There has been a call for annual dialogue on women, peace and security to allow Pacific leaders to hear directly from women.

This comes as Pacific Forum leaders affirmed their commitment to the establishment of a Pacific Regional Network on UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Africa's political independence was accompanied by a common clarion call to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and disease. Fifty years after the end of colonial, the question is: To what extent has the promise of that call has been realized for African women? There is no doubt that African women's “long walk to freedom” has yielded some results, however painfully and slowly.

South African "Rape-aXe" -- Female Condom with Internal Ribs -- was Created to Prevent Rape

Women representation in Parliament and Cabinet positions has regressed in most Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries since the 2009 elections.

In Namibia, gender representation at that level has decreased from 30.8 percent to 22 percent, and in Botswana the numbers have dropped from 11 percent to 6.5 percent.

...Member states racing against time to have more women in leadership

With just five years left before 2015, the target year set for SADC member states to ensure that at least 50 percent of all political and decision making positions are held by women, it looks like most countries are unlikely to reach this target.

The women who grow more than half the world's agricultural produce have gained international recognition and aid since the start of the global food crisis in 2007.

Unlike schools and offices in South Africa, the criminal gangs along the border between the World Cup hosts and Zimbabwe did not take a break because of a sports tournament.

The High Court of Justice on Wednesday instructed the state to review its stance regarding the inclusion of a woman in a commission investigating the Israel Defense Forces raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May, and issued a deadline of several hours to explain why there are no women sitting on the panel.

Dozens of Palestinian women and children were rendered homeless after the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) demolished for the third consecutive time all tents set up in Al-Araqib village of the Negev region in place of their houses which were knocked down earlier.

Iraqi Kurdistan: As the 13th convention of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of Iraq draws nearer, Fazil Mirani, head of the political bureau of the party said that his party is not supportive of the quota system, meaning to predetermine certain amount of seats, for women.

“We are not with quota. We support women to be elected leaders of the party by men and women's votes,” said Mirani.