Looking for a way out of Afghanistan? Maybe it's time to try something totally different, like putting into action, for the first time in history, the most enlightened edict ever passed by the United Nations Security Council: Resolution 1325.

OPEN LETTER TO MEMBER STATES OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL Re: Res 1960 7 January 2011 Subject: UNSCR 1960 and the need for focus on full implementation of UNSCR 1325

Excellency,

As the military effort in Afghanistan has stumbled, more attention has been paid to finding a political solution to the conflict – which necessarily involves some negotiation with the Taliban. But after decades of war, Afghans are sceptical of peace processes. Women in particular fear being excluded and losing their hard-won rights.

Femlinkpacific, as a member of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders has been part of an open letter campaign sent to members of the Security Council calling for maintaining the mandates of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women and Peace and Security.

They want to highlight all subsequent resolutions on women, especially those calling for the prevention of sexual abuse and rape.

Women in every society have a different perception of their respective roles, which are generally molded by social and cultural norms. Evidently in many parts of the world, these social and cultural norms have restricted women of their due rights.

On the 7 January 2011, Camp Ashraf was attacked and 175 persons were injured, part of a series of events which cannot be allowed to remain unacknowledged and which must be addressed. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) expresses its concern over the continued violations of international law and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Camp Ashraf, Iraq.

The Afghan Ministry of Health held an inauguration ceremony to mark the start of a tri-provincial midwife program in Charikar, here, Jan. 6.

Sixty female students from Parwan, Panjshayr and Kapisa provinces will attend 26 months of instruction before receiving midwife certificates, allowing them to begin work in their local clinics.

On the first day of the New Year, history was made when the newest agency of the United Nations, UN Women, became operational with a mandate to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. The new agency launched pretty quietly with no major celebration, despite representing a major step in the right direction for the United Nations, which has not made enough progress to advance gender equality.

In a recent interview with Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization helping women survivors of wars rebuild their lives, we discussed the inspiration behind the founding, the necessity to galvanize a global women's movement, toleration and the lack of public outrage, and much more.

The full interview can be found below.

The applause and whoops Tuesday morning when Shaima Khinjani announced she and her husband, Faeez Akram, were expecting a baby were as enthusiastic as they might have been for a close friend.