By Adrienne Germain and Jennifer Kidwell

Monday Developments, August 8, 2005

Five years ago, the world’s governments defined eight Millennium Development Goals to inspire action and monitor progress on eliminating global poverty by 2015. They represent a vision for collaboration among all people committed to moral, as well as material, global progress.

>>Available in French and Spanish

Summary: By Adrienne Germain (Our Planet Magazine, October 2004). Explains why empowering women is the key to solving a range of global health, development, and environmental challenges, reviews commitments made on improving women's health and advancing women's rights at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD, Cairo, 1994) and summarizes achievements made in the last decade.

Newsweek, May 10, 2004

By Kati Marton

Women suffer countless disadvantages compared with men. Even after decades of progress, we make up two thirds of the world's 880 million illiterate adults, and up to 70 percent of its poorest citizens. But health remains the cruelest of all inequalities. Click here to read the full text of the article.

By Cynthia Rothschild
American Sexuality Magazine, Volume 1, No. 6

Summary: Discusses the Bush administration's determination to promote abstinence programs in lieu of comprehensive sexuality education both domestically and internationally, and analyzes abstinence programs from a human rights perspective.

The New York Times, October 15, 2003

Editorial Desk

In August, the United States Agency for International Development abruptly canceled bids for a program to market condoms to gay men and others in Brazil. When the decision was criticized publicly, the agency reinstated most of the program. This was the right choice. Preventing the spread of AIDS means working with the groups most at risk.

The New York Times, July 12, 2003 - Late Edition - Final

Editorial Desk

President Bush's successful trip to Africa this week is emblematic of alarger journey. As a presidential candidate, Mr. Bush was dismissive ofAfrica's importance to American interests. Now he has become only thethird American president, and the first Republican, to make an extendedvisit to sub-Saharan Africa. Over five days in five countries, headdressed a variety of important themes: the cruel legacy of slavery,the current crises in Liberia and Zimbabwe, and most important, thechallenge of AIDS and America's commitment to helping Africa fight itwith treatment and prevention programs that can save millions of lives.

International Herald Tribune, July 9, 2003

By Kati Marton and Adrienne Germain

Across the African subcontinent, almost 60 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS are girls and women. In South Africa, women are dying at such a rate that the entire gender balance is being altered—from near parity to a ratio of 120 males to every 100 females. The implications of the feminization of AIDS are huge—for caregiving, the health and wholeness of families, social stability, policies and programs.

Summary: This article by Sunanda Ray originally appeared in Vol. XXIV, No. 2 of Conscience, the quarterly newsjournal of Catholic opinion published by Catholics for a Free Choice, 1436 U Street, NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Visit www.catholicsforchoice.org.

The Miami Herald, March 31, 2003

By Adrienne Germain

President Bush's announcement of a $15 billion effort to fight HIV/AIDS in the worst affected countries may seem like a huge windfall, but when you witness the staggering impact of the disease on these countries, $15 billion starts to look more like a drop in the bucket. Unless Bush and Congress come up with a spending plan that reflects the depth and complexity of the crisis, that's exactly what it will continue to be.