In a first in Algerian politics, an all-women list of candidates has been formed to run in the country's forthcoming general elections. The slate was put together by a group of women from Tiaret, and will be competing for the state's seats in the national parliament at the vote in May, which is being contested by dozens of rival lists.

It may be our United Nation agency's -- UN Women's -- first birthday, but on the occasion of our annual conference, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), we and hundreds of other women's groups still face limited access to the halls of the United Nations (U.N.).

On March 1, 2012 at the UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York, the World YWCA hosted a panel event on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and also contributed to a panel hosted by Women's Alliance for a Democratic Iraq entitled “Rural women are vital to post conflict reconstruction”.

The effects of civil strife on the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the attendant sexual violations cannot be gainsaid.

In the context of contemporary armed conflict, the general discourse often assumes that women, one of the most vulnerable and impacted groups, are disempowered. Discussion on the role of women in conflict and post-conflict settings frequently reflects this by emphasizing the narrative of women as victims, overlooking the crucial role of women as actors.

The United Nations today unveiled new guidelines to help mediators address the problem of sexual violence in conflict by placing the issue high on the agenda when brokering peace agreements and ceasefires.

As I walked into the middle of the circle to introduce myself, the women started cheering loudly; I had arrived at their event the only foreign woman in a group of men and this apparently deserved significant applause. After introducing myself, the women decided that I needed a new name and I was promptly dubbed Aya – a Lango word meaning ‘girl born amongst boys.' I like my new name.

The women sat on plastic chairs arranged in a circle, some breast feeding, others with small children at their feet. This is their centre in Ganta, the dusty, vibrant commercial capital of Nimba county in north-east Liberia.

Representatives from more than 40 governments are meeting in London today to discuss the future of Somalia and its transition to a new caretaker government.

Somali women in the UK are calling on UK prime minister, David Cameron, to ensure that they aren't left out of negotiations.
Leaked conference documents did not mention women's rights or their place in the future politics of the conflicted country.

Near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a father doused his three teenage daughters with boiling water and shot them because, he told a court, he suspected they were having sex. Two died.

He said he killed them to defend his honor.