Asia

In the lead up to the 2007 national elections in Papua New Guinea, women's participation in electoral processes is still limited. AWID interviewed Robyn Slarke from Mama Lo Stoa, recipient of one of AWID's Innovation Seed Grants, about the issues women are facing in PNG, and about their project Meri Kirap (Women Arise).

Two of Fiji's women activists are among eight Pacific Island representatives at the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which begins in New York today.

In a press statement, Angie Chand of the Pacific Disability Forum says the Commission meet is an opportunity to be able to highlight the issues faced by women and girls with disabilities.

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official and a prominent female lawyer were among the 28 candidates vying for the lone vacant position in the Philippine Supreme Court.

However, since they are "outsiders," both Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and lawyer Ma. Carolina "Katrina" Legarda have to attend a public interview to be conducted by the Judicial and Bar Council to fill up the vacancy before August 17.

Malaysia's Islamic courts appointed their first two women judges today. Suraya Ramli has been appointed as a Sharia judge in the administrative capital city of Putrajaya and Rafidah Abdul Razak has been appointed in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Ramli and Razak were officials in the nation's Islamic Judicial Department prior to their appointments today.

Malaysia's Islamic courts appointed their first two women judges today. Suraya Ramli has been appointed as a Sharia judge in the administrative capital city of Putrajaya and Rafidah Abdul Razak has been appointed in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Ramli and Razak were officials in the nation's Islamic Judicial Department prior to their appointments today.

Hoda Gameel is 22 and one of the millions of women in Egypt thrust by need and circumstance into the world of work. While the act of leaving home to work may have liberated some women in the past, Egyptian women have found no recognition and are fleeing instead back toward tradition.

Cambodian women have made impressive progress in working towards equality. But divorce or a death can still leave a woman with nothing.

Anat Hoffman, leader of the Women of the Wall prayer group, was arrested at the Western Wall on Monday for holding a Torah scroll. She is suspected of violating a High Court ruling which prohibits women to read the Torah at the holy site. Hoffman was taken to a nearby police station, while her fellow group members protested outside the building.

Over the past weeks Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have been highlighting the plight of two women sentenced to death in Iran. Both of them have suffered incredible injustices, but their stories are actually very different and while one of them has received a great deal of publicity, the other has failed to attract the attention that her case deserves.

Human rights organisations in Cambodia have called for the government to tackle the rising incidence of rape. A report by Amnesty International says victims have limited access to justice, medical services and counselling. It claims that rape cases are often settled by cash payments to the victim - or bribes to the authorities.