The Government will urge for international action to protect women and girls from violence and sexual exploitation in emergency situations.

Girls and women in crisis situations, such as flood, famine and conflict, face a greater risk of abuse, violence, forced marriage and sexual exploitation.

Intervention in these cases are often not prioritised because their situation is not thought to be life-threatening.

Arab women played a central role in the Arab Spring, but their hopes the revolts would bring greater freedom and expanded rights for women have been thwarted by entrenched patriarchal structures and the rise of Islamists, gender experts in the countries say.

Some Syrians say outrage over the sentencing of a teenage girl was a spark that started the country's two-and-a-half year revolt.

A month before protests started in March 2011, Tal al-Mallohi - a 19-year-old who blogged about wanting to shape her country's future - was sentenced to five years in jail on charges of spying.

The Nationwide Women Forum on Peace, Security and Development, jointly organized by women's human rights organizations and Columbia University, began at the Sky Star Hotel in Yangon yesterday.

Female Police officers have vowed to fight for the rights of women and girls in their respective areas of operation by preventing gender related crimes, which are relatively still high in the country.

The female officers made the commitment on Saturday at the closure of this year's Female Police Convention held at the Peace Leadership Academy in Nkumba, Burera District.

Women's rights groups Friday demanded passage of the women's reservation bill in the winter session of parliament, saying full and equal political participation of women was critical to the achievement of gender equality.

Ever since a young woman was brutally gang raped in New Delhi in 2012, the international media has focused on the culture of violence against women and sexual assault in India.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau in India, a woman there is raped every 20 minutes.

Amidst a rise in sexual violence in the world's war zones, the United Nations has begun appointing women to head some of the key political and peacekeeping missions in conflict areas – and also created Gender Advisers as a second line of defence.

Still, there is growing scepticism among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and activist groups that much of the progress is scarcely more than window dressing.

As Libya transitions to democracy, major decisions are being made that will impact the nation's future. It is crucial that women's voices are heard as Libya codifies human rights in national legislation and establishes government institutions.While women in Libya are eager to participate in their country's government, their political participation has declined since the revolution.

Breaking News from the Peace Table in Havana

November 6, 2013