Malawi President and African Union (AU) Chairperson, Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika this Friday leaves for Kampala, Uganda, where he will join 49 other heads of state and governments to attend the 15th Summit of the AU.

The summit, which opened on Monday amidst heavy security after the terror bombings in Kampala last week, has as its theme: “Maternal, Infant and Child health and Development in Africa”.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Mathilde Rabary, the women of Madagascar are “waking up” to their rights.

Zeynab Bayazidi, former member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization, has gone on hunger strike in Zanjan prison.
According to Movakerian news agency, Bayadizi's mother has confirmed this news and said: “Zeynab has gone on hunger strike in protest to the inappropriate behavior of the chief of Zanjan Prison with a number of female prisoners.”

Since 26 January more than 100 unarmed civilians have been killed in protests. AFF urges the African Union Commission to appoint a high-level African woman to be part of the team that will facilitate the resolution of the political crisis in Madagascar and to ensure the equal participation of Malagasy women and their organizations in the subsequent political processes, including elections.

Jose Guara Fara, a 46-year-old doctor, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of raping two women at his home in Modi'in by using anesthetic drugs. Fara, a Mexican citizen, has been living in Israel and specializing in anesthesiology at the Assaf Harofeh Hospital. He is suspected of meeting the women months ago on the internet dating website J-Date. Dr.

At a week-long international summit in Johannesburg recently, men and women were challenged to step up the fight on gender-based violence.

Speaker after speaker urged delegates not to turn a blind eye to any form of abuse against women.

Over 100 delegates from 25 countries across the world converged at the University of Johannesburg to discuss ways in which fighting violence against women can be improved.

The University of the Philippines (UP) has just announced that it is now looking for nominees to succeed Dr. Emerlinda Roman, the premier state university's ninetenth president and the first woman to hold the office. Apart from being UP's first woman president, Roman also has the distinction of being the university's "centennial president" as the institution celebrated its centennial in 2008.

Female leaders of the Bogota's displaced population are being threatened by paramilitary organizations, according to a Green Party councilor.

Amid rising opposition to the war in Afghanistan and speculation about a U.S. withdrawal, debate has begun over what will happen to Afghan women and girls should U.S. troops leave. From former first lady Laura Bush to top California female lawmakers including Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, women leaders in America have been ardent champions of Afghan women since the U.S.

When a federal court in California blocked the deportation of an undocumented Guatemalan woman this week, the case resonated in Palm Beach County.