African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), Network for Women's Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), Abantu for Development, Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) and Christian Mothers Association of the Catholic Church have paid a visit to Liberian refugee women at the Buduburam refugee camp.The purpose was to allow the women's rights organisations to express their continued support and solidarity with refugee women.

The International Women Forum (IWF) staged a seminar bringing together about 500 influential women leaders from around the world to discuss such issues as globalization and poverty eradication.

National Democratic Institute (NDI) Tuesday commenced a two-day training each in the twelve district of the country for 235 female candidates and campaign managers ahead of the forthcoming local council elections. The aim of the training was to enhance and build the capacity of women to participate in governance in order to develop their ability to compete in the election.

The UN Envoy in Liberia, Ms. Ellen Margrethe Løj, has joined Liberia’s Vice-President, Ambassador Joseph Boakai in calling for the further advancement of women’s rights in post-conflict Liberia.

The regional bureau of the German Technical Cooperation, GTZ, in Cameroon will, Monday, May 5, launch week long activities aimed at sustaining the drumbeat for gender equality in the country.Dubbed "strong women and girls", the campaign highlights the view that women and young girls are indispensable actors of development in the society.

Mrs Caro Nwosu, yesterday called on the Jim Nwobodo-led PDP Peace Committee to address problems of marginalisation of women in politics in the South-East.

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi having made repeated assertions about the Congress’ commitment to bringing about 33% reservation for women, the government is set to table the contentious Bill in Parliament during the on-going Budget session.

On April 20-22, AWID, together with the Global Fund for Women, convened a feminist strategy meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, to discuss feminist resource mobilisation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Three GCC women’s rights activists, a former health minister of Kuwait, Dr. Masoumah al-Mubarak, Bahraini politician, Munira Fakhro, and Qatar’s Central Municipal Council member, Shiekha al-Jufairi, have said that the ‘male-dominated society’ in the region can slow any progress of women’s participation in political life.

Fiji Teachers Union president Bal Ram said there were very few female union executives. Mr. Ram said he hoped more women candidates would contest executive positions in their national elections next year.

Women all over Nigeria have been enjoined to actively participate in politics and its various processes at all levels of the society, to help improve livelihood of women, reduce social inequalities among grassroots women and the girl-child.

Despite all the measures to enfranchise women and ensure equal representation, women still aren't securing many bums on seats. In the London assembly elections, of 151 candidates across all parties, just 52 of the candidates are women.

Civil society organisations (CSO) engaged in promoting gender equality and women's rights issues are worried that the new modality of aid - defined as a partnership between donors and recipients is affecting their work.

None of 27 female candidates who contested the previous general elections in June 2006 was successful, but a number did make an unexpectedly strong showing despite having little time to prepare for the polls.

The rotation of seats reserved for women in the Panchayati Raj institutions should be discontinued as only 15 per cent of women are re-elected from a de-reserved seat, an official study has suggested.