Participation

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and other senior U.S. government officials told representatives of Zimbabwe's transitional government at a meeting at the United Nations that they should speak out against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, observe international standards of human rights and continue to make political progress that will sustain much-needed economic growth.

Bangladesh, with two women leaders dominating the country's political scene both as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, has called for women empowerment and recruitment of women in senior positions of the United Nations.

"We embrace peace because we want to secure our future"

Kurdistan's activists embraced as messengers of peace to the Region, Iraq, and the rest of the Middle East.

Ten years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which called for women to be better represented in peacemaking, some 50 women active in the Mindanao peace process will come together on October 5, 2010 in Aleosan, North Cotabato. They will formally launch the all-women corps in the Civilian Protection Component (CPC) of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

A woman took position alongside male soldiers at the graveside of a fallen colleague. She positioned her AK47 on her
shoulder, and on command fired into the grey sky with the others.

Mariatu Sesay became at that moment the first woman in the Sierra Leone army to take part in a 21-gun salute to honour a dead soldier.

When her husband was arrested for links to an insurgency raging in this southern region, Pattama Heemmima joined the ranks of Malay-Muslim women forced into the unfamiliar routine of visiting police stations, military camps and courts to secure the freedom of their imprisoned kin.

Standing up to Taliban death threats, a record number of women participated in Afghan parliamentary elections September 18.

“I am happy that Afghan women are becoming interested in politics day by day,” Fatana Gilani, head of the Afghan Women's Association, told Central Asia Online. “I am optimistic for the future of women in Afghanistan.”

The gender press briefing at the ANC national general council was scheduled for 11am on Wednesday.

Right now, the largest gathering of world leaders in at least a decade is assembling at the United Nations in New York to assess what progress has been made in reducing poverty, improving health and ensuring access to education in developing countries. One issue on the agenda that is especially dear to me is how to combat pregnancy-related deaths and injuries and improve women's health in developing countries.

ANCWL calls for the ANC to set up a a sub-committee on gender.

The ANC Women's League on Wednesday announced measures aimed at ensuring that women are properly represented in key public and political positions.

This included the draft Gender Equity Bill, intended to ensure a 50/50 representation in key positions, league president Angie Motshekga told reporters in Durban.