Around The World In 5
Around the World in 5 is an ongoing series that highlights news related to women in five countries, updated every week. This week's post covers November 04 to November 10.
Bangladesh
Female garment factory workers in Bangladesh have been rallying for higher minimum wage, and on Tuesday, the country's wage board declared a 56 percent raise, bringing the new monthly pay to around $113 from the existing rate, which can be as minimal as $80.
Despite growing concerns about government and factory owner reactions, union leaders affirmed their commitment to ongoing protests, advocating for a further increase to approximately $200 per month to address the escalating cost of living.
Angola
Angola is grappling with its most severe climate crisis in four decades, significantly impacting the well-being of pregnant women. Below-average rainfall, particularly from 2018 to 2021, has led to critical food shortages and livestock deaths in various regions. The United Nations identifies this as the Southern African country's most significant climate crisis in 40 years.
In 2022, the drought in southern Angola left an estimated 1.58 million people at risk of famine, according to the World Bank. Read more here.
Australia
Australian surfer Laura Enever, 31, has officially set a world record for paddling into the largest wave ridden by a woman. Taming the 43.6ft (13.3m) giant at a spot known as the Himalayas in Oahu, Hawaii, in January, she surpassed the previous seven-year record by a mere foot.
Guinness World Records certified Enever's achievement on Thursday in Narrabeen, Sydney, relying on video footage and detailed information about the wave's height, location, and the videographers involved. Read more here.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
Pregnant women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive free healthcare in a bid to reduce the country's high rates of maternal and neonatal deaths. In 13 out of 26 regions, women will be entitled to free services during pregnancy and the first month after childbirth.
The initiative extends to providing free healthcare for babies during their initial 28 days. The government plans to expand this program nationwide, though a specific timetable for the extension is yet to be established.
The DRC currently faces some of the world's highest rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, falling significantly short of UN targets for 2030.
Palestine
Israeli troops arrested Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, known as a hero in the occupied West Bank, on suspicion of inciting violence. Tamimi gained fame in 2017 at 16 when she confronted an Israeli soldier.
The arrest was based on an alleged Instagram post, but Tamimi's mother claims the account was hacked, denying the incitement accusation. Tamimi's family contends that she didn't write the words for which she is now detained in an Israeli jail.