A disturbing trend is underway. According to an editorial in the latest edition of The Lancet, there is a surge in patient violence against doctors in Chinese hospitals. Root causes include “poor investment in the health system and in training and paying doctors, which can lead to medical errors, corruption, and poor communication between health professionals and patients.” The Lancet also highlights societal factors such as “negative media reports about doctors, poor public understanding of medicine, unrealistic patient expectations about treatments, and catastrophic out-of-pocket health-care expenses for families.”
[COMMENTARY] Opportunities and Challenges-Women’s NGOs in China
By Shen Tingting
Women in China face a threatening environment, including the risk of violence at home, in the workplace, at government agencies and organized crime. At least one in four Chinese women experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Many women also experience discrimination, especially in the workplace. Other social issues include human trafficking, and marriage and family issues. At the same time, there is a leadership deficit at the national level. There is no woman in the inner circle of China’s leadership, the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party. As Chinese women’s rights activist Wu Qing points out: Lack of political freedom is stifling the women’s movement. In response, in the past decade, China has seen the rapid emergence of an independent civil society. In 2010, Chinese authorities estimated there were 444,000 NGOs, many led by women. The rapid growth, perseverance and courage of these civil society leaders, who are effectively mobilizing and empowering their communities, has led to small but tangible gains for women.
[EVENT] Know It, Prove It, Change It, Workshop in DC
DATE: Sunday, July 22, 2012 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, optional dinner following
LOCATION: Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC (across from the
Walter E. Washington Convention Center)
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Through a hands-on approach, participants will gain a basic understanding of the international human rights framework and how it applies to HIV; core skills in human rights research and documentation, and the basics of human rights advocacy planning. Our training curriculum handbooks will be provided. Our curriculum focuses on rights issues faced by highly marginalized populations in the context of HIV/AIDS. Download the curriculum, Know It, Prove It, Change It here.
[REPORT] Employment Discrimination Against People Living with HIV/AIDS and Injection Drug Users (2012)
Employers in China’s Yunnan Province openly discriminate against former drug users living with HIV/AIDS, according to a
joint report released by Asia Catalyst and Kangxin Home, a Chinese community organization.
Staff and volunteers of Kangxin Home interviewed community members and found that many had been fired multiple times from their jobs at small businesses such as auto repair shops, tobacco shops and supermarkets.
[COMMENTARY] Sex Work is Work, Plenary Speech by Kaythi Win
By Kthi Win
Plenery speech by Kaythi Win, Chairperson of Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers, at Association of Women in Development Forum forum in Istanbul on April 21, 2012. See the exciting video here.
Hello everybody,
I am Kthi Win from Myanmar and I am a sex worker. I manage a national organization for female, male & transgender sex workers in Burma & I am also the chairperson of the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers. Until now, organizing anything in Myanmar has been very difficult. And people ask, “how did you set up a national program for sex workers?” And my answer to them is “Our work is illegal. Every night we manage to earn money without getting arrested by the police. We used to work and organize together, so we use this knowledge in order to work out how we can set up the National Network without making the government angry”.
This topic is about transforming economic power. I want to say to you, that when a woman makes the decision to sell sex, she has already made the decision to empower herself economically. What we do in organizing sex workers, is we build on the power that the sex worker has already taken for herself – the decision to not be poor.
