Participation

A new report from the World Bank and IFC released today finds that women still face legal and regulatory hurdles to fully participating in the economy. Women, Business and the Law 2012: Removing Barriers to Economic Inclusion finds that while 36 economies reduced legal differences between men and women, 103 out of 141 economies studied still impose legal differences on the basis of gender in at least one of the report's key indicators.

Whether it's as activists or politicians, artists or business leaders, women in the Middle East are stepping into the spotlight as never before. Some stereotypes still need to be challenged; domestic violence, illiteracy and conservative views continue to fuel a gender gap in many parts of the region. However, women are now proving their worth in most walks of life.

The involvement of men is key to the success of the gender-equality movement, but changing long-held social structures and convincing men of the importance of equal opportunities for women will not happen overnight, experts say.

Zambia has come a long way in trying to achieve social, economic and political development. Several initiatives have been put in place by many stakeholders, all aimed at addressing the development challenges that this country has faced.

As a result, the country has since then recorded significant achievements in the education, health, agriculture, mining, as well as the many other areas of human endeavor.

In August of every year South Africa stages Gender Equality Month. Events are organised around National Women's Day on August 9. According to the ruling ANC, it "is a time to salute women for the role they have played and to reflect on challenges women continue to face".

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, on Monday in Abuja consulted with the wives of state governors on ways of facilitating peace in their domains.

Mrs Jonathan intimated the governors' wives on how she became the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) and informed them that they would be inaugurated as ambassadors for peace in their respective states.

Kenya has been praised for passing laws and policies that promote gender equality.
A new World Bank report on gender says the country has plugged the gap in the last two years, with women being given more opportunities for self-fulfilment.

The World Bank has commended the government for its efforts at creating an enabling environment for women to participate actively in socio-economic development.

Women in the country particularly those in Buipe in the Central Gonja District have been urged to use their natural endowments and resources to solve chieftaincy disputes to promote unity and development.

Women have also been identified as key actors in peace building and conflict resolution hence the need to give them full and equal access and participation in the peace activities and processes.

The speakers at a South Asian conference here on Thursday called for a collective struggle and structural reforms to end violence against women in all the countries in the region. The conference marked the shift in women's struggle against violence, where the silence against violence had been broken but redressing mechanism for survivors was yet to be evolved.