Issue no.: 2 | December 2008

Clippings

Afganisthan

Nobel Laureates Honour Afghan recipient of International Human Rights Award

October 7, 2008: Six women Nobel Peace Laureates-Shirin Ebadi, Jody Williams, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchu, Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire-have presented the Reach All Women In War (RAW) Anna Politkovskaya Award to Malalai Joya . This award is presented each year to a woman human rights defender from an area of war and conflict, and keeps alive the spirit of Anna Politkovskaya: a woman activist and journalist from Russia whose courageous reports of atrocities against civilians in Chechyna led ultimately to her untimely death exactly two years ago. The youngest-ever elected member of Afghanistan's national parliament, Joya has bravely stood up for Afghanistan's citizens.

Leading policewomen Malalai Kakar shot dead in Afghanistan

Taleban gunmen shot dead Afghanistan's most high-profile policewoman as her teenage son prepared to drive her to work. Malalai Kakar, the head of the city of Kandahar's department for crimes against women, had been the subject of numerous media reports and was famous for her bravery throughout Afghanistan. She had survived several assassination attempts. A spokesman for the Taleban said that the assassination was carried out by its gunmen. "We killed Malalai Kakar," said Yousuf Ahmadi. "She was our target, and we successfully eliminated our target."

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh Former PM returns home

November 6, 2008 Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has returned home to lead her party in the general elections due this month. There are a number of extortion and corruption cases pending against her in Bangladeshi courts and Sheikh Hasina faces possible arrest on her return. She was detained last year after the army-backed interim government assumed power, but was released from prison in June to go abroad for medical treatment. The Awami League leader had pledged to lead the party's campaign in the elections scheduled for 29 December.

BNP drops Bangladesh poll boycott

BNP drops Bangladesh poll boycott: Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has announced that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will take part in next month's elections. The government has pledged that the elections will be the fairest in the country's history. But without Khaleda Zia's participation, many would have doubted their legitimacy. Her BNP and its allies won a two-thirds majority in the last elections in 2001, so their decision to take part removes the last major obstacle to the polls being free, fair and credible. Whether this means Khaleda Zia is more likely to be elected prime minister for a fourth time is doubtful.

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India

BJP to reserve 33% seats for women in Mizoram polls

October 17, 2008: Aizawl, Oct 17: The Mizoram BJP on Friday said it will allot 33 per cent seats to women in the coming state assembly polls in line with the party's stand on reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The polls to the 40-member state assembly would be held on November 29. Only three women had so far made to the state assembly since its inception in 1972. The last woman to represent the Mizoram assembly was Lalhlimpuii who won in 1987 and was made a minister of state for Social Welfare.

71 all - Congress, BJP score equal on women contestants

November 18 2008: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and The Congress are fielding 71 women candidates each in the assembly elections to six states. The Congress has given 71 women tickets to contest the elections out of its total list of 717; ditto with the BJP that has 71 women contestants of its 639 candidates. Ironically, both parties also support the women's reservation bill, setting aside 33 percent of the seats in parliament for women. The women's wings of the Delhi BJP, Mahila Morcha, in the month of November, protested at the party office about the inadequate representation of women candidates. While the Congress has a woman president in Sonia Gandhi, the BJP boasts of 33 percent reservation to women in the party's organizational set up.

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Nepal

Second Regional Conference on VAWIP conducted successfully

November 19, 2008: In an effort to promote the participation of women in politics, the three day Second South Asian Regional Conference on Combating Violence on Women in Politics (VAWIP): Revisiting policies, politics, and participation was held successfully in Kathmandu from 16-18 2008. The main objective of organizing the conference was to create a civil society forum to discuss the existing national laws, policies and provisions of South Asian nations for reducing the incidents of violence against women in politics. The conference also showcased the stories and best practices of women politicians who have successfully overcome the hindrances confronting their careers. The conference attempted to towards building a policy influencing process for the incorporation of VAWIP agendas in the gender sensitive international instruments and mechanisms. The conference also discussed the role of election commission and the judiciary in enhancing the safe and secure participation of women in politics.

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Pakistan

Women in political corridor wrestle for power

September 28, 2008: Former Prime Minister late Benazir Bhutto introduced the trend to nominate women on the coveted position of secretary information in the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on all levels. Sherry Rehman replaced Taj Haider in the centre whereas Dr Fehmida Mirza and Farzana Raja replaced male office bearers in Sindh and Punjab respectively. The purpose to nominate women on this position was to give out a soft and liberal image of the party to the world, a mission which the PPP accomplished as the party was portrayed in a modern light in the world. With the success of this experiment, the PPP has gone on to appoint many women leaders at critical positions. Dr Fehmida Riaz is now Speaker of the National Assembly while Sherry Rehman is Information Minister. Farzana Raja is the secretary information in Punjab besides being a party MNA.

Controversial ministers join Pakistan

November 25 2008: Two politicians accused of brutal attitudes towards women have been made cabinet ministers in Pakistan. The appointments have caused outrage among human rights activists and women's groups. Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, charged with presiding over a "jirga" which gave away five young girls as a form of compensation, and Israrullah Zehri, who recently made international headlines after defending the burying alive of women in "honour-killing" cases, have been elevated to ministerships. Street protests and angry newspapers editorials met the induction of Bijarani and Zehri, who were brought in as part of a major expansion of the cabinet last month.

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Rwanda

Rwanda becomes the first parliament to elect a majority of women members

September 18, 2008: In the legislative elections in Rwanda, women won more than 50 per cent of seats in parliament. "For the first time an elected national parliament has a majority of women", said the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson. Women have garnered 44 of the 80-seat Chamber of Deputies - making it a world record. This is an improvement over the previous record set by Rwanda in its 2003 elections in which women won 48 per cent on the seats. The number could climb still if women make further gains in the three seats for representatives of youth and disabled persons. With this result, Rwanda consolidates its position as the world leader in terms of women parliamentary representatives. It is followed by the parliaments of Sweden (47%), Cuba (43.2%), Finland (41.5%), and Argentina (40%).

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