The bishops of Southern Africa have appointed Sister Hermenegild Makoro as the new Secretary- General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference.

She will replace Fr Vincent Brennan SMA who is to retire in March.

Linda Bordoni spoke to Sr. Hermenegild by telephone and asked her about her background, how she views her appointment, and what issues are currently on the table in the SACBC.

By all standards, 2011 was quite an exceptional year for men and women in the Arab world. It was a year of dramatic transitions marked by the so-called Arab Spring of political democratization and social emancipation. It all started in Tunisia, going through Egypt and Libya in the West, and continuing to drag on in both Yemen and Syria in the East.

When Tanya Rosenblit boarded the No. 451 bus to Jerusalem last month, she knew that the predominantly ultra-Orthodox passengers would keep their distance from her because of their adherence to strict rules of gender segregation.

But when one of them demanded she move to the rear, Ms. Rosenblit held her ground.

President-elect Otto Pérez Molina, a retired general, and the 49-year-old Baldetti, both of the rightwing Patriotic Party, will be sworn in Jan. 14.

I'm not a gender essentialist. I don't believe that women are from Venus and men are from Mars. I suspect strongly, in fact, that women and men are the same species and might even be able to reproduce.

In Papua New Guinea (PNG)l, women in Port Moresby are stepping up pressure on members of parliament to pass the Equality and Participation Bill, which will create 22 reserved seats for women.

(UN Photo)

Davao City has given birth to another groundbreaking initiative – The Women's Peace Table.

Of course, it is but natural that the city known for its empowered women and a Galing Pook-winning gender mainstreaming program should be the one to come up with this bright idea.