Participation

Women groupings under the Women NGO's Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) have reached a broad consensus on the need to punish heads of the former warring factions and "warlords" in the Liberian civil conflict.

With two years away from Nigeria 's 2011 General Elections, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has concluded plans to hold an all-inclusive National Women Political Summit for the country, which is expected to map out workable strategies that will ensure greater participation of women in the exercise.

Repercussions from this summer's coup in Honduras are far from over.

Continued political wrangling is bad enough for democracy there and across Latin America. What's worse is that the international community, including the Obama administration, is ignoring the widespread abuses of human rights in the coup's aftermath.

The Sierra Leone delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has received showers of praises from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Committee Chairman at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt, when it (Sierra Leone) was singled out as the leader out of the seventeen (17) Commonwealth African Countries, currently consolidating its position to end political marginalization and harmful practices a

Gender-based discrimination and violence against women have been identified as Achilles' heel for women's participation in public spheres hence limit their participation in democratic experiment.

The case against human rights activist Jestina Mukoko and her eight other co-accused was once again postponed in the Harare magistrates court on Tuesday, in order for a superior court to rule on the group's arrest.

Women integrated in female organisations of the civil society Wednesday spoke of the need for valorisation of the social status of women in general and particularly in northern Uije province, in the defence of the rights and main liberties, Angop learned.

The concept of establishing a Government Ministry for Women will be one of the agenda items to be discussed at the National Gender Machinery (NGM) meeting to be held next week.

The Minister in the Presidency, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, will lead the discussions on the possibility of establishing a Women's Ministry to enhance institutional mechanisms for women's empowerment and gender equality in South Africa.

A concept paper for the establishment of a Ministry for Women and Gender Affairs is to be presented to Cabinet for consideration.

A task team made up of women from government and non-government organisations (NGOs) is expected to finalise the concept paper next week and present it to Cabinet by the end of the month.

5 WOZA members have been detained at Harare Central while 9 are being treated for injuries, after being severely beaten by police on Wednesday. The group were waiting to present a petition to David Coltart, the new Education Minister, when they were set upon by riot police. WOZA leader Jennie Williams said the pressure group had an official appointment to meet Coltart and had been gathering peacefully waiting for him.