Participation

The northern region of Diana is known for the beautiful beaches of the Nosy-Be district and the scent of fields of ylang-ylang flowers. But the political landscape of Diana is as extraordinary as its geography: the region's administrative head is a woman, Anjara Mantasara.

Madagascar counts three women amongst its 22 regional heads, who are appointed by Cabinet and responsible for local development.

After a revolt that unfolded over less than 24 hours and surprised lawmakers and the public, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stepped aside Thursday and was replaced by his deputy, Julia Gillard, who became Australia's first female leader.

The ruling Labor Party revolted against Kevin Rudd and installed his deputy.

Aid agencies have asked British Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene in talks to set up a new United Nations agency for women.Talks over setting up the agency have stalled as members argued about its remit and how it will be run. With saving women's and their babies lives in pregnancy and childbirth a key part of the weekend's G8/G20 talks among world leaders, many want to see the new UN women's agency get off the ground.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women will be the main focus of attention when government ministers from across the world gather in New York for the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) next week.

While Asia and the Pacific can take pride in the region's vibrant economic transformation in recent decades, this has not translated into progress on gender equality.

As a part of the US – Pakistan Strategic Dialogue initiated in March, 2010 by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melane Verveer and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali on Friday chaired a dialogue on women empowerment.

Anara Nyazova is proud of the changes that her job has introduced in the country. As Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyz Republic on gender issues in the Parliament from 2005 to 2007, she helped usher in changes such as gender quotas in the Election Code and the inclusion of an article on equal rights and opportunities for men and women in the Constitution of 2007.

Women's empowerment is a process. It involves raising consciousness, building skills and reforming unjust laws that limit women's education, participation in decision making and economic independence. I.M.O.W. Global Council member Mahnaz Afkhami is president of Women's Learning Partnership, which strives to empower women by practicing and promoting their leadership and self-sufficiency.