The demonstrations held here on March 20 marked the third time in four weeks that protesters gathered to demand an end to the "confessional" or sectarian system that divides Lebanon's government and society along religious lines.

But this time the focus of protesters' anger broadened to include the country's system of family laws that are governed by religious authorities and often discriminate against women.

The first time Mumal Barupal went to a meeting of her village council, she sat on the floor, off to the side of the benches occupied by the other members, in purdah – her face completely veiled by the end of her sari.

Then she ran the meeting: She was the newly elected mayor.

Prosecutor General Viviane Morales has said that gender violence occurring in the context of Colombia's internal conflict constitutes a crime against humanity.

Morales made this announcement during the third international conference on the Judicial Challenges Faced Regarding Crimes of Sexual Violence, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported Thursday.

ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Upon first glance, much has improved for women in northern Iraq: almost a third of parliamentarians in Iraqi Kurdistan are female. But the number of honour killings and self-immolations is still high. Mona Naggar reports from Erbil.

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) will hold an open session on “Women and Children in Armed Conflicts” on Monday, 28 March 2011 at the Headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Canadian High Commission in collaboration with the Ghana Network for Peace building (GHANEP) has organized a two-day peace-building and conflict prevention capacity building workshop for women and youth drawn from the Dagbon District in the Northern Region. It attracted 60 participants consisting of 30 women and 30 youths.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) women's desk here has noted a dwindling number of cases of violation against women with the passage of stricter laws that protect women and punish the offenders.

PO3 Edna Ulep, head of the Laoag City PNP Women's Desk, said only three cases of domestic violence were filed in court since January this year noting that the low case turnout was due to harsher laws that protect women's rights.

UN Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Alain Le Roy praised Indonesian peacekeepers` performance and urged Indonesia to involve police women in future UN missions.

Speaking to ANTARA News at the Jakarta-based UN Information Center on Thursday, he said women peacekeepers` presence was needed because there were always women among displaced people in the UN mission areas.

The Burmese military leadership should adopt measures to end abuses and ensure that those responsible are held accountable, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the judge advocate general of the Burmese Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Yar Pyae.

After army officers violently cleared the square of protesters on 9 March, at least 18 women were held in military detention. Amnesty International has been told by women protesters that they were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to ‘virginity checks' and threatened with prostitution charges.