"Instead of moaning all the time, why don't you create your own (political) party?" some men asked Brigitte Rabemanantsoa Rasamoelina, a female politician from Madagascar. She accepted the challenge and in February formed Ampela Mano Politika, a political party which started with only 22 female members and now has over 5,000 female members ... and 10 men.

With women having achieved little in terms of representation in decision-making positions in Zambia, a national women's lobby group is hoping to change this in the 2011 general elections.

The young couple is totally busted. They sit at a beach-side park, near signs forbidding teens from sitting too close. He has his arm around her shoulder. She isn't wearing her jilbab , the traditional Islamic head scarf.

Just like that, the morality cops are in their face.

Due to its apparent efforts to improve women participation in politics, Indonesia was elected as the first country in the Asia Pacific region to see on Thursday the launching of politics empowerment program for women initiated by international agencies.

The program, called "I Know Politics", was aimed at promoting women's gender equality to men in political forum worldwide.

As women continue to fight for their rights, the violence against women and girls still continue unabated. Many stakeholders including the United Nations and Governments have been working on modalities to ensure that the rights of the girl child and that of women are put in place. In recent years, the rights of children and women have been violated sexually, by men who have gone scot free in Sierra Leone.

Angola's minister of Environment, Fátima Jardim, considered that women are example of perseverance and self-improvement, taking into account their participation in the great deeds of the country and pacification of minds, ANGOP has learnt.

Witness statements by rape victims, vetted by a team of international lawyers, suggest the ruling ZANU-PF unleashed “sexual terror” against women who supported the Movement for Democratic Change

The International Criminal Court must probe alleged crimes against humanity after Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's youth militia launched a campaign of rape during 2008 elections, a campaign group says.

West Aceh Regent Ramli M.S. issued the controversial regulation on Tuesday.

Those found wearing tight trousers, such as jeans, will have them cut by sharia police, and will be forced to wear loose-fitting attire.

"We have issued the regulation to further enforce Islamic sharia granted by the central government," Ramli told The Jakarta Post by phone on Tuesday.

Two female Indonesian economists have emerged as front-runners for the post of finance minister in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, with an announcement of the appointment considered likely within days.

From May 15-16, 2010, SGI-Indonesia women and young women members sponsored the fourth Women's Peace Conference at the SGI-Indonesia Headquarters Building in Jakarta. The event was also held in commemoration of "SGI-Indonesia Women's Day" on May 14.