Women's rights groups have urged the establishment of a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission in Zimbabwe as part of bringing to justice people who committed human rights violations - including sexual abuse against women - during the run-up to a second-round presidential vote in June 2008.

Ongoing Taliban attacks on women in Afghanistan show why women's rights should be a priority in any political agreement with insurgent forces, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

In the lead up to the 2007 national elections in Papua New Guinea, women's participation in electoral processes is still limited. AWID interviewed Robyn Slarke from Mama Lo Stoa, recipient of one of AWID's Innovation Seed Grants, about the issues women are facing in PNG, and about their project Meri Kirap (Women Arise).

Even as U.N. peacekeeping operations in the world's battle zones continue to expand, women soldiers, police and civilian support staff remain a small minority – something that sorely needs to change, U.N. officials say.

Today, there are more than 113,000 peacekeepers, including 90,000 military and police personnel, serving in 18 U.N. operations in four continents.

Two of Fiji's women activists are among eight Pacific Island representatives at the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which begins in New York today.

In a press statement, Angie Chand of the Pacific Disability Forum says the Commission meet is an opportunity to be able to highlight the issues faced by women and girls with disabilities.

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official and a prominent female lawyer were among the 28 candidates vying for the lone vacant position in the Philippine Supreme Court.

However, since they are "outsiders," both Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and lawyer Ma. Carolina "Katrina" Legarda have to attend a public interview to be conducted by the Judicial and Bar Council to fill up the vacancy before August 17.

A former Guatemalan soldier pleaded guilty Wednesday to concealing his role in a 1982 massacre of peasants by the army in his homeland when he applied for U.S. citizenship, authorities said.

Malaysia's Islamic courts appointed their first two women judges today. Suraya Ramli has been appointed as a Sharia judge in the administrative capital city of Putrajaya and Rafidah Abdul Razak has been appointed in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Ramli and Razak were officials in the nation's Islamic Judicial Department prior to their appointments today.

Malaysia's Islamic courts appointed their first two women judges today. Suraya Ramli has been appointed as a Sharia judge in the administrative capital city of Putrajaya and Rafidah Abdul Razak has been appointed in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Ramli and Razak were officials in the nation's Islamic Judicial Department prior to their appointments today.

More than half the residents of Nairobi live in informal settlements and slums with little or no police presence. Even in Kibera, Kenya's largest informal settlement where up to one million people live, there is no permanent police station or post.