General Women, Peace and Security

All across the occupied Palestinian territories, women took to the streets on Tuesday in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

Egyptian women demanding equal rights on the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day were shoved by men who said they should go home where they belong. Congolese women asked their government to protect them from systematic rapes, and women in Croatia who lost their jobs accused the government of corruption.

USAID is playing a central role as the United States crafts a strategy to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which lays out a broad set of approaches designed to empower women in conflict-affected nations.

As we enter the second century of celebrations to mark March 8 as the International Women's Day (IWD), my mind questions: So what has changed for women globally and in Nepal? What are some of the key markers of women's progress and empowerment?

For 100 years, International Women's Day on March 8th has honoured the achievements made by women each year in every country. At NATO, women play an important role in building peace and security in many of the world's most troubled area.

Nawara Belal dreamt of an Egypt where men and women stood side-by-side. Last month, she lived that dream in Tahrir Square.

"In moments of happiness, we had our total right to dance or sing or hug each other and men," she told us, recalling the pro-democracy protests. "In moments of fear or disappointment, we were not excluded."

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today requested $1.4 billion in its annual appeal to assist children and women caught in crises, with the bulk of that needed for Pakistan and Haiti.

As the United Nations marked the International Women's Day centennial on Tuesday, the UN humanitarian chief drew attention to the women displaced by conflicts or national disasters around the world.

Valerie Amos, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, called on the international community to remember the challenging conditions facing displaced women.

Marches by thousands of women in protest at Ivory Coast's president Laurent Gbagbo have ended in bloodshed after his army killed four people.

The women made their stand on International Women's Day, less than a week after Gbagbo's soldiers killed seven women at a peaceful demonstration, earning worldwide condemnation.