Participation

Dubai: Despite obstacles facing women in many regions of the world, over 130 female students from 30 countries were urged to help bring about change by simply showing the willingness to engage and champion causes.

A variety of speakers held up examples for students on the concluding day of the Dubai Women's College's (DWC) Insight Dubai Conference last week on how to bring about change.

International Women's Day was celebrated on March 8. Many will argue that every day is women's day, especially in a country like Jamaica, where women make up at least 70 percent of university graduates and occupy many middle and top-level jobs.

The First Lady of the Republic, Ms Sophia Martelly, officially opened yesterday Tuesday, the National Forum on the Issues of Haitian women, which takes place from March 6-8, 2012, at the Historical Park Cof the Sugar cane around the theme "the Haitian woman at a time of national reconstruction"

I do not agree with the phrase "Arab Spring." The overthrow of dictatorships is not sufficient in itself. Only when repressive governments are replaced by democracies can we consider the popular uprisings in the Middle East to be a meaningful "spring."

With the passage of four decrees that regulate Law 1257 against gender violence, Colombia has made significant progress in the prevention and punishment of violence and discrimination against women.

When the United Nations concluded a two-week session highlighting the plight of rural women last week, the meetings singled out both the achievements and shortcomings of the ongoing relentless battle for gender equality in a world still dominated - and overwhelmingly ruled - by men.

The announced theme of the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women taking place in New York from February 27 to March 3 -- the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development, and current challenges -- isn't focused per se on conflict.

Rights groups are becoming increasingly concerned that the Afghan government is willing to surrender women's rights to advance peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Representatives from more than 40 governments are meeting in London today to discuss the future of Somalia and its transition to a new caretaker government.

Somali women in the UK are calling on UK prime minister, David Cameron, to ensure that they aren't left out of negotiations.
Leaked conference documents did not mention women's rights or their place in the future politics of the conflicted country.

The head of the United Nations entity mandated to promote gender equality today highlighted the role of quotas to accelerate women's political participation, adding that more hands-on measures are needed to achieve significant progress on this issue.