General - News

Women in Southeast Asian countries are urged to play more role in the government sector as an effort towards equality to men, ASEAN Foundation Executive Chairman Makarim Wibisono said here on Wednesday

In a protest action organised by Avaaz.org and Sonke Gender Justice Network, gender equality activists from across Cape Town will gather outside the Houses of Parliament to call on the South African Government to commit to one billion rand a year to fund effective strategies to prevent violence against women, including a grassroots public education campaign to end the cycle of violence against women.

Expectations are running high in remote region as first woman to head Afghan district promises to bring change.

Women rights activists are preparing to share Rwanda's practices in promoting gender with the rest of the world.

Sierra Leone's First Northern Region Female Mayor Talks on Plans For a ‘Great Makeni City'

Women in Sierra Leone are stepping on center stage in a steady but slow pace to play their part as equal partners in national development. That movement, precedes roles by leaders the likes of educationist Dr. Talabi Lucan, Chief Justice, Hawa Tejan-Jalloh; Chief Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Christiana Thorpe; university professor and former Vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Kadi Sesay and women's right advocate, Nemata Majeks-Walker, to mention a few. But women are far from accomplishing their target for equality. More has to be done to pave the path. Women lag far behind men in decision making institutions, employments and access to education. This trend must change fast.

Women and children play a major role in poverty alleviation and are expected to feature prominently in any future development goals, it emerged during debates in Liberia last week.

Bangladesh has won second place in an annual United Nations Development Programme competition, with a story that highlights the success of the country's poverty alleviation efforts.

With Somalia's UN-backed government consolidating its hold over the capital, Mogadishu, and other areas from al-Qaeda-linked militants, many women are returning to help rebuild the country, reports the BBC's Kate Forbes.

Concerned over the stand-off in the implementation of the different political and socio- economic agreements that were signed between the two countries, a coalition of women leaders in Sudan and South Sudan has decided to come together to promote peace for the benefit of the citizens of the two neighboring states.