Participation

US Consul General in Karachi William Martin met with female political leaders and parliamentarians at the Consulate General on Friday.

Among them were five female ministers of the Sindh cabinet.

Liberia's president was sworn in Monday for a second term in a ceremony attended by her bitter rival, whose refusal to recognize her victory had threatened to undermine this country's fragile peace.

In the past, Kenyan women were kept out of standing in the elections or even voting on election day because of violence and huge financial costs.

Members of the Kenyan Constitutional Review Committee had to ensure space existed for women enabling them to participate in the constitutional making process, to vote in an election and to stand as a candidate.

On the 25th of January at 10:00 a.m, EVE Organization invited the women's civil society and female activists to a press conference regarding the exclusion of civil society in the National Constitution Review Commission (NCRC). The mission of the commission is to research, review and develop South Sudanese laws and acts so that they are formed after the needs of the citizens of South Sudan.

Catherine Cherop does not allow the social construction of society's life to intimidate her. Instead, she has defied these societal odds to become what she always desired to be — a people's servant.

She bravely sought and took over the role of village elder in the volatile Burnt Forest area, a seat traditionally reserved for old men in the community.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, says affirmative action, rather than the quota system, is the surest way to increasing the representation of women in Parliament.

He cited Angola and Rwanda as some of the African countries that had very high women representation in Parliament as a result of affirmative action.

Where are all the women in Syria's national uprising? Judging by the scarcity of articles detailing the role of women in Syria - compared to the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt or Yemen - it might be easy to assume Syria's women are staying on the sidelines.

That assumption, of course, would be false. But how involved women remain will depend largely on the direction the uprising takes.

The Fiji Women's Rights Movement has indicated its wish to participate in the consultation stages of the constitutional and electoral processes.

In a statement, movement executive director Virisila Buadromo said: "FWRM wishes to participate in legitimate constitutional and electoral processes.

The outgoing batch of the Philippine United Nations Police (UNPOL) Contingent in Timor-Leste was recently honored in a "Medal Parade" in recognition of their service to the peacekeeping efforts of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

President,

Distinguished Delegates,

Allow me to first wish all of you a Happy New Year. It will not surprise you to hear me say that my special hopes are for the women of this world! I hope that this year, no matter how great the challenges we all confront, will be a year when the voices of women will be heard even more.