The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development mourn the loss of two brave women, human rights defenders. Concepcion ‘Connie' Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo were among the 57 people murdered on November 23 in Maguindanao, Philippines.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) sent a team of four experts to gather an in-depth picture of the lives and concerns of Darfuri women now living in the Farchana Refugee Camp in eastern Chad.

African women attending the 7th African Regional Meeting on the Review of the Dakar and Beijing Conferences (Beijing + 10) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6-14 October, 2004, expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the African Union (AU) and NEPAD to ensure that all their policies, programmes and practices are inclusive and engendered.

As it is known Ogaden is cut off from the rest of the world and unfortunately gross human rights violations that are ongoing in Ogaden committed by the Ethiopian regime is totally contrary to the human rights principles. What is even worse, this crime is being carried out with complete impunity.

Starting from May 2002, village level elections were held around Eritrea. In the months running up to the elections, the National Union of Eritrean Women organized a campaign to promote electoral awareness in Eritrean society in general, and among women in particular.

Campaign leaders were trained and equipped with instruction materials. During the campaign women were encouraged to run in the elections.

Almost 400 women from around the country and abroad participated in the 6th Congress of the National Union of Eritrean Women. During the three-day Congress, a 1998-2002 report of the National Union and report on the status of the implementation of CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women) in Eritrea were presented. Also, a new Central Council for the National Union of Eritrean Women was elected.

The Young Women of the YWCA of PNG have denounced news reports of girls being traded in exchange for firearms in the Western Highlands Province.The Young women's Desk Coordinator, Okera Amini, said trading young girls for guns is a total violation of girls and women's rights, their dignity and devalues a girls life.

On the International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament, ISIS-WICCE called for reflection rather than celebration in Uganda, the Great Lakes Region, Africa, and the world as a whole.

A women's media update from femLINKPACIFIC & Vois Blong Mere Solomons - a collaboration supported by UNIFEM Pacific

A daily media scan is assisting UNIFEM in the Solomon Islands collate information on monitoring the recurrence of conflict. This is all part of a global series of pilot projects which are monitoring peace and conflict using Gendered Early Warning Indicators, as Dr Annalise Moser explained to femLINKPACIFIC:

On a special report, the National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda, analyzed the evolution of the conflict and the role of women and children in the peace-building process. Among other initiatives, the report highlights the work of Mrs. Betty Bigombe in 1993-94, who tried her best and had gone very far in the peace building process to the extent of meeting some rebel commanders.