Participation

We as a people had embarked on a long journey that had many stops. Our current journey of the last sixty years had many stops. In the course of this journey some perished, others were born and raised. Some of us lost their way and yet others seem not to understand. In the course of this journey we met those who engaged in conversation with us, others accompanied us and others engaged us in preparing our current stop.

She was a regular girl from Peshawar who grew up to be appointed president of an international tribunal for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Khalida Rashid, who was recently appointed as the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, is a source of pride.

It was an impressive line-up of speakers, by any standard. Organizers of the annual AIPAC policy conference, which ended Tuesday in Washington, managed to book the President of the United States, Prime Minister of Israel and top Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress.

But there was an obvious omission from AIPAC's stage: a woman.

Connecting Women Mediators and Peacemakers in Africa

WORKING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN CONFLICT MITIGATION, GOOD GOVERNANCE, AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa: October 6-7, 2011

The Egyptian Coalition for Civil Education and Women's Participation

The cancellation of Women's Quota without alternative legal methods that guarantee women's political participation is pushing women back to the zero point

Twenty-six people, mostly women, sat down to dinner last night in a Lorne Park home to support the education of Afghan women and girls.

Breaking Bread for Women in Afghanistan is a national fundraiser that encourages women to host potluck dinners and ask guests to donate money to help pay the salary, for one year, of a teacher for Afghan women and girls.

The European Institute for Gender Equality aims to promote gender equality, to fight discrimination based on sex and to raise awareness of EU citizens of gender issues. With the "Women Inspiring Europe" Calendar, EIGE aims to give visibility and pay homage to some of Europe's most remarkable women, through highlighting their achievements and success stories.

At the beginning of this week I sat in Washington DC, in a room with 25 emerging women leaders between the ages of 25 and 45, from countries all across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, who are participating in the Vital Voices Global Partnership.

I gloried in the glow of 25 different stories of growth and achievement and listened to expressions of intent to accomplish even more.

Speech delivered by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, at the Democracy and Gender Equality Roundtable, UN Headquarters, New York, on 4 May 2011.

[Check against delivery.]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite the development in research and practice towards the acknowledgement of the roles of women after conflicts, post-conflict strategies are still gender-blind. Women need to play a role in post conflict reconstructions.