(© 2011 CARE/Puthupparambil)

Leaders of the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) speaking at the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn today demanded the full inclusion of women in major decisions about Afghanistan’s future. They also warned that rights gained by Afghan women in the past decade may be lost if leaders do not act now to safeguard them.

“Women’s rights are not negotiable,” said Samira Hamidi, country director of the Afghan Women’s Network, a non-partisan network of women and women’s NGOs working to empower Afghan women. “We will not accept for our country to move back in time and take away our freedom and participation.

Get more…

A hockey tournament in Maple Grove is bringing attention to an uncommon disease called POTS, which stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

If someone has POTS, it basically means their body cant keep a regular heartbeat. It often follows some type of viral infection and can be cured.

Luke Decker took his life in April after living with the debilitating condition for months. The hockey rink is where the 14-year-old Decker found his joy.

Lukes passion was hockey.

Get more…

President Barack Obama said Thursday it was just common sense to keep girls under the age of 17 from being able to buy a morning-after contraceptive pill off a drugstore shelf.

Citing his own two daughters, Obama said: “I think most parents would probably feel the same way.”

Plenty of pediatric leaders and women’s advocacy groups did not, as reaction flowed in to the administration’s decision to prevent the over-the-counter sale of the anti-pregnancy drug to sexually active girls of younger ages.

Critics said politics had trumped science, again.

“When President Obama took office, he pledged the administration’s commitment to scientific integrity,” said Cynthia Pearson of the National Women’s Health Network.

Get more…

There are numerous places a new mother or father might go to to purchase their babys crib. Most new parents want durability and style in their design of the new baby crib, but they also want to save cash. Depending upon their budget, many baby cribs could be discovered on sale. However, theres one place, where 1 doesnt need to visit, and thats a local thrift store.

In foresight a thrift store may seem like the best option to obtain a used crib. However, these cribs are numerous times outdated, from several decades previous, and might or may not meet the current federal regulations on safety. These older cribs may have defective bolts or too large of slats where baby can turn out to be trapped.

Get more…

SALT LAKE CITY An ABC investigation uncovers disturbing numbers on how many foster kids nationwide may be severely overmedicated. Some children receiving the anti-depressants and antipsychotic drugs were under the age of two. Utah experts say not here.The Utah Division of Child and Family Services have protection in place that other states lack. Chris Chytreus, RN, is the manager of the Foster and Healthy Children manager for the state. She says what was uncovered by ABC is a disturbing reality nationwide. The year-long investigation turned up startling numbers with more than a quarter of kids on some kind of psychotropic drug. ”Its heartbreaking when you it and it’s hard. Get more…