Dubbed the "rape capital" of the world by Margot Walhstrom, UN Special Representative on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Eastern DRC is seen as the epicenter of sexual violence. A study, jointly put together by Oxfam, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, looks at more than 4,000 rape cases and provides exact data on when and where rapes occur and who the victims and perpetrators are.

75% of opinion leaders in Latin America believe that deliberately fomenting gender parity in politics can "strengthen democracy", according to a survey on women's participation in politics carried out by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010.

In compliance with two United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the Philippines has finally adopted a national action plan (NAP) for the protection of women during armed conflict.

The United Nations Security Council should immediately begin using measurable benchmarks to protect women caught in conflicts around the world and to ensure that women are included in peace negotiations, rather than delaying this step, Human Rights Watch said today.

At a landmark conference held recently in Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian territory, delegates were told of documented cases of “honour” crimes where women and girls had been poisoned, strangled, shot and forced to commit suicide by arelatives because their alleged behaviours had tarnished the family “honour”.

According to the Alerta 2010! Report on Conflicts, Human Rights and Peacebuilding, sexual violence was used as a weapon in most armed conflicts taking place in 2009. In addition to the report, the School for a Culture of Peace of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona also published the Yearbook 2010 on Peace Processes.

SEVEN years ago 36-year-old Mary Pamire was allegedly raped by 10 soldiers on the outskirts of Chitungwiza town.

Recounting her ordeal at a recent public meeting, Pamire said she had just come back from a National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) mass action in Chitungwiza when a car screeched to a halt outside her Mbare home.

Before she knew what was happening four soldiers had entered her home and ordered her to follow them.

The United Nations has urged Nepal to end the practice of sending young girls from indigenous families to work in private homes, where they risk being exploited, and to ensure justice for those who have been abused as well as search for those who have gone missing.

The United Nations human rights office in Nepal deplored the brutal murder of a female journalist who was hacked to death in her own home yesterday and called on local authorities to conduct an immediate investigation.