Participation

As Zimbabwe embarks on writing a new constitution with the countrywide collection of public submissions starting on Jun. 23, not all women are upbeat about the process.

While some gender activists see this public comment phase as an opportunity for their voices to be heard, ordinary women remain in the dark about the proposed new constitution and what exactly they are supposed to contribute.

During the panel discussion, the participants talked about the gaps that currently exist between men and women in politics, the various reasons for them—from culture and tradition to lack of help with childrearing, and the societal ramifications of lacking women in politics.

On June 30th the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a special policy dialogue on “The role of women in countries in special situations.” MADRE representatives attended this dialogue and talked with State members as well as experts on the critical issues, including sexual violence women in Haiti face and the legal obligation to have their voices included in decision-making processes.

Melanne Verveer
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues

It is a wonderful pleasure for me to be back in Ukraine. This country has always had a special place in my heart. I bring greetings from Secretary Clinton, who will be traveling to Ukraine herself very soon.

Women activists have launched a hotline for monitoring poll violence and malpractice ahead of next year's general elections.

The hotline will use short messaging service that will be directed to a central point where the queries will be handled and forwarded to the authorities.

August marks Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud's fifth year as king of Saudi Arabia, a good moment to assess reforms in the area of human rights. Saudis are somewhat freer today, and many credit the king. Saudi writers have won regional awards this year, and the diversity of Saudi society is on display, thanks to the growth of electronic media. Yet this freedom remains strictly limited.

The work of the UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR project “Strengthening women's leadership and women's participation in political life and decision making processes in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia” progresses with the organization of various activities.

The 200,000 dead and 8,000 disappeared of Algeria's long civil war were almost all men. They left behind a generation of women from different backgrounds and political opinions who have come together in opposition to the president's charter for peace and reconciliation.