In Malawi, if both a girl and boy are born into a poor family, it will naturally be the boy in whom all the financial resources are invested.

"Money for school will be given to the boy child," said Victor Maulidi, the acting network coordinator for the NGO Gender Coordinating Network. "The girl child will stay home. They won't expect (her) to go higher."

Ten years after the adoption of a Security Council resolution calling for equal participation by women in post-conflict peacebuilding, much remains to be done to ensure they can play their part in shoring up peace, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report released today.

The reality of gender equality isn't the same as the Indonesia government would like the public to think, an Indonesian woman's rights activist told a packed auditorium at University of Guam last night.

Zohra Andi Baso, a prominent gender rights activist in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, spoke about the challenges women face in a predominantly Muslim country.

A Nobel Peace Prize nominee helps unveil a new center for gender studies at the University of Guam.
Zohra Andi Baso did the honors, cutting the ribbon to officially open the center.

More women could emerge as powerful political figures in Kyrgyzstan as the country prepares for weekend elections, a watchdog group says.

Kyrgyzstan has parliamentary elections Sunday, six months after supporters of Roza Otunbayeva overthrew the government of Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

United Nations peacekeepers and Government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today seized one of the rebel leaders suspected of being behind the mass rape of more than 300 civilians two months ago in the country's east.

South African women's rights organisations will soon have willing donors on their doorstep, thanks to the launch of the African Women's Development Fund in the country.

Today, world renowned women and children's rights activist Graça Machel will officially open AWDF's satellite office at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

GALKAYO, 30 September 2010 (IRIN) - Poor education among women and lack of access to health facilities in many rural areas of war-torn Somalia have increased risks surrounding child birth, according to health officials.

In the latest Mo Ibrahim Index on African governance (see article), South Africa is ranked fourth out of 53 African countries for its record on women's rights. In the World Economic Forum's “gender gap index” it comes an impressive sixth out of 134 countries in the world. In the UNDP's “gender empowerment measure” it also does well, being placed 26th out of 182 countries.

OTTAWA — The Harper government touted a sweeping new plan Tuesday to protect women in global war zones -- one week before the crucial election that decides Canada's bid for a UN Security Council seat.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has announced Canada's action plan in support of a Security Council resolution designed to bolster the fortunes of women and children in armed conflict zones.