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ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Upon first glance, much has improved for women in northern Iraq: almost a third of parliamentarians in Iraqi Kurdistan are female. But the number of honour killings and self-immolations is still high. Mona Naggar reports from Erbil.

Perhaps one of the most significant developments emerging from the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions is the growing Arab women's rights movement that has spread to the anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain and Yemen.

At this juncture in human history, women and girls who have lived under some of the most repressive regimes might be afforded the window of opportunity to be released from traditions that have robbed them of the ability to develop to their fullest potential.

In the CNN-ised global village, we all stood in awe and disbelief when we viewed the dramatic political and social changes that taking place in North Africa and the Middle East.

The Second National Women Social Forum has demanded timely promulgation of the constitution to ensure a women-friendly republic.

Issuing a 27-point Kathmandu Declaration in the capital on Thursday, the Forum demanded proportional representation of women in all bodies of the government, guarantee of women's reproductive health, land, housing and other rights to be guaranteed as the fundamental rights.

In remarks commemorating the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took special note of the efforts the women in the Middle East have made on behalf of freedom and democracy:

On the eve of President Obama's first trip to South America, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sang praises to the region, saying it had ushered in a period of steady economic growth while consolidating its transformation from dictatorships to democracy.

The National Commission for Women is criticizing the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for banning women from running in the Pekanbaru mayoral election.

"It is against the 1945 Constitution,” Commission deputy chair Masruchah said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

She said Riau's MUI had also violated the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

The resilience of women helps communities stay together in times of crisis because they shield their children and family from hardships and have the will to survive.

Former defense minister of Finland and peace activist Elizabeth Rehn said that women had a unique ability in post-conflict peace building because they would think not only about themselves but also their children and family.

When people's persistent demands to be heard fall upon deaf ears, the resultant effect is usually emotional outburst mostly done in an environment in which they feel they can attract attention.