Participation

A new report has revealed disturbing facts; Rwandan women occupy few leadership positions, contrary to the common belief that Rwanda has a fairly high number of women leaders.

The findings, from a survey by the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), indicate that more men are holding far more leadership positions, compared to women in various sectors in governance, and also dominate in both agriculture and business.

After four years of intense work, the 601-member Constituent Assembly (CA) missed a May 27 deadline to adopt a new constitution with political parties failing to agree on restructuring the country into a federation of states based on ethnic lines.

International Security Assistance Force commander U.S. Marine Gen. John R. Allen and NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan Simon Gass hosted a roundtable discussion at ISAF Headquarters, June 3, inviting female members of the Afghan Parliament, members of the High Peace Council, and prominent members of civil society.

Her phone rang at 9 p.m. “Can you come tonight? He's home.” The voice was anxious. “My son left those extremists he took up with, but maybe just for the night.”

Including women in the peacemaking process could bring about a speedier and more durable resolution to Myanmar's ethnic conflicts, activists say.

Daw Ja Nan, vice president of non-govern-ment organisation Nyein (Shalom) Foundation, said sustainable peace required the involvement of all citizens but women were normally excluded from the process, both formally and informally.

While I was visiting Saudi Arabia last week, King Abdullah fired one of the most popular Islamic leaders in the Kingdom from his government position. Sheikh Abdel Mohsen Obeikan was an advisor to the royal court until last week when, in a single line, the king ordered that the sheikh resign from his post. The reaction was swift.

Anchor Aaron Schachter talks with journalist Gayle Lemmon about a “shadow summit” on Afghanistan's women that took place Sunday in Chicago alongside the NATO summit there.

The summit was organized by Amnesty International.

Meanwhile, protesters have been demonstrating outside the main NATO summit in Chicago.

To support greater engagement for women's leadership inside the expanding political terrain in Kyrgyzstan, the NDI – National Democratic Institute will be hosting a luncheon to celebrate the Albright grant award for supporting democracy in action to bring women into the process. With celebrity studded hosts that include PBS News Hour moderator Judy Woodruff, former United States Secretary of State Madeline K.

As Papua New Guinea is gearing up for elections next month, four women candidates have come forward in the autonomous region of Bougainville to contest seats against 65 men.

Magdeline Toroansi is vying for the Bougainville regional seat.

Rachael Konaka and Francesca Semoso are endorsed by the People Party for the North Bougainville seat.

Theresa Jaintong is the People Party candidate for the Central Bougainville seat.

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, commemorated each year on 29 of May, is an occasion to salute the 120,000 peacekeepers serving in 17 missions in some of the world's most volatile and dangerous environments. In the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Bangladeshi contingent is composed entirely of women.