Asia and the Pacific

South Asian writers avoid writing on gender issues, but Dr Anita Weiss rightly explained the political paths of domestic powers in South Asian countries and identified the power distribution, political priorities, identity and women empowerment since the end of British rule in the region.  She also emphasises social understanding within region to achieve sustainable development.

Megumi Kaneko stood on a podium in front of a poster of herself and dissolved into tears as she urged the mostly-male audience to pick her in this weekend’s Japanese election.

Najiba Ahmadi is quiet and unassuming – mild-mannered even. She is far from your typical revolutionary. Last week, Ms Ahmadi was among the suited government officials gathered in Britain to discuss Afghanistan’s future.

For the past five years she has been working to improve the lives of women and girls. The 32-year-old runs a shelter in Bamyan province where she offers legal advice.

Two winners of the Nobel Peace Prize will meet this week in Myanmar. One, President Barack Obama, is often criticized for his use of force and violence from Guantanamo Bay to the Middle East. The other, Aung San Suu Kyi, is celebrated as a human rights icon by Western governments — and seldom criticized by them for her tolerance of force and violence in her own country.

Is it because she's a woman? A Buddhist? The West's great hope for true democracy in Myanmar?