Participation

The past 12 months have seen a series of notable successes for African women - with two Nobel Peace prizes, a second president and the first female head of the African Union Commission. For the BBC's Africa Debate programme, Malawian women's rights campaigner Jessie Kabwila asks if Africa's women are on the rise.

On October 1st parliamentary elections will be held in Georgia. Currently there are only 6.6 percent women representatives in the Georgian parliament, the lowest number in all of Europe.To achieve long-term stability in Georgia, it is crucial to include more women in the decision-making processes, says Alla Gamakharia from the women and peace organization Cultural-Humanitarian Fund Sukhumi, based in Kutaisi.

Ambassador Swanee Hunt, chair of The Institute for Inclusive Security, announced the Institute's Commitment to Action in support of women, peace, and security at the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

Matthew 5:9 is one of my favorite Bible verses, and as our world sees so much international turmoil on a daily basis, it is never far from my mind. I spent most of my adult life serving in the military, so I appreciate the value of peacetime. I fully support our nation leading the way to make lasting peace real in our time.

Today the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign announced its partnership with the organization Girls on the Run International, which will provide girls with opportunities to stand up for themselves and for girls across the globe and increase awareness of issues that adolescent girls everywhere face.

Gender Action's new case study, Haiti's National Housing Policy: Will it Work for Women? demonstrates that the Haitian government's World Bank-supported draft National Housing Policy risks burdening the poor, especially women, with expensive and unobtainable housing by relying on private solutions.

Around the world, women make peace in their homes and communities on a daily basis. But when it comes to negotiating and signing peace deals on a national or international level they are almost universally shut out, according to a report that calls for a more balanced approach to resolving conflict.

Nawal Al Saadawi has been at the lead of the fight for rights for women for decades, and like many here was exhilarated when women and men united in Tahrir Square to lead protests against dictator Hosni Mubarak.

But more than a year after Mubarak's ouster, not much has changed for women, she laments.

"Things didn't improve for women, and we are going backward," said Nawal, 81, an author and activist.

After conducting research in five main Afghan provinces – Kabul, Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Balkh, Herat – the group found that women have not been involved in the decision-making processes of the High Peace Council at the provincial and their role is only representative.

It may be International Peace day tomorrow but a study out today suggests women are being shut out of peace processes with low numbers of women participating in official roles.