Asia

Last week, a young woman from the Karen ethnic minority in Burma reported being “beaten, drugged, and sexually assaulted by two men wearing army fatigues.” In November 2011, reports emerged that four women were being kept as sex slaves by the Burmese military near the Kachin-China border; forced to cook and clean during the day and gang-raped at night by the soldiers in the Light Infantry Battalion 321.

Over the course of a decade and through the administrations of two presidents of different political parties, the United States has maintained a consistent commitment to support the women of Afghanistan through the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council (USAWC).

Speakers at the ‘Collective Action for Ensuring Women's and Girl's Participation in Electoral Processes in Pakistan' forum on Monday highlighted the need for women's and girl's participation in electoral processes as an important channel for ensuring that they maintain both voice and visibility, and are part of decision making processes which is essential for a strong democracy.

The debate on development, peace and the rule of law entails the notion of reciprocity, as one is necessarily anchored on the other. While development without peace is impossible, peace without the rule of law is unimaginable. Hence, each state provides certain provisions in its legislation to ensure peace in the country. A country can guarantee peace and order provided the state mechanisms are run in accordance with such legal provisions.

Gender inequality was the topic of discussion by a group of panelist during the launch of the “World Development Report 2012 on Gender Equality and Development.”

The panel discussion on the theme, “Towards Gender Equality in the Pacific” was held at the University of the South Pacific's Laucala Campus in Suva.

For Afghan women, the act of fleeing domestic abuse, forced prostitution or even being stabbed repeatedly with a screwdriver by an abusive husband, may land them in jail while their abusers walk free, Human Rights Watch said.

Indonesian women are still struggling to have their voices heard as part of mediation efforts in trouble spots and conflict resolution efforts in post-conflict areas across the archipelagic nation.

According to Electronita Duan (known as Eton), last year's winner of the N-Peace Award in Indonesia, women have much to offer the peacebuilding process.

A United Nations independent expert today called on Papua New Guinea to reinforce mechanisms that protect women against violence.

Women in Pakistan have faced formidable challenges in their efforts to achieve gender equality and address gender-based violence in their country, with particular problems posed by elements among customary norms and practices.

At the end of her official country mission to Papua New Guinea, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Rashida Manjoo, delivered the following statement: