The proposals of four Turkish nongovernmental organizations focusing on women's empowerment will be funded by the United States State Department, an American envoy has declared. Melanne Verveer, ambassador at large for global women's issues, said Monday the four Turkish NGOs had been selected through a competitive process by which 67 projects from 38 countries qualified to receive grants.

The fistula usually develops when prolonged labour presses the unborn child so tightly in the birth canal that blood flow is cut off to the surrounding tissues, thus causing them to rot away. Another significant cause of obstetric fistula is sexual abuse/ rape, especially within conflict/post-conflict areas.

The Global Fund for Women stands in solidarity with the brave women and men who are risking their lives to create a new country, one that respects human rights, justice and equality for all.

The Swiss Cooperation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic is launching a new seven-month project involving the creation of women bakeries and the setup of small businesses in Osh and Jalalabat. This project will cost close to USD 210 000 in total.

For Egyptian women in the March of a Million and other street protests to oust authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak, the sometimes deadly demonstrations have been a show of force.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Friday the formation and inaugural meeting of the Violence Against Women Federal and Tribal Prosecution Task Force, fulfilling a pledge he made during the Justice Department's Tribal Nations Listening Session in October 2009.

According to the Vice Chair of the HRC, Commissioner Yasmin Jusu- Sheriff, it was incumbent on the Commission to take an introspective look at its policies with a view to put mechanisms in place for redressing the structural barriers that constrain women from enjoying their political, social and economic rights.

As governments in the Middle East and around the world debate the best policies, regulations, and practices to spur economic growth in 2011 and beyond, they would benefit from looking less at regions and industries and more at demographic information and the vital role women play in driving economic growth, according to a new report published by Deloitte, The Gender Dividend: Making the Business Case for Investing in Women.

Garpeh produces about two such stories on the needs of women for broadcast each day by the Liberia Women Democracy Radio, housed in a two-story building in Congo Town on the outskirts of Monrovia.

Across the hall in the on-air studio, two men are hosting a talk show about reducing poverty. The day's theme: Transportation and how women in particular, due to their caretaking burdens, need better access to markets and medical centres.

Despite being the main victims in regional armed conflicts, women are still excluded from playing a role in conflict resolution and peace negotiations, women's rights leaders said on Tuesday.

During the closing meeting of the Arab Women's Intellectual Organisation, discussions focused on the impact of armed conflicts on women in Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and Palestine.