women's rights

Voters across Israel choose new mayors and city councilors in local elections Tuesday. In one small town, a handful of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women are defying the norms of their community by running for office.

On a recent day, children mob two women in skirts, stockings and purple T-shirts in a neighborhood park in El'ad, or Forever God. The women are candidates for town council. As part of their get-the-word-out campaign, they're blowing up balloons for kids.

Betraying their own biases, various Western commentators have frequently expressed shock at the visible and active presence of women and girls in demonstrations across the region. This sense of surprise has often doubled at the sight of innumerable veiled women who have taken to the streets to demand their rights.

 The focus of the Triennial today is forward looking and starts by addressing the upcoming regional and international processes which provide an opportunity for the visibility of the issues that the 12th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women have been addressing for the past 2 days.  According to the conference paper for this session prepared by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and UNWomen: “ regional and global processes related to gender equality that PICTs are engaged in, expla

In 2008, only six Arab women were elected to local office, but this year, that number is seen rising to 15.

In the last elections, 149 Arab women ran in the elections, with only six elected to local office. This year, there are 173, with forecasts predicting about 15 will be elected. And this year, the women are placed much higher on the local slates.

We invite our users to read the complete article published October 23 1013

The Pacific region has the lowest level of representation of women in national legislatures, a tag that it would like to shake off.

But one woman who has made it into her national parliament is Charmaine Scotty.

She recently became only the second woman to win a seat in Nauru's assembly since independence in 1968.

We invite our users to read the full article published October 24, 2013

Hundreds of Paktia Province women October 23 rallied in Gardez to announce their intentions to actively participate in the upcoming elections next year.

"We will be voting for the candidates who could help us achieve our rights," civil society activist Anar Gula said.

Women's participation in the electoral process has increased in Afghanistan recently.

We invite our users to read the full article published October 24, 2013