Participation

awing on the global reach and reputation of the International Herald Tribune and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the world's biggest news and information provider, Trust Women seeks to empower women to know and defend their rights.

It aims to drive innovation and partnerships by connecting legal expertise with the financial, technological and educational resources that enable women to exercise their rights.

Fawzia Koofi would like to be the next president of Afghanistan. But that is nearly inconceivable, because Koofi is a woman.

The Taliban has tried to kill her multiple times. When she travels for her work as a member of Afghanistan's parliament, she leaves goodbye letters for her two daughters, in the event that she does not return.

Despite increased prominence of women's issues in public limelight, progress towards gender equality is still painfully slow in Kenya.

This is the case when it comes to elections where the populace has to make a choice of who should lead or represent them. Gender biases and myopic cultural beliefs have conspired to muscle women out of political leadership.

Sumanto Al Qurtuby

A new study on violence against women conducted over four decades and in 70 countries reveals the mobilization of feminist movements is more important for change than the wealth of nations, left-wing political parties, or the number of women politicians.

“I am just as good as you are!” half of Arab society is screaming at the other half. The movement known as The Uprising of Women in the Arab World has launched a virtual campaign urging people to champion what they call “male dictatorship”. And in so doing, they would be completing the Arab Spring.

-Janet Nammur, Hilversum

To mark International Peace Day on 21 September, Womankind Worldwide and ActionAid launched a new report on the vital but overlooked roles of women peacebuilders. Lee Webster, Policy and Advocacy Manager, gives an overview of the study.

During my first trip to Afghanistan as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, I was struck by something one woman said to me during a meeting with a group of female civil society actors in Kabul. She said, "Stop looking at us as victims, but rather as the leaders that we are."

Afghanistan has made significant progress over the last ten years, and in particular, Afghan women and girls have made great strides. Millions of girls are in school; the maternal mortality rate has dropped; and health care is being delivered to many more women and children.

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday, 13 November 2012 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm
National Film and Sound Archive
McCoy Circuit, Acton
Canberra ACT, AUSTRALIA

And;

Wednesday, 14 November 2012 | 6:30pm - 8pm
Multipurpose Room, Fort Scratchley
Nobbys Road, Newcastle East
Newcastle NSW, AUSTRALIA