Asia

The 14th ASEAN Confederation of Women's Organizations (ACWO) General Assembly Meeting opened in Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi on Tuesday.

The meeting, with the theme of "Enhancing Women's Effective Participation toward a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable ASEAN", drew over 200 representatives from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Women's rights activists in Tajikistan are exasperated at the failure to pass a law on domestic violence after many years of lobbying.

While the criminal code outlaws physical assault and injury in general, experts say the absence of specific protections and penalties for violence in the home undermines efforts to support victims.

First Lady Wafaa Sleiman launched a guide book about the situation of women in Lebanon, during a celebration at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut on Saturday.

Sleiman attended the gathering upon the invitation of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which collaborated to produce the publication.

Southeast Asian Human Rights Scholars' Network

The Ministry of Women and Child Protection is consulting the National Commission of Violence Against Women as it presses ahead with its bill on gender equality.

In the opening sequence of the new documentary film, Budrus, the camera follows a winding road to the home of Palestinian activist, Ayed Morrar.

"We don't have time for war. We want to raise our kids in peace and hope," he states in Hebrew, addressing any Israelis in the cinema audience.

The Azerbaijani and Armenian women' organizations should be involved in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Secretary General of the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Lena Ag told journalists today.

A scheme supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks to help needy households – mostly headed by poor single mothers – send their children to school and receive health care.

The national campaign to grant women equal citizenship, allowing them to pass on their nationality to their children, gathered pace on Thursday as activists spelled out their strategy over the coming months.

A string of national demonstrations, including a protest outside Parliament, are now expected, alongside a petition calling for equal treatment of women, the National Gathering for Removing Discrimination against Women said.

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) hosted an international conference enhancing the role of women in confidence and peace building processes at Betsy's Hotel on October 12.