Asia

Iraqi women who have been uprooted by violence in their country are increasingly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because of extreme financial pressures, a new field report from Refugees International (RI) described today. The report states that domestic violence among Iraqi refugees is increasing in Syria, and that reports of domestic violence are higher among the displaced population in northern Iraq.

The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today called for strengthening the country's justice system, which he stressed is fundamental for ensuring the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Arab states must take measures to combat an expanding list of issues including rising populations, trafficking, unemployment and water scarcity, a UN-sponsored report said yesterday. The 288-page report, "Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries," said poverty, civil wars, sectarian and ethnic conflicts, authoritarian repression added to the human rights problems faced by the region.

To tackle tribal conflicts in her country, Nadwa Al-Dawsari took the leap from journalist to director of the Partners for Sustainable Leadership program in Yemen.

The IRC has launched a two-year program in Jordan that will train local aid workers to respond to violence against women, predominantly Iraqi refugees. The program, which is supported by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, will also help a local aid organization, the Jordan River Foundation, establish a case management center in the eastern part of the capital, Amman, home to the most Iraqi refugees.

Shadi Sadr, the Iranian lawyer and women's rights activist, was just released from prison.

On July 28 she went free.

This is wonderful news. It sends relief and immense joy throughout the ranks of Iran's pro-democracy and humanitarian rights community, all of whom have worked so hard on her behalf.

In a country where most women leave home only under the cover of a burqa, Shahla Atta wears bright pink nail polish, highlights her eyes with glitter and wants to be Afghanistan's next president.

In her office at the Bethlehem women's counselling centre, Khawla Al-Azraq recounts her memories from Israeli prison as vividly as if they were yesterday: the routine physical and psychological abuse, the nightly room searches, the hunger strikes and other collective actions in protest against their conditions, and the intense study sessions with her fellow prisoners.

At the start of the new century, Israel found itself with an unexpected and unwanted reputation - as a destination hotspot for sex trafficking. The government took significant measures against this phenomenon, but the success in stamping out the import of women for sex has led to a new problem.