Asia

The Women's Initiative Network for Peace (Win-Peace) has expressed serious concern at the continued imprisonment of hundreds of political prisoners including women activists in various Burmese jails and urged the reform savvy from President Thein Sein to take necessary initiative to release them at the earliest.

As the departure of the international security forces approaches, each day turns every bit of hope into desperation for advocates of Afghan women's rights. In 2010, soon after the United States announced the planned withdrawal of NATO and international forces at the end of 2014, Afghan women leaders communicated to SRSG Estefan de Mistura their concrete agenda for sustainable peace.

Iran's new president has sparked hope for civilians across the country as he promised to advance women's rights and reduce government interference in every day life.

In his speech, Hassan Rouhani spoke of political moderation, advances in women's rights and an end to sanctions, to cheering from members of parliament.

Women organizations and Inter Party Women Network (IPWN) are going to launch a series of protest programs in the capital to press for their demand to ensure representation of 33 percent women in the next Constituent Assembly (CA).

Punjab University, Oriental College Chairman Department of Urdu and Veteran Educationist Professor Fakhar-ul-Haq Noori said on Saturday that female education is a powerful instrument for economic and social change in the society.

Afghan women's rights advocate Masouda Karokhi was announced as one of the eight winners of the 2013 N-Peace Awards, the N-Peace Network announced on their Facebook site today. According to their website, the N-Peace initiative and the Awards campaign are managed by the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Center (APRC).

To initiate consultation with different stakeholders on laws for women's issues, the Sindh government formed an eight-member committee comprising female legislators on Wednesday.

The Labor government's changes to immigration policy show a singular focus on stopping people seeking asylum in Australia and destroying the business of people smugglers. But unhappy prospects await the women and children who have fled conflict zones to seek asylum in Australia and find themselves in Papua New Guinea.

UN women are now working with the Pacific Regional Facility Fund to try to prevent and eliminate violence against women.

The Pacific Regional Facility has funded this initiative, working with its regional partners in Fiji and the Pacific.

The gang rape and subsequent death of a young medical student seven months ago united India in outrage and brought promises from the country's leaders to curb attacks on women. That hasn't made New Delhi any safer.