A Democratic Republic of Congo military court sentenced nine police officers for up to 20 years in jail for raping a dozen women at a farm, a prosecutor said on Monday.

The police officers were called to guard a farm in central Kasai-Occidental province in 2009 during a land dispute, and during the dispute they raped 12 women.

D.C. was bustling last week with a series of events commemorating the 10th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. It is hard these days to think of those words "women-peace-security" and not have your mind flash to the conflict in eastern Congo.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Switzerland, countries must do more to protect women and girls in wartime. This call was made on the tenth anniversary of the UN Security Council's resolution on women, peace and security.

Resolution 1325 targeted the huge impact of armed conflict on women.

A visiting team of 26 lawmakers from the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, have expressed satisfaction with the country's gender promotion programmes which are reflected at the grassroots level.

Mr. Stephen Lewis, a former United Nations Envoy on HIV and AIDS for Africa on Saturday challenged the membership of five countries on the UN Agency on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Executive Board.

He explained that he disapproved of the membership of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Bangladesh, Iran and Democratic Republic of Congo on the Executive Board because of their anti-gender laws and practices.

When Béata Murekatete was growing up in rural Rwanda, she never would have imagined she'd end up working for Parliament.

She's not a lawmaker, but everything she does touches the law. She's a researcher, and she spends her days in villages around Rwanda researching reports for parliamentarians about issues with which ordinary Rwandans might need a helping hand.

When Johanna Sigurdardottir campaigned to be prime minister of Iceland last year, she vowed to bring an end to the "age of testosterone."

When 14-year-old Judith, not her real name, was raped in Goma, her father decided not to report the matter to the authorities. Instead, the family of the victim sat down with that of the rapist and hammered out a so-called friendly settlement.

Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci announced Wednesday the appointment, out of on 27 "senior diplomatic posts," of four women.

Medelci who spoke at the opening of a cycle of conferences for diplomatic and consular heads newly assigned abroad, however, said three women were already outside the country bringing to seven the number of Algerian women diplomats.

The National Women's Council over the weekend inaugurated a water project that will serve seven families of impaired ex-combatants in Rutaraka village, Nyagatare sector in Nyagatare district.

The council also constructed a feeder road that connects the beneficiaries' village to the main road.