Spouses with a mission At the beginning no one was aware that they were husband and wife.

07.05.2013 Protection of Civilians: The Politics of Counting Rape in Darfur During my fieldwork in Khartoum in February/March this year a paradoxical development was brought to my attention. The records of UNAMID, The African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur, indicate t...

12.04.2013 70,000 cases of domestic violence in Colombia In 2011, there were more than 70,000 reported cases of domestic violence against women and about 19 000 cases of sexual violence in Colombia. This is an increase of 11 percent compared to 2010.

08.03.2013 Impunity as the norm Halfway into the first week of this year's CSW, I notice two recurring themes. One is the importance of engaging men and boys in the eradication of violence against women, and the other the need to...

06.03.2013 CSW: Norway's statement at the General Debate This statement was held by Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, Inga Marte Thorkildsen, during the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

18.02.2013 Violence against women in Sri Lanka Dilanthi got into the bus and looked around fearfully, wondering where to sit. She notices two empty seats at the back and goes towards it. She sits down hoping no one will sit next to her. An elde...

14.02.2013 Rising Across the Globe It is Valentine's Day, the day we strike, dance, and rise against violence against women. Check out why and how people from all over the world are rising

13.02.2013 Women in Times of Transition: 1325 in Sri Lanka Four years following three decades of civil war, Sri Lanka is still reeling from both the overt and covert effects of war. Read the article from Ceylon Today on FOKUS' report on women, peace and se...

21.01.2013 No More Killing of Women! - Political will, courage and resources are key to putting an end to violence against women and feminicide/femicide, says declaration from European-Latin American-Caribbean Forum of Civil Society O...

18.01.2013 Till death do us apart Suicides amongst married women in India due to dowry and domestic abuse are rising at an alarming rate.

20.12.2012 New issue of Women United out now! Truths, causes and consequences of violence against women are investigated and revealed in this year's last issue of Women United

19.12.2012 Calls for inclusion of women in post-conflict processes in Sri Lanka Current efforts to include women in rebuilding Sri Lanka following the civil war are fragmented, according to Salma Yusuf. Referring to an assessment conducted by FOKUS in Sri Lanka, Yusuf claims t...

13.11.2012 Human Rights Violations in Colombia Colombia will undergo the Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council in 2013. Here is the report on the Human Rights situation in Colombia 2008-2013, by international platforms and organ...

13.11.2012 Swaziland: Urgent action needed to boost women in decision-making While the constitution aims for 30 percent women in decision-making, the Swaziland local government elections on 3 November resulted in a drop in women’s representation from 18,8 percent in 2008 to...

23.11.2012 The Filmmaker from Kashmir In the Indian part of Kashmir, Iffat Fatima risks her life in order to tell the story about men who have disappeared. For six years Fatima has worked on the film “On a Trail of Vanished Blood”, whi...

02.11.2012 Swaziland Local Government Elections: Will Women’s Participation Increase? Reaching the goal of 50 percent women’s representation is unlikely as people of Swaziland take to the voting booths for local government elections on Saturday 3 November

01.11.2012 Quotas: African Women Navigating a Man’s World The introduction of gender quotas in the public sphere of Africa roughly two decades ago signified an evolutionary transformation in granting African women access to decision-making positions. The ...

29.10.2012 ‘I don’t want to die without seeing justice’: Sexual Slavery During Guatemala’s Armed Conflict Fifteen brave Guatemalan women from the indigenous q’eqchí people testified before the High Risk Court in Guatemala City on Sept. 24-28, as part of the first criminal trial for sexual slavery and r...

25.10.2012 Norwegian politicians officially unite to end violence against women As first in the world, Norwegian politicians dress in orange to support UN campaign to save women from violence

19.10.2012 Why are women so adversely affected by poverty compared to men? Today, 2, 7 billion people live on less than 2 dollars a day, and 70 percent of these are women. This situation is commonly referred to as the feminization of poverty. Why are women so adversely af...

12.09.2012 The Revictimization of Victims of State Crimes- The Aggressions Continue Colombia: New report from the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE)

20.08.2012 FOKUS launches new policy on disability FOKUS is committed to protecting the rights and interests of all the world’s women. By extension, FOKUS is committed to the inclusion of people who have physical and intellectual disabilities and t...

15.08.2012 I WAS HERE - World Humanitarian Day World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 200...

22.06.2012 Fundamentalisms and patriarchy hard at work! Women’s sexual and reproductive rights under attack:

07.06.2012 Colombia the Current Panorama:Victims and Land Restitution Law 1448 This document outlines how the Victims and Land Restitution Law (Ley de Victimas y de Restitución de Tierra, Law 1448, June 2011) has been a positive step forward in recognising the existence of an...

27.02.2012 Michelle Bachelet: Walk the talk -Walk the talk – we have to talk as we go up the road to a world where women have the same rights as men, says Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the new UN women’...

16.02.2012 FOKUS challenges the Amir of Qatar “You have a unique opportunity to challenge the UN and national delegations to include women and to include the gender perspective to climate change. How will you and the Kingdom of Qatar, as the o...