Article here.

'Durban: In an effort to combat the scourge of HIV and Aids, over two million men will be circumcised in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, BuaNews reported on Friday.

The premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Zweli Mkhize, said on Thursday this initiative had received overwhelming support from HIV activists and the medical fraternity.

The process will begin on April 11.

Uganda government outlaws female circumcision

In late 2006, two randomised controlled trials on whether male circumcision reduces HIV transmission were halted because interim results showed an overwhelming protective effect, validating the results from an earlier South African trial conducted in Orange Farm.

Story here. Excerpt:

'The White House is stepping up its efforts in the area of Violence Against Women, according to Vice-President Joe Biden who announced an unprecedented $730 million in the President's proposed FY2011 budget to shore up services, help victims find housing and legal assistance, and make sure every call for help is answered.

The United States Vice President, who took his commitment to ending violence against women to Peoria, Illinois where he spoke at the Center for the Prevention of Abuse's Partners in Peace awards, pledged to continue his commitment to change attitudes and to "free women from the oppressive cultural norm that causes them in any way to feel they are responsible for or contributed to their own abuse."

The first Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) hearing was held on June 20, 1990, and over the next four years then-Senator Biden held moving hearings on domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Men in heels and feather boas strutted among an entourage of women carrying signs and chanting on a mile-long loop of downtown Ukiah [link added] west of State Street Saturday morning.

They were taking part in the 9th annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event, aimed at making a visual display to stimulate talk in the community about ending sexual violence. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

"It's one of those topics that's taboo to discuss, but Walk a Mile' brings a little humor to it and makes it more approachable for people, so we can address a serious subject and still have a good, uplifting time," said Carissa Johnson, a volunteer coordinator for the inland branch of Project Sanctuary, which sponsors the event. Project Sanctuary is the local battered women's shelter.

One of the organization's board members, Tim Rohan, sported low, red heels and a black tie over a pink shirt and jeans. The pink showed his support for ending domestic abuse and sexual violence, he said.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'NEW DELHI: In the wake of the raging debate on whether the Domestic Violence Act, enacted for the welfare of women, can be used against them or not, with different high courts expressing "conflicting views", a trial court has set the record straight by holding that female members of a family can be charged under the Domestic Violence Act in case of harassment of a woman.

While giving an interpretation of the provisions for protection of women in the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the court has said that the law provided a wife can file complaint against her husband and his relatives (both males and females). "Section 2 Clause (q) of the Act which provides that ‘an aggrieved wife or female living in a relationship in the nature of a marriage may also file a complaint against a relative of the husband or the male partner’. The provision includes both male and females," additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said.'

Paper here (.pdf file). Excerpt:

Article here. A great opportunity to leave comments. Excerpt:

Two important developments in the World of Men this week:

Article here. Excerpt:

'FEARS are growing of a generation of young men lost to education after data yesterday showed boys are increasingly turning their backs on the schools system.

While girls remain more likely to continue in full-time education after the age of 16, a report from Careers Wales found that boys are increasingly likely to leave the system altogether.

And though the majority of young people continue with their education once they reach the legal age at which they can leave school, a study found that there has been a slight fall in the percentage of young people expected to go from year 13 into higher education.

The survey showed that, as in previous years, a larger proportion of girls than boys chose to continue in full-time education. The difference is most marked in year 11, with over 6% more girls than boys.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Boys in Kentucky's schools need to work on reading, according to a national analysis of gender gaps in education being released Wednesday.

The Kentucky results generally mirror the national picture, which shows boys trailing girls on reading assessments in most states.

The report, which covers 2007-2008, was prepared by the Center on Education Policy, an independent education advocacy organization. It called the reading performance by boys "the most pressing gender-gap issue facing our schools."
...
In 2008, however, 76 percent of fourth-grade girls tested at proficiency, while the percentage of boys at that level fell to 67 percent.

The difference was more dramatic among Kentucky eighth graders, with 74 percent of girls at proficiency in reading in 2008 compared to just 60 percent of boys. Meanwhile, among 10th graders, 68 percent of girls were at reading proficiency in 2008, compared to only 52 percent of boys.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'When it comes to reading, boys continue to lag behind girls, according to recent studies.

But it doesn't have to be that way, say a growing number of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky teachers and education researchers. They say schools can close reading gaps by adhering to relatively simple strategies, including:

• Change what boys are required read at school and on tests.

• Give boys more choices.

• Get parents to push reading at home.

• Limit video game time.

• Teach reading comprehension and assign more writing in middle and high school grades; let teachers stray from teaching to state tests.

• Consider separating genders at high school.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The focus was an emerging movement towards men's studies at universities. I think the desire to even out the time and money spent on studying issues unique to each sex -- Women's Studies consume more than 90 per cent of budgets for gender-specific research -- is well intentioned, but I suspect it is ultimately misguided.

What men need most is not to be studied but to be allowed to be men. It is not possible to save or revive masculinity by overanalyzing it.

Article here. Excerpt:

'The creation of the Foundation for Male Studies was announced on Wednesday at Wagner College in New York, along with a proposal for male studies as a new discipline. While gender studies, women’s studies and men’s studies already exist, the scholars behind the new discipline insist that colleges need to start fresh in order to examine the current state of boys and men.

The interdisciplinary study would examine the experience of modern males, particularly those under 35, in a moment in history when they are the minority of college graduates, the majority of suicide victims, have shorter life spans and increasingly suffer psychological problems.

To be sure, these are valid and interesting pursuits, deserving of our attention--now more than ever. However, it’s the distinction from current men’s studies programs that’s raising eyebrows.

Story here. Excerpt:

'A DOG-OWNER accused of rape claims he has been set up by a woman who changed her mind about selling her pet to him.

Stephen Tuggey, 42, is alleged to have crept into the 57-year-old’s bedroom and forced himself on her after arranging to drive more than 100 miles to bring her beloved dog back to South Wales to see her on her birthday.

She called police to her Cardiff home after her daughter saw blood on her dressing gown and she broke down saying she had been attacked.

But Tuggey told police who arrested him: “She consented – going up to bed together was her suggestion, she was waiting for me on the landing.”
...
They still had a pub lunch together as planned but when they got back and he fell asleep, her mother started crying and said she wanted him out of the house.

Tuggey denies rape and sexual assault. The woman cannot be named.'

"The woman cannot be named." - but the man can.

Article here. Excerpt:

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Maine Human Rights Commissions taking heat over a proposal to ban schools from enforcing gender divisions in sports teams, school organizations, bathrooms and locker rooms, saying forcing a student into a particular room or group because of their biological gender amounts to discrimination.

The issue came to light last year when the commission ruled that, under the Maine Human Rights Act, a school had discriminated against a 12-year-old transgender boy by denying him access to the girls' bathroom.

Story here. Excerpt:

'A Tennesee mother's decision to send her 7-year-old adopted son back to Russia, alone and with a note that she no longer wanted him, has horrified officials and adoption experts in both countries.

Angry Russian officials are calling for a halt to all U.S. adoptions until the two countries could hammer out a new agreement that spelled out the conditions and obligations for such adoptions.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the boy's abrupt return "a monstrous deed." The Russian president told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview that he had a "special concern" about the recent treatment of Russian children adopted by Americans.

Torry Hansen of Shelbyville, Tenn., put 7-year-old Artyem Saviliev -- renamed Justin Artyem Hansen in the U.S. -- on a plane to Moscow's Domodedovo airport with a note in his pocket saying she ws returning him, that the boy had severe psychological problems and that the orphanage had lied about his condition.