Asia

Widows in Nepal are protesting against a decision by the Nepalese government to offer a cash incentive to men for marrying them.

The incentive was announced in the government's annual budget earlier this week - it is a lump sum of 50,000 Nepali rupees ($641).

Nepal has a large number of widows because of the bloody conflict there in recent years as well as the high rates of HIV and other diseases found in the country.

A political crisis, which has dragged on for months, crippling progress in drafting a new constitution for Nepal by the Constituent Assembly (CA) has considerably dampened the euphoria of women's organisations here.

The United Nations is stepping up its efforts to help protect the rights of Nepalese women, who are increasingly victims of rape, witch-hunt, dowry, and other forms of gender-based violence as well as deeply entrenched domestic abuse and discrimination.

During Lebanon's civil war - and Israel's invasion and occupation of Lebanon - some women fought on the frontlines.

These women proved determined and were often resourceful in the weapons they used.

In Women Warriors, Lebanese Muslim and Christian women reflect on the days when they were fighters and talk about how it has impacted their lives.

Women of the Wall (WOW) began in December 1988 when a group of 70 Jewish women from all streams of Judaism approached the Kotel with a Torah Scroll to conduct a prayer service. Some wore tallit, others did not.

The Philippines has scored another first in Asia, this time as the first country in the continent to adopt a national action plan ensuring human rights of women in armed conflict.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 865 creating a National Steering Committee on Women, Peace and Security to implement United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820.

When Iraq finally forms a new government, one thing is certain -- there will be many new faces. Only 62 of 275 incumbents were re-elected.

In particular, some of the new faces will be women. By law, 25 percent of the parliament must be female. In some cases, that means replacing men who would have won seats -- which isn't always welcome news to the men.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says more than 7,000 Palestinians are currently held under life-threatening conditions in Israeli prisons.

In the run up to the Palestinian Prisoners Day, scheduled for Saturday, the office issued a statement in which it condemned the continued detention of 34 Palestinian women and 270 child prisoners.

The Philippines National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security was officially launched on 25 March at Miriam College in Manila.

The Philippines is the first Asian country to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820. Thanks to the expertise of IANSA women such as Dr. Jasmin Nario-Galace of the Center for Peace Education & Sulong CARHRIHL, the NAP is the first ever to include a specific section dealing with small arms control in relation to violence against women.