Colombian actress and social rights activist Patricia Ariza came to campus to speak to a full house of USF students and faculty, and other visitors about her unique movement for women's rights in Colombia.

Hon. Dr. Priscilla Joseph Kuch, Deputy Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for the Republic of South Sudan, views violence against women as one of the major obstacles to the country's development.

Distanced physically from the conflicts and challenges that plague their nations, United Methodist women from Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Mozambique recently explored their roles as women peace-builders.

In a partnership with OneVoice association, Roles for Social Change Association (ADWAR) implemented a preparatory workshop in the association's hall with a participation of 15 women from Hebron district. The workshop is included "women of influence" project that OneVoice association implements in all the Palestinian districts.

Both International Women's Day and Egyptian Women's Day take place in March. The latter commemorates the day in 1919 when women staged their first demonstration in the country's history. That revolution saw women wave small flags as they called for freedom and independence, shouting slogans against the British occupation. Several of them were killed in the demonstration.

In Upper Nile State, South Sudan, women and girls make up 52% of the refugee population. Spread across four camps, these women and girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) and disenfranchisement. As the lead protection agency in Maban County, and the managers of Doro and Yusif Batil Refugee Camps, the Danish Refugee Council has begun a campaign to reduce physical and psychological abuse of women.

“I didn't know that a soldier could or should play a role in protecting and helping the civilian population, especially women and children, who are the most vulnerable and exposed in conflicts,” said a Sergeant in the Mopti area in northern Mali.

Libyan Grand Mufti Ghariani issued a new statement denouncing the agreed conclusions of the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on ending discrimination and violence against women. The report of which has not even been released!

Perhaps the Mufti was anticipating the event and denounced the document that the United Nations negotiations were still ongoing and which was to be announced on 16 March 2013.

It was Ghanaian leader and pan-Africanist Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah who, paraphrasing Matthew 6:33, said, “Seek ye first the political kingdom, and all else shall be added unto you.”

This principle must have guided the many women who vied for various elective posts in the first General Election under the 2010 Constitution. Yet in the end, of the 290 MPs, only 16 women were elected.

WILPF attended a very touching and moving side event on the Human Rights situation in Western Sahara last week at the Human Rights Council. The event presented numerous reports and statistics on human rights violations taking place against the people of Western Sahara.