Peru was elected as a member of the newly-created United Nations agency on gender equality and women's empowerment for the 2011-2013 period, Ambassador Gonzalo Gutierrez announced Thursday.

Women have long played a positive role in the building of peace and security in the Pacific.

Nairobi — They have all the physical qualities of men but I don't think they deserve to be called men," says Kaha Mohamed Aden, with a strained smile.

"Particularly as all their rules are geared towards discriminating women." Kaha's anger is directed towards Muslim extremists, who now control Somalia.

Ministers and parliamentarians from 19 countries in Asia-Pacific have agreed on 'Whole-of-Government Approaches' for the promotion and advancement of actions and legislation on the elimination of violence against women.

A woman working alone on her farm in a remote corner of eastern Congo is usually a worrisome sight. It's there, among her beans and potatoes, sorghum, cassava, or cabbage, that she is especially vulnerable to robbery, abduction, and rape – crimes committed throughout Congo's nearly 15 years of crippling violence.

World leaders are called on to support a mixed tribunal to prosecute human rights crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said.

A U.N. human rights team determined that more than 300 civilians were raped in the Congo by militants July 30-Aug. 2. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the area deflected criticism that it ignored warnings that surfaced days before the rapes occurred some 20 miles from their base.

The United Nations Office for the Coordiation of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) in the Democratic Republic of Congo is investigating reports that close to 700 women were raped along the DRC-Angola border since September. The rapes occurred as some 7,000 illegal immigrants were expelled from Angola to the DRC.

The United Nations is investigating more than 770 alleged cases of sexual violence against people expelled by Angola to neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo since September.

The Rwandan authorities are trying to tackle gender-based violence by addressing the role of security personnel in ending the scourge.

"Violence of any sort is an affront to society, an abomination that is simply unacceptable," Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza said. "Security forces in Africa must recognize gender-based violence as a crime."

Although they have been separated for over a year Chantal's ex-boyfriend, Kamessa, has repeatedly threatened her. On October 12, he seriously beat her up and dragged her half-naked into the streets.

He shouted at her: “I will beat you up until you become disabled. I will continue to pay alimony and you shall watch over my son while being handicapped.”