SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you to Ambassador Alex Wolff and to our U.S. Mission here at the United Nations. And it's wonderful to be back at the United Nations for this occasion.

While “some progress” in advancing gender equality has transpired over the last 15 years, much work remains to be done in eradicating violence and lack of opportunities for women and girls across the world, U.S. Secretary-of-State Hilary Clinton said on Friday, March 12.

Another political event takes place in Iraq without much mention of women. And in the rare occasion that women are mentioned, it is often with the token spirit about how wonderful it is that they now have 25 percent of political seats in the Iraqi parliament.

Aisha and Mariam both arrived in the Al Mazraq camp in the northern Hajjah region about six months ago, forced to flee their homes in the nearby Malaheet area because of intense fighting.

Reading the minority report of the International Criminal Court declining to authorise investigations into the post-election violence, one cannot help but be impressed by its sagacity and depth of knowledge of the situation in Kenya.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is taking steps to sensitise women about elections. The initiative is meant to enlighten women on participation in elections.

The IEC held a workshop under the theme 'Your vote matters' at Adansonia Hotel in Francistown yesterday to educate the women.

Women's rights activists in Zimbabwe are outraged by the low representation of female politicians in the new unity government. Only four women are part of the 35-member cabinet, laughably short of the equal representation of women in decision-making that Zimbabwe signed onto at a regional summit in September 2008.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have long been an advocate of closer cooperation between NATO and the European Union and so I am very pleased that today's conference brings us together to develop practical solutions to one of the key security issues of our time.

THE formation of an inclusive Government in Zimbabwe has been welcomed by many people in the country who see it as the best framework within which to tackle the country's social and economic development.

However, it clearly falls short of addressing gender equality.

Five WOZA activists who were arrested last week were finally released on bail on Monday, after spending six days in police custody. WOZA released a statement saying the individuals were released on US$50 bail each and remanded out of custody to March 19th.