One after the other, women visiting their sick friend Aïssatou Baïlo Diallo, a 42-year-old teacher in Guinea's capital Conakry, are overcome with emotion and leave her bedside crying. Diallo has been in and out of hospitals since she was raped in the 28 September 2009 stadium attack, and in recent weeks her health has deteriorated rapidly. Three years after the stadium massacre, the pain is fresh.

Proscovia Alengot Oromait has become Africa's youngest Member of Paliament (MP) at the age of 19, after she won the Usuk county election with 11,059 votes. The outspoken youngster replaces her father who died earlier this year.

In the Middle East and North Africa, it is a challenge to ensure transitional justice measures do not further entrench the invisibility of gender-based abuses. As different countries consider the ways to confront the legacies of past abuses, ICTJ works with women's groups across the region to build their capacity to engage in discussions around transitional justice and gender.

“In conflict zones, women are disproportionately affected by sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and rights violations,” said the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet.

“In conflict zones, women are disproportionately affected by sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and rights violations,” said the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet.

The 58-year old mother of five and wife of an ill husband, Maksad worked on cooperative farms for much of her life. She married and became a mother at 16, arranging the same for her two eldest daughters when she couldn't pay for their further education. Yet her burden was eased only briefly. Within five years her eldest daughter died, leaving Maksad to care for three young grandchildren.

“We have great expectations and hope that she will lead this path of reconciliation and greater participatory democracy and development of her country, together with President Thein Sein of Myanmar,” Mr. Ban said at a joint media encounter with Ms. Suu Kyi at UN Headquarters in New York

The seven MDGs include elimination of extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/Aids and other diseases and ensure environmental sustainability.

Malawi President Joyce Banda and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf delivered blunt advice Monday to those seeking ways to translate the principle of gender equality into practice: “Listen to the women.”

The past 12 months have seen a series of notable successes for African women - with two Nobel Peace prizes, a second president and the first female head of the African Union Commission. For the BBC's Africa Debate programme, Malawian women's rights campaigner Jessie Kabwila asks if Africa's women are on the rise.