Three years ago, a young Pakistani girl bravely spoke out about Taliban atrocities in her hometown of Mingora, in Pakistan's Swat Valley. She gave voice to thousands of girls who were banned from attending school and forced to remain hidden from public view.

For her courage, Malala Yousafzai, now 14 years old, was awarded a national peace prize from the Pakistani government and respect and admiration from around the world.

EVENT DETAILS

"Women Delivering Peace & Security: All-Ireland Conference on North-South Co-operation & Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325"
Monday 5th November
Croke Park Conference Centre, Cusack Suite, Dublin
Officially opened by: President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins

During my first trip to Afghanistan as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, I was struck by something one woman said to me during a meeting with a group of female civil society actors in Kabul. She said, "Stop looking at us as victims, but rather as the leaders that we are."

The European Commission and UN Women today launched Spring Forward for Women, a new joint regional programme for the South Mediterranean Region. The programme aims to support national and regional stakeholders to empower women economically and politically in the context of the progress that has followed the Arab Spring.

Afghanistan has made significant progress over the last ten years, and in particular, Afghan women and girls have made great strides. Millions of girls are in school; the maternal mortality rate has dropped; and health care is being delivered to many more women and children.

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday, 13 November 2012 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm
National Film and Sound Archive
McCoy Circuit, Acton
Canberra ACT, AUSTRALIA

And;

Wednesday, 14 November 2012 | 6:30pm - 8pm
Multipurpose Room, Fort Scratchley
Nobbys Road, Newcastle East
Newcastle NSW, AUSTRALIA

This week a Taliban hit squad in Pakistan targeted and shot Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old who was fighting for the right of girls to be educated. I cried at the inhumanity on and off all day when I heard. Maybe she should have just dressed the part and saved her life. I'm not being flip. I wish with all my heart that she didn't have to be shot in the head to become a "global icon" for the plight of girls.

11 Ideas for Action

We all have to take action every single day of the year in order to make girls' lives better. Whatever you're doing, no matter when, you are creating change that makes girls voices heard!

An innovative online research tool just launched by Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) will provide practitioners, researchers, students and advocates with a wide range of information on women, peace and security.

The online repository can be accessed via http://iwpsd.georgetown.edu/repository.

he African Union - United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), in collaboration with the Ministries of Social Affairs and the Wali's (Governor) Advisors on Women and Children in the five Darfur states, organized a series of Open Days on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security which concluded on 9 October in El Fasher, North Darfur.