European Union’s Plunging Birthrates Spread Eastward. [New York Times] Pushing their newborns in strollers along Na Prikope, Prague’s main shopping street, Jelena Heitmankova and her two friends get emotional as they describe their desire for more children. But, although they’re only nearing 30, they know their broods will probably end with the one child each has now.

Letters: When Birthrates Fall (Equal Opportunities for Women). [International Herald Tribune] I found it remarkable that your report on declining birthrates in Europe did not once mention the role of fathers and the debate on equal opportunities for men and women when it comes to explaining the decline. The focus was instead placed, in the old paternalistic way, on the fact that women wanted to work and that grandmothers were too old or distant to help out. That European men should hurry up and modernize, face up to a more equal society and bear half of the burden of child-rearing was not even hinted at. Only if the issue of equal opportunities is properly addressed in all sectors of society, creating space for fathers and mothers to share the burden and joy of managing children and careers, will it be possible to tackle declining birthrates.

Letters: When Birthrates Fall (Impact of Abortion and Gender Equality). [International Herald Tribune] You report in your article that the legalization of abortion is a major factor in declining birthrates in Europe. But experience around the world and in Europe shows that women seek out abortions even when they are not legal. The result is not higher birthrates, but higher maternal deaths. Research has found that women resort to unsafe abortions, risking their health and their lives. For example, up until 1989, Romania had one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. Since 1989, the registered number of maternal deaths caused by abortion dropped by 76%. Countries with low birthrates in Europe should look to the experience of Sweden, which has one of the highest birthrates in Europe because of its commitment to gender equality and guaranteed access to comprehensive reproductive health care services and information, including contraceptives and abortion.

Women 'Create Career Barriers'. [Glasgow Evening Times, UK] A survey of more than 100 female directors in the UK has found many believe women may limit their own chances of success in the boardroom. The research, by executive recruitment specialist, Praxis Executive Resourcing, found 64% thought that breaking their careers to have a family put them at a disadvantage and 48% said putting family before career did the same. It also found that while 66% of them believed women had equal opportunities across the whole workplace, only 32% believed women had the same chance as men of becoming a board director.

Women Work Their Way Up. [Epping Forest Guardian, UK] One of the most powerful women in national politics came to Tesco in Leytonstone on Monday to champion equal opportunities for women in the workplace. Ruth Kelly, the Government's Communities Secretary, is launching a new action plan in response to the Government's Women and Work Commission to remove obstacles in the way of women's professional achievement. Ms Kelly met store manager Karen Ross and young women starting their careers at Tesco to discuss their training and development at the company regarded as an exemplar employer. Women earn 27% less than men on average, and Ms Kelly said this is because women often take time off or move to part-time work to spend more time with their families. However, she said, the number of women changing their jobs has reduced by half, a phenomenal figure achieved by flexible working and part-time positions provided by businesses such as Tesco.

BCS Awards Spotlight Companies that Encourage Women’s Role in IT. [ComputerWeekly.com] Women now make up less than 20% of the UK’s 1.2 million IT workforce, so the announcement of this year’s GCS Women in IT Award medalists is a timely reminder to all IT employers that opportunities for women are important for the future of the profession. The award, which is part of the annual BCS IT Professional Awards, acknowledges employers who recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace and the benefits of a more gender balanced workforce. It is open to organizations that can demonstrate how they have enhanced career paths for women in IT. It is just one element of a campaign by the BCS, through the Women’s Forum working group, to ensure that more women see IT as a career option.

Female Entrepreneurs Starting Businesses for Greater Flexibility. [Bytestart, UK] Mums who turn their kitchens into boardrooms and set up businesses from home have become a powerful force within Britain PLC, with a combined turnover of £4.4 billion according to a new study of working mothers, released by Yellow Pages. The research, developed in conjunction with experts at the London School of Economics, identifies a new breed of enterprising female entrepreneurs, dubbed ‘Kitchen Table Tycoons’ who successfully juggle the roles of mother and magnate. Conducted following a sharp rise in Yellow Pages directory listings for businesses typically run by women, the research throws up interesting insights into the motivations behind a move into enterprise as well as the benefits and challenges. According to the study, more than a third (36%) of female entrepreneurs are between 26 and 30 and three quarters (74%) were in employment prior to starting up their own venture. Motivated by a need for greater work flexibility at the birth of their first child, two thirds (66%) of ‘Kitchen Table Tycoons’ are more satisfied running their own business than in their previous jobs.

Top Woman Banker Leaves Deutsche Bank. [MSNBC] Hope Pascucci, a high-flying investment banker at Deutsche Bank and one of the most senior women in the City of London, is giving up her management responsibilities in order to spend more time with her children. Her decision highlights the difficulties female investment bankers face in combining work and family life. Ms Pascucci, who is 38, is planning to move to Boston with her husband and two young children.

Plans to Boost Role of Women in the Workplace. [Monsters and Critics.com] The government is to unveil a series of measures aimed at boosting the role of women in the workplace. Announcing the initiatives, communities secretary Ruth Kelly will stress that helping women to get better jobs could be worth up to £23 billion a year to the British economy. The latest drive to help women succeed at work is being launched in response to a report published by the Women and Work Commission, which examined the barriers that prevent women from earning as much as men.

Female Bosses Get Bigger Wage Hikes But Pay Still Lags Behind. [Scotsman, UK] Women   managers have received bigger salary increases than men for the tenth successive year - but they are still paid less than their male counterparts. New research found that average earnings for female managers rose by 6.7% in 2005 to £43,521. Male bosses saw only a 5.6% rise but their average salary is still well ahead at £48,668. Despite bigger pay awards and higher bonuses, women managers were more likely to resign, according to the study by the Chartered Management Institute and Remuneration Economics. Female resignation rates increased by 5.7% compared with four% for males.

Women Encouraged to Pursue Engineering. [Scenta.co.uk] A new plan to encourage women to follow careers in engineering and plumbing was announced yesterday. The proposals are part of an effort announced by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to help women to advance in the workplace, especially after taking a break to raise a family. It will include measures to improve part-time and flexible working and to assist women in reaching the top after career breaks.

London Rejects Thin Model Ban. [The Associated Press] The organizers of London Fashion Week rejected a British Cabinet minister's call for a ban on extremely thin models on the catwalk, but canceled the event's opening photo call to avoid giving the issue more publicity. Madrid Fashion Week, the Pasarela Cibeles, announced last week that it was banning models with a body mass index, or height-to-weight ratio, of less than 18 - which a 5-foot, 9-inch model would have at about 125 pounds. Also, the mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti, said she would call on her city's designers to take similar action. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell of Britain said Sunday, "I applaud the decision taken by Madrid to ban super- thin models, and urge the organizers of London Fashion Week to do the same."

Free Training to Get Muslim Women Jobs. [Daily Mail – UK] Muslim mothers are to be offered free job training as part of a new government drive to combat Islamic extremism and get more women into work.

First Practicing Muslim Female Band. [Clickwalla.com] The first practicing Muslim Female Band Ulfah Collective have been selected to take part alongside celebrities, politicians and community figures, in a concert dedicated to promoting world peace and harmony. The event, which is dedicated to the UN International Day of Peace, celebrates the launch of a two year campaign called just-a-minute, which promotes the benefits of bringing one minute silence breaks into our everyday lives.

Prison to Get First Female Governor. [Buchan Observer, UK] Prison governor Ian Gunn will take over the governor's position at Cornton Vale women's prison on October 2, leaving the way open for Peterhead to get its first ever female governor in the next few months. Audrey Mooney, who is currently in charge at Aberdeen's Craiginches Prison, will be moving to the Blue Toon after more than four years in the city.

The World's Most Powerful Women. [Forbes] Angela Merkel, the first woman to become chancellor of Germany, has displaced Condoleezza Rice as No. 1 on our list of the 100 most powerful women.

Greek Women Keep Fit Through Housework. [Independent Online, South Africa] Ancient Greeks believed that a healthy body begets a sound mind, but their modern descendants - women particularly - appear to get most of their exercise from housework. Greeks today shape up mostly through housework and walking, rather than from any concerted effort to keep fit, Kathimerini daily's English edition reported, citing a study by the University of Athens Medical School. Research on over 28 000 adults by the university showed that 98% of Greek women spend 28 hours per week - four hours per day - doing housework, while 95.8% devote five hours to walking. In comparison, only 29.4% of Greek women said they practiced aerobics, swimming or tennis.

Childcare Costs 'Driving Women from Workforce'. [Ireland Online] A new international study has reportedly found that childcare costs in Ireland are driving women out of the workforce. Reports this morning say the OECD research had found that the cost of childcare was taking up 30% of the average family's disposable income. Irish costs are among the highest in Europe and rising significantly faster than inflation. Average costs range from €200 to €350 each week and the OECD says this is driving women from the workforce, particularly when they have a second child.

Ulster Women 'Owe Their Lives' to Action Cancer. [Belfast Telegraph] Two Ulster women say they owe their lives to a charity's breast cancer screening program. Stella Laughlin from Ballyclare and Katharine Gilmore from Antrim both went for scans at Action Cancer in their early 40s. And the disease was picked up early enough. Both women went for tests after routine screening for breast cancer was offered last year for the first time by Action Cancer to women from the age of 40. They would have had to wait to the age of 50 to be offered screens routinely on the NHS. Stella said: "I believe Action Cancer saved my life."

Valle d'Aosta CIF to Promote Female Entrepreneurship. [ANSA Valle d'Aosta, Italy] The committee for female entrepreneurship CIF in the northern Italian region of Valle d'Aosta plans to draft a series of measures aimed at promoting and boosting female entrepreneurship in the region, regional councilor for equal opportunities Antonella Barilla said. The planned measures include elaborating a protocol for easier access to credits, creation of a direct channel for participation in national funding programs and establishment of corporate responsibility practices. All of the measures are aimed at increasing the value of female presence in the Valle d'Aostàs business sector.

Models, Not the Clothes, Seize the Eye at Milan Fashion Week. [International Herald Tribune] Fashion week has kicked off here, and if some people are eyeing the designers' handiwork to ascertain next year's trends in women's wear, others are closely watching the models showing them off. "There are still too many skeletons on the runways," said Tiziana Maiolo, the city councilor responsible for fashion. "When you see girls like this, you can see that something sick is going on." More people in the fashion industry are agreeing with Maiolo, who believes that underfed catwalk mannequins are presenting young women with a distorted model of female beauty. Concerns are that unrealistic body sizes - models typically wear the American size 0, if not double 0 - have led to an increase in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia among impressionable adolescents. Organizers of Madrid's Fashion Week banned models who did not have a minimum body mass index (or BMI, which measures body fat based on weight and height) of at least 18. BMI measurements of between 18.5 and 25 are considered normal. Many top models have a BMI that is substantially lower: 14 to 16.

Women's Football Takes Centre Stage in FIFA Seminar. [Times of Malta] The Malta FA this week hosted a three-day FIFA seminar with the participation of delegates from 14 European federations, including those from top countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Entitled 'Developing Women's Football', the overriding aim of this seminar was to make member associations aware of FIFA's technical, financial and social assistance programs for the further development of women's football and the long-term planning process worldwide. The event was opened on Monday by Carmel Bartolo, the MFA senior vice-president, who welcomed the FIFA officials and participants and spoke on the importance of such seminars in the process of developing women's football globally.

Vice Prime Minister Calls for the Constitutional Protection of Unborn Life. [Polish Federation for Woman and Family Planning] A real threat of further restrictions on the anti–abortion law in Poland is present.

First Female Astronaut Valentina Tereshkova to Visit Azerbaijan. [Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan] The delegation led by the first female astronaut Valentina Tereshkova will visit Baku from September 28 to 30 in the frames of the Russian Year in Azerbaijan. A source in the government told the APA the delegation will visit the tomb of the then president Heydar Aliyev and Martyrs’ Alley. Ms.Tereshkova will have talks at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Baku Slavic University. The first female cosmonaut will meet with Russian community representatives in Azerbaijan and also with IDPs from Garabagh settled in Narimanov district. Tereshkova is expected to be received by President Ilham Aliyev and other officials.

Russia Rejects UN Report on Violence Against Women as Biased. [MOSNEWS, Russia] A Russian envoy to the United Nations said a report by a UN expert on violence against women this week was “politicized” and “not impartial”. Russian representative Valery Loshchinin said the report was politicized and not impartial — it gave the impression that there was a State policy of violence against women, which was occurring against a background of prevailing insecurity at large. Those familiar with the contemporary reality in Russia and the role of women in society could not accept these affirmations, he added, commenting on a report presented by a UN expert on violence against women, which highlighted the problems faced by women in Russia, Iran, Mexico, Afghanistan and Sudan’s Darfur region. In Russia the adverse impact of political and economic transition had disproportionately affected women, Yakin Erturk, Special Rapporteur on violence against women told the new enhanced UN Human Rights Council at its second session in Geneva.

Krasnoyarsk Female Runner Won in World Light Athletics Cup. [Siberian News Online, Russia] Krasnoyarsk runner Yulia Nosova-Pechonkina took the first place in 400 m hurdles at the World Light Athletics Cup in Greece, the regional sport agency reported. Russian women's national team is in the first place with 65 points after the first day of the 10th World Light Athletics Cup, which was being held in Greece last weekend. The Americans have the same score with our team. Russian man's national team is in the fifth place with 50 points. On the first day the Russians gained three victories: in 400 m hurdles running, pole vault and triple jump. Yulia Nosova-Pechonkina was the only runner to have shown a better result than 54 seconds: 53.88. She was also the one to have the best reaction at the start: 0.139 seconds.

Russia Shocks US in Women's Semifinals. [Chicago Tribune] Russia beat the two-time defending champion United States 75-68 in the semifinals of the women's world championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, snapping the Americans' 26-game winning streak in the event. Russia took advantage of poor shooting and sloppy ballhandling by the U.S. to grab a 58-38 lead after three quarters. The Americans closed to 73-68 with 45 seconds left, but after two missed free throws by Oxana Rakhmatulina with 30 seconds to go, the U.S. used up most of the 24-second clock before Candace Parker of Naperville, who had 13 points and eight rebounds, missed a layup with 12 seconds left.

Choosing a Female Government. [B92, Serbia and Montenegro] OSCE believes that the campaign has helped forward women’s promotion as participants in the political, social and economic scene. However, the virtual female government failed to meet fully represented. Ružica Ðindic, chosen as the prime minister, could not attend the reception due to personal obligations, but has addressed a letter to the meeting and the public, saying that the chosen women could help Serbia become a politically stable and economically strong country. “Members of the female government have demonstrated their knowledge, courage and ability to organize businesses, manage companies, teach, train. This is a chance to give them an opportunity to do more for our country”, Ružica Ðinidic said in her letter.

Names Have Been Changed, But for Whose Protection? [Edinburgh Evening News] Desperate, hard working, bored, frustrated. All words we've heard used to describe housewives over the years, but what I heard this week really took the proverbial Hob Nob. It would appear that the good ladies of The Scottish Women's Rural Institute have spent a great deal of time debating the use of the term "housewife" and its relevance in today's society.

Scotland Women 0-24 US. [BBC Sport] Scotland's women have finished sixth in the IRB Women's Rugby World Cup in Canada. They lost their play-off match against the US 24-0 at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in what proved to be a bruising encounter. Playing their 100th match, Scotland Women had a late rally but failed to make their improved play count.

Models' Skinniness Can't Be Regulated: French Fashion Official. [Breitbart.com] The shape and size of fashion models cannot be regulated, the head of the French couture federation has said, after models deemed too skinny were reportedly banned from the catwalk in Spain. Didier Grumbach, president of the couture federation and chamber of haute couture, told AFP late Thursday that "everyone would laugh" if France attempted to follow suit. Excessively-thin models have been barred from a major Madrid fashion show later this month for fear they could send the wrong message to young Spanish girls, local media reported last week. Madrid's regional government, which is co-financing the Pasarela Cibeles, has vetoed around a third of the models who took part in last year's show because they weigh too little.

Pressure Mounts for 'Ban' on Zero Size Models. [thisislondon.co.uk] Pressure was mounting today for a catwalk ban on super-skinny models. On the eve of London Fashion Week the growing trend for "size-zero" models in the fashion industry is causing grave concern. Experts say legislation is now needed to protect the health of the models and of the teenage girls and young women who are influenced by them.  They are urging London to follow the lead taken by Madrid — and likely to be adopted by Milan — of banning models below a certain size from the catwalks. Under any ban, super-thin models such as Lily Cole would be barred. London Fashion Week, which begins next week, has so far refused to follow suit.

Spain Calls Up Maria for Women's Basketball World Championship. [People's Daily Online, China] Coach Domingo Diaz has called up Maria Pina into Spain's squad for the women's basketball world championship as a replacement for injured veteran Laura Camps. The tournament kicks off in Brazil on Tuesday and forward Camps is to miss out after hurting her knee last week in a friendly against China.

Spain Wins Through to Women's Basketball Quarter-Finals. [People's Daily Online, China] Spanish basketball team beat Canada 85-57 in a Group E match at the women's basketball world championship on Sunday, thanks in large part to Amaya Valdemoro, who scored 28 points.   Spain is now tied with Brazil, Lithuania and Argentina in six points, while Canada is eliminated from the tournament. Spain has to beat Lithuania on Monday to win one of Group E's three remaining places, as Australia has won through to the quarterfinals beating Brazil.  

Hundreds of Activists Gather for Forum Aimed at Expanding Women's Rights. [The Associated Press] An international women's conference opening in Ukraine is expected to highlight discrimination, violence and other rights abuses faced by women in the former Soviet republic. About 300 activists from 22 countries are expected in Kiev for the 31st session of the General Assembly of the International Council of Women. The six-day conference will feature lectures and seminars on helping women strengthen their rights and increasing women's social status.