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2008

Afghanistan: Afghan woman rights campaigner wins courage award
October 7, 2008- (Reuters) She has been called Afghanistan's bravest woman, defying the Taliban and the warlords in a tireless campaign for women's rights and the victims of rape. Malalai Joya's bravery was recognised this week when she was named as the second winner of the Anna Politkovskaya award -- in memory of the campaigning Russian journalist murdered two years ago in Moscow.

Iraq: Iraqi Women Fear Going Public As Candidates
October 6, 2008 – (TIME) The 38-year-old teacher wanted to participate in Iraq's first provincial elections in four years — until she realized that a new law would require the ballot to list her name, not just her party. Even as violence has declined, lingering fear bred by rampant crime and a small but die-hard insurgency has left many Iraqi women afraid to run in the elections, to be held by Jan. 31.

Afghanistan: In Poverty and Strife, Women Test Limits
October 5, 2008 - (NYTimes) Bamian, Afghanistan — Far away from the Taliban insurgency, in this most peaceful corner of Afghanistan, a quiet revolution is gaining pace. Women are driving cars — a rarity in Afghanistan — working in public offices and police stations, and sitting on local councils. There is even a female governor, the first and only one in Afghanistan.

YEMEN: Protecting women, children from violence
October 2, 2008 - (IRIN) A Netherlands-funded project is aiming to provide better protection for women and children exposed to violence and sexual abuse. Sisters Arab Forum (SAF), a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), will implement the US$700,000 project - the first of its kind in Yemen. All 21 governorates will be covered in the four-year project.

AFghanistan: Taliban claim killing of top female Afghan officer
September 29, 2008 – (International Herald Tribune) An attack on a high-profile female police officer is the latest in a wave of attacks on women across Afghanistan for which the Taliban have claimed responsibility.

IRAN: Activists Spotlight Rights Abuses on Eve of U.N. Meet
September 22, 2008 - (IPS) A day before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses world leaders at the United Nations, human rights activists criticised his government's record and urged the international community to hold the president accountable during his visit to New York.

AFGHANISTAN: Self-immolation on the rise among women
September 9, 2008 (IRIN) - More than six years after the ousting of the Taliban regime in 2001 when all women were denied the right to work and education, many women suffer domestic and social violence, discrimination and lack of access to unbiased justice and other services, women's rights activists say.

Syrian Case Tests Tolerance on Killing Kinswomen
Sept. 8, 2008 (WOMENSENEWS) - Oasis, Syria's first shelter for battered and abused women, opened its door the first week of August.According to a 2005 study prepared by the Syrian Federation of Women, 1 in 4 Syrian women suffered domestic violence at the hands of male relatives. While that's comparable with levels around the region and the world, the country's response to the problem has so far been lagging.

Iranian women battle the system
September 5, 2008 (BBC News) - Four more women in Iran have been sentenced to jail - six months behind bars - for campaigning for women's rights. They were accused of "spreading propaganda" against the Islamic system here - specifically for taking part in the Million Signatures Campaign for equal rights for women.

Woman FM is within reach of Israel's highest office
September 2, 2008 (USAToday) — For the first time in 40 years, a woman is within reach of becoming the prime minister of Israel, a nation traditionally dominated by macho military types and a religious establishment decidedly lukewarm about equal rights for women.

Afghan inquiry into freed rapists
August 27, 2008 – (BBC News) The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has announced a full investigation into the case of two rapists who have been freed on a presidential pardon.

Taliban Violently Campaigns Against Girls' Education in Northwest Pakistan
August 27, 2008 (WorldPolitics) - The Swat valley, a picturesque region in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, was once a tourist destination. Two years ago, however, it became a Taliban haven when Maulana Fazlullah, a hardline cleric turned militant Taliban commander, launched a vicious campaign against the education of girls.

Kuwait: Debate over the headscarves of female ministers
August 27, 2008 (WLUML) - Islamic MPs are obliging Education Minister Nouriya Al-Sabeeh and Housing Minister Moudhi Al-Homoud to wear hijabs during parliamentary sessions in implementation of Islamic rules and regulations. The hijab issue had been the core of debate and controversy amongst MPs and political activists for a long time with some of them for and others against forcing the female ministers to wear the hijab.

Iran: End pressure on women’s rights defenders
August 27, 2008 (AI) - On the second anniversary of the launch of the Campaign for Equality on 27 August, Amnesty International is renewing its demand that the Iranian authorities cease harassing and imprisoning women’s rights defenders and to restrict their campaigning activities for the repeal of laws and policies which discriminate against women in Iran.

afghanistan: Rape Surrounded by Impunity and Silence
August 27, 2008 (IWPR) - The few victims brave enough to go public face an uphill battle to secure justice, despite a one-off intervention by the president. The case of 12-year-old Anisa has electrified her home province of Sar-e-Pul in northern Afghanistan. Her family has chosen to come forward, a courageous move in a society where sexual taboos make it almost impossible to report rape, and where the victim is often punished by her family for bringing shame upon them.

Afghan President pardons men convicted of bayonet gang rape
August 24, 2008 (The Independent) - The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has pardoned three men who had been found guilty of gang raping a woman in the northern province of Samangan. The woman, Sara, and her family found out about the pardon only when they saw the rapists back in their village.

Yemen confronts plight of child brides
August 22, 2008 (CSM) - Two months ago, at the start of the school vacation, 12-year-old Reem was forced to marry her 30-year-old cousin. Reem is the latest child bride to run from her husband's arms into the media spotlight. But she is not the youngest girl to escape from domestic violence and sexual abuse in recent months.

iraq: Grooming a female suicide bomber
August 21, 2008 (LATimes) – As violence levels have plunged across Iraq, the number of attacks carried out by female suicide bombers has increased - a potent threat that is especially difficult to counter. The gowns favored by devout Muslim women easily conceal explosives, and it is culturally unacceptable for the men who make up the bulk of the Iraqi security forces to frisk them.

The Afghan women jailed for being victims of rape
August 18, 2008 (The Independent) - Two-thirds of the women in Lashkar Gah's medieval-looking jail have been convicted of illegal sexual relations, but most are simply rape victims – mirroring the situation nationwide. The system does not distinguish between those who have been attacked and those who have chosen to run off with a man.

Syria: Wives of Islamist Suspects Detained, Whereabouts Unknown
August 18, 2008 (HRW) – The Syrian government should immediately release three women detained by state authorities since July 31, 2008, unless they have evidence that these women have committed criminal offenses and intend to try them for these, Human Rights Watch said today. The women live in al-`Otayba, a village approximately 20 km east of Damascus, and are the wives of men currently detained on charges of belonging to Islamist groups that were planning violent acts.

Iraq: Women Back In The Driver’s Seat
August 12, 2008 (IWPR) - As Baghdad security improves, more women are plucking up the courage to drive around the capital’s once treacherous roads. It is a scene that is played out day after day in countries all around the world, but in Iraq, even simple tasks for women such as running errands and driving are deeply significant. Hussein, a mother of four, stopped driving in late 2003 as security in Baghdad deteriorated – but got behind the wheel again earlier this year.

AFGHANISTAN: Rape allegations force Afghan government crackdown
August 11, 2008 (AP) — Rape — a crime long hidden in Afghanistan by victims fearing a life of scorn — is getting a public airing in this conservative Islamic country. In recent weeks, several outraged families have appeared on nightly news shows, demanding justice while sharing heartbreaking stories of sexual assaults on teenage daughters. Government officials say at least five rapes have been reported in the past four months, though they and women's rights groups say any reported statistics likely fall far short of reality.

In Syrian Refuge, Women Find Barest Survival
August 11, 2008 (WomensE-News) - In a series of interviews with Iraqi refugees in Jaramana, a predominantly Sunni and Christian suburb of Damascus, and Sayyida Zaynab, a primarily Shiite suburb, Women's eNews spoke with women barely eking out a living from low-income jobs, international aid and sex work. Women such as Mohamed Ali, whose husbands are dead, missing or disabled, were hit the hardest.

Iraq nets three women would-be bombers in anti-Qaeda sweep
August 06, 2008 (AFP) - Iraqi forces have arrested three women who were plotting suicide bombing missions against soldiers and police involved in a vast offensive against Al-Qaeda, officials said on Wednesday. In all, Iraqi forces have netted 483 suspects since the start of the operation in the troubled central province of Diyala against Al-Qaeda and Shiite rebels which was launched in late July, an official said.

Rape, Sex Abuse of Afghan Girls Continues
August 8, 2008 (Feminist Daily News Wire) - Afghan girls continue to be sexually exploited, reported the Afghan Interior Ministry Thursday. The Ministry told Reuters that the number of sexual assaults on children has significantly increased. The Afghanistan Human Rights Organization (AHRO) has reported that in January a 10 year-old girl was raped in Jowzjan province and that groups of men raped a 12 year-old girl in June in Sar-I-Pol province and a 3 year-old girl in July in Jowzjan province.

Proposed Legislation in Iran Would End Death by Stoning
August 6, 2008 (Feminist Daily News Wire) - Iran's state media announced Wednesday that Iran has suspended the use of stoning as a way to carry out the death penalty. According to AFP, Iran's judiciary drafted legislation that would end stoning as a death penalty, the current Islamic punishment in Iran for adulterers.

First Afghan Woman Elected to CEDAW
August 4, 2008 (Feminist Daily News Wire) - Zohra Rasekh has been elected to the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). She is the first woman to represent Afghanistan. Rasekh received 110 votes and will begin her four-year term on January 1, 2009.

Syria/Iraq: For Iraqi refugee women, learning to laugh again
July 30, 2008 - (AlertNet) With the aim of empowering refugee women, the United Nations Refugee Agency has launched a pilot project with the international organization Clowns Without Borders seeking to improve the self-confidence, relaxation techniques and communication skills of some of the neediest women. And in a few short weeks, the results are already being noticed.

Iran: End discrimination against the Kurdish minority
July 30, 2008 (AI) - Iran’s government is failing in its duty to prevent discrimination and human rights abuses against its Kurdish citizens, particularly women, said Amnesty International in a new report published today.

Iraqi women hold advocacy summit
July 22, 2008 (Middle East Times) - More than 250 female representatives from Iraq's northern provinces met with U.S. military officials and local leaders to push for a greater role in society. The panel in Erbil convened women from all seven of the northern provinces to engage in discussions concerning employment, education, healthcare and women's rights.

Afghanistan: IOM engages religious leaders to combat human trafficking, welcomes new counter trafficking law
July 22, 2008 - (ReliefWeb) IOM [International Organization for Migration] and the Afghan Ministry of Hajj and Endowment are today holding a first-ever roundtable with religious leaders to discuss human trafficking in Afghanistan in the context of Islam.

LEBANON: Women, non-Lebanese children get raw deal
July 22, 2008 (IRIN) - Lebanese women cannot pass on their nationality to their children and in the event of separation, it is the father who gains automatic custody, according to Lebanese nationality law. There is a saying in Lebanon: The only woman you’ll see in parliament is the one wearing black, mourning for the death of her husband or brother, whose political mantle she has inherited.

Iraqi human rights set back by repression
July 21, 2008 (METimes) - Iraqi security forces are plagued by abuse and repression, and women continue to face violent discrimination, a British foreign affairs report says.

ISRAEL: Language barrier, lack of transport means Bedouin women miss out on health care
July 21, 2008 (IRIN) - According to the Israeli Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), about 48 percent of Arab women in the unrecognised villages are unable to speak Hebrew. Of those who do speak it, most have only a limited knowledge.

Two stories draw the attention of women’s advocates in Kirkuk and Baghdad
July 21, 2008 (IWPR) - An IWPR-Iraq story on girls who are being denied education in Kirkuk was powerful and raised awareness about an alarming trend, according to several women’s activists and education experts in the province. The IWPR story, Girls Denied Education, detailed the plight of girls whose parents are pulling them out of school, primarily because of security concerns.

Nine face stoning death in Iran
July 20, 2008 (BBC News) - At least eight women and one man are reported to have been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran. The group, convicted of adultery and sex offences, could be executed at any time, lawyers defending them say.

Baghdad Beauty Salons Back in Business
July 18, 2008 (IWPR) - Fundamentalists who view salons as anti-Islamic have threatened and killed hairstylists throughout Iraq over the past several years. But improved security in Baghdad has given many women the confidence to re-open their beauty businesses, particularly in wealthier areas, such as al-Mansur.

Daughters of Iraq graduate from training
July 17, 2008 (METimes) - Iraqi women trained at police headquarters in Diyala province are to become part of a security team known as the Daughters of Iraq, officials said. Roughly 80 women graduated this week from the training program held south of the provincial capital, Baquba, donning the signature reflective yellow bands of their Sons of Iraq counterparts.

iranian Women a Force to be Reckoned
July 16, 2008 (METimes) - Iran's parliament convened last month for the first time since the April 2008 elections. The results of the parliamentary elections are in and all the votes have been counted. Surprisingly, or perhaps alarmingly, women now account for a mere 2.8 percent of this new conservative-dominated parliament. This is a decline from the already low 4.1 percent representation in the previous Iranian parliament.

TV and online training seminar aims to equip women with the skills to make a bigger contribution to Iraqi journalism output
July 16, 2008 (IWPR) - Around 50 women journalists from the south of Iraq gathered in the northern city of Sulaimaniyah in June for training in television reporting and online journalism.

RUNNING FOR HER LIFE:
Afghan Athlete Seeks Asylum in Europe
July 14, 2008 – (Spiegel Online) Mehboba Ahdyar was to be the poster-child for the Olympics but the 19-year-old Afghan runner ran away from an Italian training camp last week. She has since told her parents she is too scared of reprisals and plans to seek asylum in Europe

AFGHANISTAN: High birth rate killing mothers, infants - UNFPA expert
July 14, 2008 (IRIN) - After Sierra Leone, Afghanistan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world with at least 1,600 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to UNFPA and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Palestinian factional divide shredding society
July 13 (Reuters) - A year after Hamas's seizure of Gaza from Abbas, political differences that were kept in check through decades of struggle against Israel have ripped through the coastal enclave, leaving scars on relationships at every level, touching marriages and close-knit families, even disrupting funerals.

Afghan women shot dead by Taleban
July 13, 2008 (BBC) - Two Afghan women have been shot dead by Taleban militants in the country's central Ghazni province. Taleban fighters told the Associated Press that the women had been operating a prostitution ring for American soldiers and foreign contractors.

Female Afghan Outlaw Comes in From the Cold
July 9, 2008 (IWPR) - The government has finally won over a woman who made her name as a militia commander – but plans to give her a job to keep her out of trouble are proving controversial.

Women in Afghanistan: Deprived of basic necessities
July 6, 2008 - (MeriNews) Afghanistan has the highest rate of ‘violence against women’ cases in the world such that during the last six months more than 2000 cases of violence have been registered throughout the country. It is said that most cases of violence against women are not reported due to the traditional and cultural complexities in Afghanistan; these cases include physical torture, murder, marital exchange and acts of suicide under extreme psychological pressure.

Syria: Women Want Female Muftis
June 27, 2008 - (IWPR) Syrian women have largely welcomed the news that female muftis are to be trained up to fill a role that has generally been monopolised by men. Muftis are Islamic scholars who are empowered to provide religious guidance on personal and political matters. Until now, women in Syria, as in many countries, have had to turn to male muftis even when their concerns are gender-specific or personal.

IRAN: No Dignity, no Justice - New Crackdown on Women Activists
June 24, 2008 - (Women News Network) While the global community marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a year-long celebration of “Dignity and Justice for All,” there is neither dignity nor justice for women in Iran.

AFGHANISTAN: Little support for victims of child sexual abuse
June 16, 2008 - (IRIN) At least 31 cases of child sexual abuse were registered by the AIHRC in 2007. So far this year only four cases have been reported, though it is estimated by the AIHRC and other human rights organisations, that there are hundreds of cases every year.

Iran police start wider crackdown on un-Islamic dress
June 16, 2008 (IHT) - Iranian police have launched a more extensive crackdown on "social corruption" such as women flouting Islamic dress codes, the Farhang-e Ashti newspaper reported on Monday.

Bahrain: National Conference on Mainstreaming Gender in Development
June 11, 2008 - (UNDP.org) A two-day National Conference on Mainstreaming Gender in Development was held in Bahrain on June 9 - 10, 2008. The Conference, organized by the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, aimed towards promoting inclusive development, enhancing planning and policy-making abilities and to emerge with practical recommendations towards the empowerment of Bahraini women.

kurdistan/iraq: Women Claim New Law Erodes Their Rights
June 10, 2008 - (IWPR) Secular women’s groups and religious leaders are battling over how much influence Islamic law should have over Iraqi Kurdistan’s new personal status legislation. The Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, is drafting a new personal status law to govern matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance, replacing the current Iraqi law that was originally drafted in 1959.

Afghanistan: Paris Donor Conference Should Prioritize Human Rights and Urgent Need to Address Women’s Rights, Freedom of Expression, Impunity
June 10, 2008 – (HRW) The Afghan government and international donors should place human rights at the center of discussions at the June 12 donors’ conference in Paris, Human Rights Watch said in a public letter today. Human Rights Watch identified women’s rights, freedom of expression, impunity, transitional justice, judicial reform, and abolition of the death penalty as among the key issues in Afghanistan requiring serious attention and reform.

Iraqi Kidnap Victims’ Wives Face Financial Struggle
June 10, 2008 - (IWPR) Women whose husbands go missing in Iraq receive little financial support and get lost in a welfare system that does not assist the families of kidnap victims, critics said. Wives of the victims are emotionally and financially devastated by the loss, say women's advocates, and their suffering is heightened because often they cannot access benefits intended for Iraq's most vulnerable.

Iranian women's rights activist sentenced
June 2, 2008 - (AP) A young Iranian activist and his lawyer said Monday that he had become the first man sentenced for participating in a campaign to change laws that discriminate against women.

Iraq: Girls Denied Education
May 30, 2008 - (IWPR) Parents concerned about militia violence are pulling their daughters out of school. According to a local correspondant, girls and women are losing what little independence they had because of the security situation.

Kuwait names new Cabinet with liberal woman for the first time
May 28, 2008 - (IHT) Kuwait's leader appointed Wednesday a liberal, Westernized woman to the Cabinet for the first time. According to the lineup announced on the state-owned Kuwait Television, he also appointed another woman, Nouria al-Subeih, as education minister.

iraq: Iraqi prime minister arrives in Sweden for UN conference
May 28, 2008 - (IHT) Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Stockholm amid tight security Wednesday ahead of a U.N. conference that will review the political and security progress in his country. Feminist organisations show concern about Iraqi women's representation at the meeting.

Rights Groups Say Afghan Women Committing Suicide at Alarming Rate
May 27, 2008 - (VOA) Greater freedom for the women of Afghanistan was one of the promises of the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.But despite Western efforts, many Afghan women say their lives have not improved significantly and an increasing number of women are committing suicide by burning themselves to death as a way to escape physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Afghanistan: Reinstate Malalai Joya in Parliament
Suspension of Female MP One Year Ago Is Setback for Democracy
May 21, 2008 – (Human Rights Watch) One year after her illegal suspension, the Afghan parliament should reinstate Malalai Joya to office, Human Rights Watch said today

Women and Kuwaiti parliamentary polls
May 18, 2008 - (Alldeadlinenes.com) Twenty seven women candidates contested for 50 seats for the 12th legislative term. No female candidate could make it to the House, but Fakhro says three women were close to winning from their districts.

AFGHANISTAN: “I sold my daughter to feed the rest of my family”
May 18, 2008 - (IRIN) A father said he sold his 11-year-old daughter, Rabia, for US$2,000 to a man in Sheberghan city, Jawzjan Province in northern Afghanistan to feed his wife and three younger children.

In Kuwait, Female Candidates Make a Second Try
May 14, 2008 - (WOMENSENEWS) Twenty-eight Kuwaiti women are running to break into the all-male National Assembly in the May 17 elections. One of the strongest contenders says their chances depend heavily on the support and influence of their elite families.

JORDAN: Increased domestic violence among Iraqi refugees
April 29, 2008 - (IRIN) A study published in March by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the mental state of Iraqis in Jordan and Lebanon has pointed to mounting social and economic problems as the cause of increased domestic violence.

AFGHANIStan: UN gardening scheme provides fresh start for Afghan women, ex-combatants
April 28, 2008 - (UN News Centre) A United Nations gardening and literacy project for Afghan women and ex-combatants seeks to pave the way to peace and prosperity in the war-torn nation.

IRAQ: Sense of Injustice Drives Women Bombers
April 28, 2008 - (IWPR) In Iraq, suicide bombings by women are increasing. This week, two women blew themselves up in Diyala province, bringing to nine the number of such suicide bombings in the first four months of 2008. Experts link recent increase in female suicide bombers to wartime suffering and desire for revenge.

IRAN: Iran's Female Activists Shudder at Talk of War
April 24, 2008 (WOMENSENEWS) - Iranian activists are bravely pushing for women's rights. But Soheila Vahdati warns that an outbreak of an Iran-Israeli war that involves the Bush White House would fan the flames of fundamentalism and destroy the cause.

IRAQ: Call for action against murderers of women in baghdad
April 23, 2008 - (IRIN) Residents of a western Baghdad neighbourhood have said militant groups in the area are hunting down women and killing them, and have appealed to parliament to do something, a member of parliament (MP) said on 22 April.

IRAN: Iran women activists get suspended lashing sentences
April 22, 2008 - (Reuters) Three Iranian women's rights campaigners have received suspended lashing and jail sentences for taking part in a rally, a fellow activist said on Tuesday.

SAUDI ARABIA: "For Saudi women, reaching adulthood brings no rights, only responsibilities"
April 21, 2008 - (BBC News) Saudi women are being kept in perpetual childhood so male relatives can exercise "guardianship" over them, the Human Rights Watch group has said.

Afghanistan: Half of Afghan children not in school, U.N. says
April 21, 2008 (Reuters) - Half of Afghan children are still not going to school and the biggest group missing out on an education are girls, the United Nations said on Monday.

PAKISTAN: Violence against Women More than Doubled Last Year
April 17, 2008 (Feminist Daily News Wire) - A report released by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) reveals that violence against women has gone up to 4,276 recorded cases. This number is more than double that recorded by the HRCP in 2006. HRCP Secretary Iqbal Haider told the BBC News that 2007 was a "brutal year for women."

Afghanistan: Ten Schools Attacked Since March
April 16, 2008 - (Feminist Daily News Wire) The attackers are believed to be Taliban insurgents who target schools because they oppose the education of girls and claim the school curriculum is "un-Islamic."

YEMEN: Low cost women’s literacy project - big results
April 9, 2008 - (IRIN) Fatima lives in the Sanhan District of Sanaa, where there are 50 UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-supported literacy centres, with 2,068 female students. The centres are part of a UNICEF project to accelerate girls' education.

Afghanistan: Vocal 'Warlord' Critic Seeks To Reverse Her Expulsion From Legislature
April 7, 2008 - (RFE/RL's Radio) She's been called "the bravest woman in Afghanistan" for her criticism of warlords, and even compared to Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's democracy movement. Now, Malalai Joya's courage is again being put to the test.

IRAQ: Iraqi Women Face Increased Human Rights Violations in Post-Invasion IraQ
April 1, 2008 - (Feminist Daily News Wire) Iraqi women's rights are eroding instead of improving in post-invasion Iraq. Women's rights have had a prominent place in the Bush administration's democracy rhetoric, but in reality women and children have faced increased hardship since the invasion.

Iraq: Politicians Resist Honour Crimes Reform
April 1, 2008 – (IWPR) Article 111 of the Iraqi penal code - passed in 1969 - allows a lesser punishment for the killing of women if the male defendants are found to have had “honourable motives”

IRAQ: The Iraq Legacy: Millions of Women's Lives Destroyed
March 31, 2008 – (Alternet) Politicians hoped the Iraq war would see the advance of women's rights. Instead, Iraqi women face violence, sexual abuse and segregation.

Iran: Private Homes Raided for ‘Immorality’
March 28, 2008 – (HRW) In extensive interviews with men and women inside and outside Iran, Human Rights Watch has documented widespread patterns of arbitrary arrest and torture based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

YEMEN: Landmine-free by 2009?
March 21, 2008 - (IRIN) Yuka Ogata, UNDP's Crisis Prevention and Recovery programme officer, told IRIN that landmines were still a big problem: “There were many victims, often women and children, and they either became handicapped or were killed,” she said, adding that affected agricultural land lay idle.

Iran: Bush supporting Iranian women
March 19, 2008 - (Radio Fard) President Bush said in his interview on the Persian New Year: “My message to the women of Iran is that the women of America share your deep desire for children to be -- to grow up in a hopeful society and to live in peace…

IRAN: Mokarrameh Ebrahimi released from prison!
March 19, 2008 - (WLUML) We are delighted to announce the release of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi and her son Ali from Choobin Prison, in Takistan, Qazvin, in Iran, where she has been awaiting execution by stoning for adultery for the past ten years.

SYRIA: Muted Celebrations for Women’s DaY
March 13, 2008 - (Institute for War and Peace Reporting) Syrian advocacy organisations demanded that women be granted equal rights during International Women’s Day celebrations last week.

IRAQ: Minister leads call to end violence against women
10 Mar 2008 - (IRIN) Iraqi women on 8 March, International Woman's Day, called for an end to violence against women nationwide and for equal status with men, especially in top jobs, including ministries and embassies

Yemen: Despite progress, still an uphill struggle for women
March 9, 2008 - (IRIN) - Yemeni women, especially those living in rural areas, continue to have high illiteracy rates, insufficient medical care and face gender discrimination, specialists said at an event held in Sanaa on 8 March to mark International Women’s Day 2008.

Iraq: Iraqi women demand equality, end to violence
March 8, 2008 - (Middle East Times) Scores of women rallied outside a Baghdad hotel on Saturday demanding an end to violence and equal social status with men as part of the observations of International Women's Day.

afghanistan: Sharp rise in reported cases of violence against women
March 8, 2008 (IRIN) - Registered cases of physical violence against women and girls in Afghanistan have increased by about 40 percent since March 2007.

Libanon: Women’s Work
March 8, 2008 - (HRW) New York – International Women’s Day is an opportunity not only to evaluate women’s progress in areas such as education, employment, and politics, but also to honor the importance of what has been traditionally viewed as “women’s work”: cooking, cleaning, and childcare. For many of us, an incredibly precious and important part of our lives is the well-being of our children, the comfort of our elderly parents, and a safe, clean home where we can count on nourishing meals. Yet society gives little recognition to the daily labors required to nurture a family and a home.

Iran: International Support for Persecuted Women’s Rights Campaigners in Iran
March 7, 2008 – (Change for Equality)
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, March 7, 2008: In a strong show of international support for the Iranian women’s rights movement, over 280 leading women’s right advocates and organizations from around the world including six Nobel Peace Laureates have expressed their serious concern about the persecution and prosecution of their Iranian colleagues.

MIDdle EAST: No Day Is a Woman's Day in Gaza
March 7, 2008 - (IPS) Mahasen Darduna suffers in ways the world recognises; her suffering comes at the hands of the Israelis. But there are many Palestinian women whose suffering the world does not see, because their hell is inflicted on them by Palestinians.

afghanistan: Afghan women face 'violence rise'
March 6, 2008 - (BBC) Afghanistan's independent human rights commission says violence against women has increased over the past year.

Afghanistan: Inside Islam, a woman's roar
March 5, 2008 (Csmonitor) - Wazhma Frogh, an Afghan, uses her religion to press for women's rights – and development agencies take note.

Middle East: UAE calls for more support to women
March 5, 2008 - (gulfinthemedia) The UAE has called for continuous international efforts to boost political and financial support to help improve the condition of millions of women in developing countries and to help them overcome serious challenges, including poverty, diseases and armed conflicts.

IRAQ: WOMEN'S DAY: Surviving Somehow Behind a Concrete Purdah
March 6, 2008 - (IPS) Iraq, where women once had more rights and freedom than most others in the Arab world, has turned deadly for women who dream of education and a professional career.

Israel: Israeli court hands down 16 year sentence in 'honor killing'
March 4, 2008 - (International Herald Tribune) An Israeli court sentenced a man to 16 years in prison on Tuesday for aiding in the so-called "honor killing" of his sister. The case was unusual for the fact that the women of the family broke their usual code of silence and came forward to testify against the suspect.

IRAN: Iranian women's rights activist barred from travel to Sweden
March 3, 2008 - (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) An Iranian women's rights activist has been barred from travelling to Sweden to receive a prize from her work.
Parvin Ardalan is scheduled to receive the 2007 Olof Palme award in Stockholm this week.

Iraq: Anfal Widows Get Little Relief
February 29, 2008 - (IWPR) Women widowed by Saddam’s ruthless Anfal campaign continue to struggle 20 years on. Sabri Fatah has struggled to keep her head above water since 1988, when her husband disappeared after being arrested by Iraqi troops during Saddam’s Anfal campaign.

EGYPT: First Women to Conduct Marriages in Egypt
February 29, 2008 - (Feminist Daily News Wire) This week Amal Soliman became Egypt's first woman able to perform Muslim marriages. Soliman's appointment has generated controversy within Egypt's Muslim community, especially among Muslim men who insist that a woman should not hold the position of maazun, or marriage registrar. The BBC News reports that the court chose Solima over 10 male candidates due to her legal qualifications. Solima has a master's degree in law.

IRAQ: Suffering Without A Nation: The Plight of Kurdish Women in the Diaspora
February 28, 2008 - (Wluml) "According to a recent (9 Feb, 2008) report by BBC news - Iraq, “This semi-autonomous area (in northern Iraq) is relatively safe, the economy is flourishing and it is regarded in the West as a liberal haven in an often-conservative region. But since the fall of Saddam Hussein there has been an alarming trend – hundreds of women have died after setting themselves on fire.”

IRAN: WOMEN ACT AGAINST REPRESSION AND INTIMIDATION IN IRAN
February 28, 2008 - (Amnesty) The Iranian authorities are continuing to harass activists working to defend women’s rights. Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi – two Kurdish Iranian activists – currently remain detained without charge or trial. They were arrested in October and November 2007 for peacefully exercising their rights.

Iraq: Group addresses women's issues in Iraq
February 27, 2008 - (UPI) Five female service members from the U.S. Marines coordinated an engagement team to discuss local issues concerning Iraqi women.

Afghanistan: New Party To Focus On Women's Rights
February 20, 2008 - (Radio Free Europe) For nearly three decades, Afghans have endured war and foreign occupation, extreme poverty, and the Taliban. Yet some suffer more than others. Not all Afghans are created equal. Fatima Nazari wants to change that.

IRAN: "We are Proud of Raheleh and Nasim for their Commitment to Women’s Rights" Claims Raheleh’s Mother
February 20, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi contacted their family members on Sunday February 17, 2008 to inform them that they had been transferred to Evin’s public ward 3.

IRAQ: Honour Killing Outcry
February 18, 2008 - (IWPR) Activists call for legislative reforms to tackle honour killing and other forms of violence against women.

IRAN: Is Change Possible?
February 18, 2008 - (Change for Equailty) This article was written by Raheleh Asgarizadeh, about her experience of engaging in face-to-face discussions and collecting signatures in support of the Campaign’s petition, which asks the Iranian Parliament to reform laws which are discriminatory against women. Raheleh was arrested along with Nasim Khosravi while collecting signatures in support of this same petition, on Thursday February 14, 2007, in Park Daneshjoo, following a street theater performance, as part of the International Fajr Festival, on the subject of women’s rights. Raheleh and Nasim are currently being held in Evin’s Public Ward 3, in relation to their peaceful activities in support of women’s rights.

IRAN: Transfer of Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi to Evin Prison
February 16, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, two members of the Campaign who were arrested on Thursday February 14, 2007, were charged with "propaganda against the state" and transferred to Evin prison on the afternoon of February 16, 2008.

IRAN: Ayatollah Sanei’i Issues Fatwa in Support of Women’s Inheritance
February 16, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Grand Ayatollah Sanei’i has issued a Fatwa regarding the inheritance women receive from their deceased husbands. In this Fatwa, Ayatollah Sanei’i has explained that when a man with no heirs besides his wife, passes away, his wife becomes the sole heir of his assets.

iran: Campaign Members Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi Arrested
February 15, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, two members of the One Million Signatures Campaign were arrested on the afternoon of February 14th, in Daneshjoo Park, while collecting signatures in support of the Campaign’s petition.

Kurdistan: Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi’s Contact Colleague from Prison: Don’t Forget Us!!
February 15, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Fatemeh Goftari, Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi* members of Azar Mehr NGO in Sanandaj, Kurdistan have been in prison for several months. During a telephone conversation with Negin Sheikholeslami, the Director of Azar Mehr NGO, the three women described their situation in prison. In an interview with Kurds for Change, the site of the Campaign for Kurdistan, Ms. Sheikholeslami provides information about the status of these women’s rights activists and their telephone discussion.

Iraq: Conference addresses role of women in Iraq
February 14, 2008 - (Middle East Times) A newly formed women's committee met before community leaders and their colleagues in a school in Iraq to discuss issues regarding community welfare. Representatives of the Hawr Rajab's Women's Committee said women were faced with taking on head-of-household roles as many of the Iraqi men have died from the violence since the 2003 invasion, the Multi-National Force-Iraq said.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian women need support to help advance society – UN expert
February 13, 2008 – (UN News Centre) An independent United Nations expert today hailed progress in Saudi Arabia on advancing the status of women but urged more action to prevent gender-based violence and raise their profile in public life.

Iran: Parvin Ardalan wins human rights prize
February 13, 2008 (Women Living under Muslim Law) Women's human rights defender Parvin Ardalan has received the Olof Palme Prize for 2007. (WLUML Networkers)
The Olof Palme Prize for 2007 goes to Parvin Ardalan, who has succeeded in making the demand for equal rights for men and women a central part of the struggle for democracy in Iran.

Kurdistan: Struggle to abolish gender discrimination and ethnic oppression
February 11, 2008 (Change for Equality) After spending three months in holding cells at the bureau of the intelligence services in Sanandaj, Ronak Safa zadeh, Hana Abdi, and Yasser Goli were transferred to the city’s central prison and their families were finally permitted to visit them.

IRAQ: Increasing trend of women's suicide by fire
February 11, 2008 - (Women Living under Muslim Law) Like their colleagues across Iraq, the doctors and nurses at the Emergency Management Centre in Irbil work relentlessly. The medical specializations at this hospital are war surgery and burns.

Iran: Does Government Fear Educated Women?
February 10, 2008 - (RadioFreeEurope) Who’s afraid of girls? The Iranian government, it seems. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Iranian girls enrolling in universities and other institutions of higher education. While many governments would see this as a blessing worth boasting about, that's not the case in Iran.

IRAN: Influential Women's Magazine Silenced in Iran
February 10, 2008 - (WOMENSENEWS) Iran's most influential women's magazine, Zanan, has become the latest victim of a government intent on censoring, harassing and imprisoning opponents, journalists in particular. Officials accused the monthly journal of damaging society by being too negative toward Iran and closed the publication Jan. 28.

IRAQ: Desperate militants using women for attacks, analyst says
February 3, 2008 - (IRIN) With joint US-Iraqi military operations pushing extremists out of their strongholds and limiting their activities, Iraqi militants are growing desperate and have increasingly resorted to training women to become suicide bombers, an analyst said on 2 February.

IRAQ: Kurdish Women Hit Glass Ceiling
February 1, 2008 (Institute for War and Peace Reporting) Political parties pay only lip-service to women’s demands for greater political clout. Despite a reputation for courage on the battlefield, Kurdish women are unable to penetrate the upper echelons of power in the region’s top parties and government, according to politicians and women’s activists.

IRAN: Iranian women crucial in Majlis election
January 30, 2008 - (BBC) More than 7,000 candidates have registered for the Iranian parliamentary election scheduled to be held on 14 March. Almost 600 of them are women.
The election for the 290-seat Majlis will be crucial in determining the future of the hard-line conservatives who broadly back President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

AFGHANISTAN: Bleak prospects for country's estimated 1.5 million widows
January 30, 2008 - (IRIN) - Afghanistan has one of the highest numbers of widows (proportionate to the total population) in the world, owing to the armed conflicts that have bedevilled the country for over two decades.

IRAQ: Saddam's Unrepentant Judge
An Iraq High Tribunal member talks about Saddam Hussein's trial.
January 29, 2008 - (Neews week) Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa is a member of the Iraq High Tribunal, which was created to prosecute crimes that occurred under the regime of Saddam Hussein. Khalifa presided over the conviction of Saddam Hussein and the so-called Anfal trial, which specifically dealt with the crimes committed against Iraqi Kurds.

IRAN: Grand Ayatollah Mazaheri Issues Fatwa Allowing Abortion for Unwed Mothers
January 23, 2008 - (Change for Equality) According to Parsine News Agency, Grand Ayatollah Mazaheri, one of the more renowned religious scholars based in Isfahan, has issued a Fatwa allowing unwed mothers to obtain abortions.

Arab World Forum Shares Gender Field Notes
January 18, 2008 - (WOMENSENEWS) Gender research in the Arab region drew conference participants from across the Middle East and North Africa this week. While challenges and restrictions are abundant at women's studies centers, degrees and programs are growing. But not everyone could make it.

IRAN: Iran urged to prohibit execution by stoning
January 15, 2008 - (Toronto Star) Punishment for adultery under state penal code. The woman stands chest-high in a pit, surrounded by jeering onlookers. On a signal they will aim small stones at her head, taking care not to pick up any heavy enough to strike a fatal blow.

Afghanistan: Afghan journalists seek release of colleague
January 15, 2008 - (Women living under muslim laws) 23-year-old Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, reporter of Jahan-e Naw daily paper and a journalism student at Balkh University in northern Afghanistan, was detained three months ago. Dozens of Afghan journalists and activists on Saturday sought the release of a journalist detained by security officials for allegedly making blasphemous comments.

AFGHANISTAN: Who is Killing the Women of Basra?
January 9, 2008 - (MADRE) In Basra, Iraq's second largest city, 2008 was ushered in with an announcement of the 2007 death toll of women targeted by Islamist militias. City officials reported on December 31 that 133 women were killed and mutilated last year, their bodies dumped in trash bins with notes warning others against "violating Islamic teachings..." But ambulance drivers who are hired to troll the city streets in the early mornings to collect the bodies confirm what most residents believe: the actual numbers are much higher.

United Arab Emirates: UAE will soon have women judges: report
January 6. 2008 - (Middle East Times) DUBAI (AFP) Women in the United Arab Emirates will soon be allowed to become judges, breaking a male monopoly over the profession in the conservative monarchy, the justice minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Afghanistan: Afghanistan sets up panels for women's rights
January 6, 2008 - (India eNews) The Afghanistan Ministry for Women Affairs has constituted two new organisations to protect women's rights, a local newspaper reported Sunday.

IRAQ: An End to Female Genital Cutting?
January 4, 2008 - (Time) These are busy times for Pakhshan Zangana. Head of the women's caucus in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament in Arbil, she is on the verge of pushing through a piece of legislation that is the first of its kind in the Middle East - a law criminalizing female genital mutilation (FGM).

IRAQ: Islamic extremists target women in Basra
January 2, 2008 - (IRIN) One hundred and thirty-three women were killed last year in Basra, Iraq’s second largest city, either by religious vigilantes or as a result of so-called “honour” killings, a report said on 31 December.

Jordan: Women struggle for more rights to continue - activists
January 1, 2008 (Jordan Times) AMMAN - Women activists praised the tangible improvements in women's rights in the Kingdom in 2007, but noted that more lobbying was needed to change discriminatory legislation.

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