There is much about the Middle East that needs changing. It was always a matter of time, for example, before the people would rise up and demand freedom. But we have yet to see the leaders of the uprisings make a forceful case to address one of the most serious problems in the region: the routine abuse, harassment and even the brutalization of women.
While representing a month of liberation for many in the Middle East, March was revolutionary for the area in more than one way. At the culmination of Women's History Month, I would like to take note of some very famous women as of late: the female revolutionaries of the Middle East.
Iraqi women have repeatedly been victims of armed conflict in recent decades. Today, as their dependence on a crumbling social structure grows, many find themselves struggling to make ends meet. The ICRC is helping them get back on their feet.
By building their own businesses, women in Afghanistan are sustaining their communities through years of conflict. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's recent book tells one of their stories.
The U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan should be brought to a halt because it has solidified, rather than weakened, oppression against women in her home country, Afghan human rights activist Malalai Joya said Saturday.
Young Palestinian women took the initiative to be in the front line of the March 15 protests in Palestine to protect the protesters. With their bodies they created a human shield in an attempt to prevent any expected fights. Some of the protesters were on hunger strike for the third day. They simply called for an end to Palestinian division.
For the first time in the history of Bangladesh, a woman has overseen municipal elections, ensuring their accordance with electoral laws and providing guidance to presiding officers.
Jesime Tuli, who holds more than three decades of experience in the country's Election Commission, last year managed and executed the elections, upholding the rules of the Commission.
I. Less than ten kilometres from Bhubaneswar is Dhaulagiri, site of an Asokan edict associated with his renunciation of war. The legend is that Asoka was the archetypal ambitious, ruthless and even fratricidal prince whose brutal wars savaged their victims. The war with Kalinga was no exception. Asoka, moved to remorse at the sight of the destruction he had wrought, is said to have foresworn violence.
Recent media reports have focused on the stalled progress for women in Afghanistan and the shift in the international community's focus as they take steps towards an eventual military withdrawl. Although there's much work to be done, it's important to note that there has been tangible improvement for women in Afghanistan. A decade ago, women weren't allowed to go out in public alone.
