Participation

Women constitute only 19 per cent of the membership of Parliament in most countries, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, Speaker of Parliament, has said. The threshold of 30 per cent advocated by the United Nations as a prelude to 50 per cent attainment to accelerate human development, therefore, continues to be an illusion for advocates of gender mainstreaming.

Women activists in Churachandpur district of conflicted state of Manipur are defying all threats to fight for the rape victims allegedly attacked by existing ‘underground outfits' in the region.

UNAMID organized today in El Fasher, North Darfur, an open day on the progress in the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security under the theme “Women count for peace”. More than 100 women from Darfur's three states participated in the event, including officials from the state governments, legislators and UN agencies.

I attended the Annual Arab Media Academics Forum (AMAF) at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), organized by the Saudi Journalist Club in UK (SJCUK) on October 29. The fact that the event gathered together media professionals and researchers from different part of the Arab world raised some important questions.

Two weeks ago in Los Angeles the Skirball Cultural Center launched their "Women Hold Up Half the Sky" exhibit, inspired by the acclaimed book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The book was co-written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists and husband and wife team, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and addresses the oppression of women and girls worldwide.

While there is no reason to panic, concern about the rise of Islamists in post-dictatorship Arab societies is warranted, especially as the rights of women are particularly and immediately open to attack.

In a society like Sudan in which men occupy the vast majority of leadership positions, one might be surprised to know that it was women who made up the majority of voters in the South Kordofan state gubernatorial elections in May 2011.

Women in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya played a frontline role in bringing down entrenched dictatorships. And now they are eager to reap the rewards of full political participation in their respective countries. "However," said Melanne Verveer, U.S. Amassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues, "there are actors in these societies who clearly intend, and even often vocally express their desire, to push women back.

The 11 candidates contesting presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo all pledge to improve peace and security in the country - promises received with varying degrees of scepticism by Congolese voters.

As wars become less about states and more about societies, women can play a greater role in shaping or ending conflicts. So why do we still think of war as inherently male?