For Magei Kasai the battle against hardships did not end when the guns fell silent two years ago in the Sri Lankan civil war. New battles began for survival, for herself and for what was left of her family. The 45-year-old mother of two lost her husband and a son to the war. Since the war ended in May 2009, more than 300,000 survivors like Kasai have returned to their native villages.

Nigeria will use its position as United Nations Security Council President this month to highlight importance of security sector reforms, particularly in African countries, once conflict has come to an end. Nigeria's envoy to the UN and Council President for the month, Professor Joy Ogwu, yesterday, unveiled the month-long programme to newsmen at the UN headquarters in New York.

The levels of literacy in Haiti are low, but among the most vulnerable groups living in camps they are even lower. It is estimated that 80 per cent of residents of La Piste camp in Port-au-Prince – home to around 45,000 people displaced by the earthquake on 12 January 2010 – cannot read or write. The British Red Cross has been working in La Piste camp since the earthquake.

A new report from the World Bank and IFC released today finds that women still face legal and regulatory hurdles to fully participating in the economy. Women, Business and the Law 2012: Removing Barriers to Economic Inclusion finds that while 36 economies reduced legal differences between men and women, 103 out of 141 economies studied still impose legal differences on the basis of gender in at least one of the report's key indicators.

Whether it's as activists or politicians, artists or business leaders, women in the Middle East are stepping into the spotlight as never before. Some stereotypes still need to be challenged; domestic violence, illiteracy and conservative views continue to fuel a gender gap in many parts of the region. However, women are now proving their worth in most walks of life.

The involvement of men is key to the success of the gender-equality movement, but changing long-held social structures and convincing men of the importance of equal opportunities for women will not happen overnight, experts say.

Women activists from South Asian countries have emphasised upon a greater role for women in peace building measures in conflict-ridden regions.

The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) still in camps in Haiti after their homes were destroyed by last year's catastrophic earthquake has declined from 1.5 million to 600,000, but hardship in the settlements has not eased, the United Nations humanitarian chief said today at end of her three-day visit to the country.

Women's rights in Afghanistan are once again under threat after 10 years of progress, two leading British aid agencies have said. Oxfam and Action Aid said on Monday many Afghan women were worried that the impending international troop withdrawal, coupled with an on-going effort to secure a political deal with the Taliban, could undermine their future.

Zambia has come a long way in trying to achieve social, economic and political development. Several initiatives have been put in place by many stakeholders, all aimed at addressing the development challenges that this country has faced.

As a result, the country has since then recorded significant achievements in the education, health, agriculture, mining, as well as the many other areas of human endeavor.