Draws on the collective experiences and insights of many individuals, and in particular from the implementation of the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women in over 10 countries. Twenty years ago, violence against women was not considered an issue worthy of international concern. Gradually, violence against women has come to be recognized as a legitimate human rights issue and as a significant threat to women's health and well-being. Now that international attention is focused on gender-based violence, methodologically rigorous research is needed to guide the formulation and implementation of effective interventions, policies, and prevention strategies. The manual has been developed in response to the growing need to improve the quality, quantity, and comparability of international data on physical and sexual abuse. It outlines some of the methodological and ethical challenges of conducting research on violence against women and describes a range of innovative techniques that have been used to address these challenges.

Gender-based violence has a direct impact on a range of women's reproductive health problems, including adolescent pregnancy, high-risk sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, neonatal and maternal mortality, and chronic pelvic pain. To facilitate integration of these two areas, the Population Council's Ebert Program on Critical Issues in Reproductive Health and the Health and Development Policy Project met together in November 1993. It has been demonstrated that women who have been sexually abused as children are at increased risk of early initiation of intercourse, multiple partners, unprotected sex, prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and low self-esteem. Although most societies condemn incest and forced intercourse with an unmarried virgin, coerced sex within marriage or with a sexually experienced woman may be tolerated. The general paucity of research on coerced sex reflects the more general avoidance of issues of gender and power. Seminar participants identified six priority areas for research: sociocultural contexts that shape and support sexual coercion; the integration of questions on sexual violence into ongoing research on AIDS, sexuality, and reproductive health in order to gain prevalence data; the cultural meanings attached to sexual trauma; the physical and psychological consequences of sexual coercion; processes within the criminal justice, legal, media, and medical care systems that perpetuate sexual victimization; and effective interventions.

This document deals with efforts aimed at reforesting large areas of degraded lands. It includes sections on: (1) tree cover trends; (2) fuelwood challenges of the future; (3) the need to supply industrial wood; (4) stabilizing soil and water resources; (5) forests and climate change; and (6) mobilization for reforestation. (TW)

You've probably heard the adage: It's about the journey, not the destination. Yet, when it comes to retirement, who wants a journey that's full of hairpin turns, wrong way signs, dead ends and detours?Most people would prefer to drive on cruise control, taking in the sights and sounds of their road trip without constantly checking the dials, and retirement isn't much different. With a combined six decades of industry experience, Ken and Lori Heise wrote "Your Retirement Highway(R)" to help soon-to-be retirees understand how the right kind of planning can help them put their finances on cruise control and spend more time doing the things they love.Ken Heise, Co-Founder and President of Heise Advisory Group, has spent three decades in the financial services industry striving to reduce stress for the families in his care. He is a Registered Financial Consultant, valuing ongoing education so he can offer up-to-date strategies and solutions to those he serves as an Investment Advisor Representative. Ken is the host of the radio show "Your Retirement Highway(R)," heard every weekend in St. Louis on KMOX 1120 AM, KFTK 97.1, and 101ESPN. Ken has also been quoted many times in Kiplinger and US News and World Report regarding retirement issues.Lori Heise, Co-Founder and Vice-President of Heise Advisory Group, uses her passion for service to "swim against the current" in an industry that often puts products over people. With three decades of experience, she focuses on using insurance products to help clients preserve their assets and find guaranteed sources of income.