CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Abstracts - Gender-Based Violence in the MENA Region

NEWS & ARTICLES
WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
National Campaign in Morocco for Women in Local Government
Women's Movement Advocacy for Rights in Algeria

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Statement on the Occasion of the Presidential Elections in June in Iran (Meydaan)

GENDER ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Election Candidate Pledges Salary to Housewives in Iran

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers (Women's eNews)
Saudi Girls Must Stay Chaste Says Grand Mufti
Saudi Judge Says OK for Men to Beat Wives
Saudi Cleric Favors One-Eye Veil
Bahraini Opposition to Minimum Marriage Age of 15 (Arab News)
Saudi Judge says man has right to hit wife (AP)
Rape Victims Seek Justice but Find Jail in Mauritania (IRIN)

GENDER & CONFLICT
Palestine-Gaza - High Food Prices & Food Shortage - Hunger - Poverty

CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
Women Win First Parliament Seats in Kuwait History
Citizenship Issues for Women & Their Children in Qatar
Public Awareness of Citizenship Law Low in Qatar (The Peninsula)
Increasing Role of Women in Political, Social, Economic Life in the Gulf
Women's Political Participation in North Africa (INSTRAW)
A Woman in Iran as President: Iran's Impossible Dream? (TIME)

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Bahrain - Sunni Family Law Passed - Divisive for Shiites
The Family Code 5 Years on in Morocco (CGNews)

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Iraqi Women Suffer Regular Domestic Violence - UN Report
Middle East - Gender-Based Sexual Violence Against Teen Girls

GENDER & ICT
ICT Code of Best Practices for Women in ICT - Sent to European Commission

GENDER RESOURCES
Palestine-Gaza - Voicing Needs of Women & Men - Survey
Palestine - Women's Photos Document Cultural Survival
Iraq - Women Photo Essay - Looking Beyond the Veil
UK: Launch of Forced Marriage.net! (WLUML Networkers)
Wikigender

CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Abstracts - Gender-Based Violence in the MENA Region
The workshop, “Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the MENA Region” will explore GBV in Middle Eastern communities from a comparative perspective. Workshop participants, scholars who have contributed significantly to the knowledge base on GBV in Middle Eastern communities, will share their knowledge of the magnitude of, and attitudes towards, GBV and its social, economic and health consequences in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_call2.htm

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
National Campaign in Morocco for Women in Local Government
he Moroccan government wants to end women's marginalisation from politics. "The political culture that we have now is open to women as well as men, and yet many women don't think about going into politics," said one analyst.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_morocco.htm

Women's Movement Advocacy for Rights in Algeria
Those who think that Algerians have been passive victims of their country's political problems need look no further than the Algerian women's movement for a change of mind. Twenty-five years ago, a unique relationship developed between Algeria and the non-profit organization, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (W.L.U.M.L.), which is going strong even today. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_algeria.htm

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Statement on the Occasion of the Presidential Elections in June in Iran (Meydaan)
21/05/2009 The Iranian women’s movement, which in the past years has pursued various ways and means of voicing the demands of Iranian women, and actively sought to achieve these, is on the occasion of the tenth Iranian presidential elections forming a coalition. By stating some of the basic demands of Iranian women and raising public awareness, the coalition intends to affect decision-making institutions and individuals.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564582

GENDER ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Election Candidate Pledges Salary to Housewives in Iran
One of Iran's four presidential candidates on Friday pledged to pay a salary to Iranian housewives, the country's labour news agency ILNA said. "I will not only use women in key positions but also use their potential in management and will further legalise the job of housewife and pay housewives a salary," said Mohsen Rezaie current secretary of the Expediency Council, former war veteran and presidential hopeful.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_iran.htm

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers (Women's eNews)
21/05/2009 Journalist Ayse Onal's coverage of the Turkish men who murdered their sisters and mothers in "honor" killings finds they often feel betrayed by their families. Many killers also want to guide other men away from such crimes. For more information: http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564580

Saudi Girls Must Stay Chaste Says Grand Mufti
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti on Monday called on Saudi girls to remain chaste in the face of liberal forces which want to deviate women from the right Islamic path so as to satisfy their ulterior motives which have nothing to with Islam. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_saudi.htm

Saudi Judge Says OK for Men to Beat Wives
A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_saudi.htm

Saudi Cleric Favors One-Eye Veil
A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye. Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_saudi2.htm

Bahraini Opposition to Minimum Marriage Age of 15 (Arab News)
Lawmakers from the largest opposition bloc in the Bahraini Parliament are opposing setting the minimum marriage age for girls at 15, saying this is against Islamic principles. MPs from Al-Wefaq bloc are criticizing a ministerial order setting the marriage age for girls at 15 and men at 18. “This decision is unconstitutional and clearly interferes with the judiciary. It is against Islamic principles,” said MP Haider Al-Sitri. Top scholars are also backing lawmakers. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564509

Saudi Judge says man has right to hit wife (AP)
A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564553

Rape Victims Seek Justice but Find Jail in Mauritania (IRIN)
Women in Mauritania who press charges for sexual assault face the risk of jail time because of poorly defined laws and stigma that criminalise victims rather than offenders, according to a local UN-funded non-profit. The subject of rape is still so taboo in Mauritania that there is no mention of it in the law and the word is absent from government documents, according to the NGO Mauritanian Association for Maternal and Child Health, based in the capital Nouakchott. For more information: http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564534

GENDER & CONFLICT
Palestine-Gaza - High Food Prices & Food Shortage - Hunger - Poverty
Um Abdullah cannot remember the last time she was able to feed meat to her eight children. She does know that for the past week the single meal she cooked for them each day consisted only of lentils. And that on one day, she had received aid coupons from the United Nations, which she subsequently sold to buy tomatoes and eggplant at the local market.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_palestine.htm

CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
Women Win First Parliament Seats in Kuwait History
Women have won four seats in Kuwait's parliament, the first women to do so in the Gulf Arab state’s history, official election results showed on Sunday.
Kuwaiti women were first given the right to vote and run for office in 2005 but failed to win any seats in the 2006 and 2008 elections… for more information: http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_kuwait.htm

Citizenship Issues for Women & Their Children in Qatar
Enforced in 2005, the legislation faces some challenges, Mohamed Jadallah, a senior NHRC official, told a training workshop. The law, for instance, entitles an abandoned child to be automatically a citizen but the offspring of Qatari women married to expatriates do not enjoy this privilege, he said. The workshop was organized by the NHRC to familiarise employees of various government agencies as well as NGO representatives who directly deal with the public, with the basic rights of the people. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_qatar.htm

Public Awareness of Citizenship Law Low in Qatar (The Peninsula)
29/05/2009 It is only on certain conditions that the offspring of a Qatari woman wedded to an outsider is given Qatar’s citizenship. Public awareness about Qatar’s citizenship law is low, the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has said. Enforced in 2005, the legislation faces some challenges, Mohamed Jadallah, a senior NHRC official, told a training workshop. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564609

Increasing Role of Women in Political, Social, Economic Life in the Gulf
The election of four women as members of the Kuwaiti Parliament is a landmark in the history of the country's democracy. It also provides evidence of the increasing awareness of the significant role played by women in political, social and economic life in Gulf countries.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_gulf.htm

Women's Political Participation in North Africa (INSTRAW)
In partnership with the Centre for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR), UN-INSTRAW has initiated a project on Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in politics and decision-making in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Thirty-five Moroccan journalists, men and women, participated in two training sessions on women’s participation in politics as part of the UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR project "Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in politics and decision-making in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia."
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564510

A Woman in Iran as President: Iran's Impossible Dream? (TIME)
This month, 42 women were among the 475 people who signed up to run as president, harboring hope that this time, there was a real chance for a female candidate to stand. Every four years, hundreds of Iranians register to stand as candidates in the country's presidential election. Women have signed up to run since 1997 — yet no female has ever been certified by the government to run for President. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564592

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Bahrain - Sunni Family Law Passed - Divisive for Shiites
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief, Manama: May 14, 2009: Bahrain's lower house endorsed a family law draft that aims to improve the legal status of women. However, the draft law covers only Sunnis, after Al Wefaq, the exclusive voice of Shiites in the lower house, has rejected the draft section that applies to Shiites.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_bahrain.htm

The Family Code 5 Years on in Morocco (CGNews)
Five years after legal reforms were made to Morocco's family code, the "Moudawana", research professor Hakima Fassi-Fihri and film director Zakia Tahiri assess whether changes have been felt by Moroccan society. It's time for additional reforms by Hakima Fassi-Fihri: In February 2004, Morocco was praised for significant progress in the field of women's rights, particularly for revising its 1958 family code – the "Moudawana". For more information:
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564446

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Iraqi Women Suffer Regular Domestic Violence - UN Report
The vast majority of Iraqi women face domestic violence on a regular basis and many commit suicide because of it.
Iraq and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan should take measures to stop violence against women, including honour killings and genital mutilation, the UN mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI, said in a regular report on human rights. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_iraq2.htm

Middle East - Gender-Based Sexual Violence Against Teen Girls
How to prevent gender-based sexual violence and early marriages in the Middle East
This paper is an analysis of the existing gender-based sexual violence against teenage girls in the Middle East. It is a comparative study that analyses the realities of early marriages and sexual abuse in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen. The paper states that there are thousands of girls in the Middle East region that are denied their right to participation, education, play, and self-expression. They are forced into early marriage and used as domestic labourers in their own homes. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_middle.htm

GENDER & ICT
ICT Code of Best Practices for Women in ICT - Sent to European Commission
On 3 March, the European Commission has received a signed Code for Best Practices for Women in ICT by some of the major actors in the ICT sector. The Code provides for practices which aim not only to attract women in ICT but also to keep them in the sector and help them reach their full potential. Attracting more women into ICT jobs will not just help to address a problem that risks damaging the whole economy, but also contributes to realising equal opportunities goals and empowers women by enhancing their capacity to participate fully in the information society… for more information:
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_ict.htm

GENDER RESOURCES

Palestine-Gaza - Voicing Needs of Women & Men - Survey
The UN Gender Task Force launched a household survey concerning the impacts, needs and perceptions of men and women in the aftermath of the 23-day military offensive launched by Israel in December 2008. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,100 adult men and women across the Gaza Strip in the first week of March, 2009. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_palestine.htm

Palestine - Women's Photos Document Cultural Survival
In Palestine, women are quietly surviving. In spite of the continuing Israeli occupation, Palestinian women are struggling to maintain their culture, their heritage, and their way of life. Palestinian-American photographer Umayyah Cable documented the daily lives of women living in the West Bank. She learned that women are the backbone of Palestinian cultural survival. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_palestine2.htm

Iraq - Women Photo Essay - Looking Beyond the Veil
Abayas are floor-length cloaks worn by some Muslim women as a sign of modesty and a statement of religious faith. The garment of choice in many parts of Iraq and throughout the Gulf, Abayas help shield women from unwanted attention and protect them from the elements. http://www.iwpr.net:80/?p=icr&s=f&o=351778&apc_state=henpicr200811

UK: Launch of Forced Marriage.net! (WLUML Networkers)
11/05/2009 The one-stop website that provides you with practical information and sources of advice and help on forced marriage. This website provides advice, information and essential contacts to help people out of a forced marriage. It might be you, it might be someone you know, or you might just want to find out more about this issue so that you can play a part in helping somebody who may be at risk or already in a forced marriage. There are lots of voluntary and community organisations that provide safe, confidential support, shelter and advice to rebuild a productive, independent life. The law can protect victims too. There is always a way out, and here is where to find it. http://www.forcedmarriage.net/

Wikigender
Wikigender is a project initiated by the OECD Development Centre to facilitate the exchange and improve the knowledge on gender-related issues around the world. A particular focus lies on gathering empirical evidence and identifying adequate statistics to measure gender equality. In this respect, Wikigender serves as a pilot project for the OECD Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies. Based on the work of the OECD Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base, Wikigender aims to highlight the importance of social institutions such as norms, traditions and cultural practices that impact on women's empowerment. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_wikigender.htm

CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Abstracts - Gender-Based Violence in the MENA Region

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
National Campaign in Morocco for Women in Local Government
Women's Movement Advocacy for Rights in Algeria

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Statement on the Occasion of the Presidential Elections in June in Iran (Meydaan)

GENDER ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Election Candidate Pledges Salary to Housewives in Iran

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers (Women's eNews)
Saudi Girls Must Stay Chaste Says Grand Mufti
Saudi Judge Says OK for Men to Beat Wives
Saudi Cleric Favors One-Eye Veil
Bahraini Opposition to Minimum Marriage Age of 15 (Arab News)
Saudi Judge says man has right to hit wife (AP)
Rape Victims Seek Justice but Find Jail in Mauritania (IRIN)

GENDER & CONFLICT
Palestine-Gaza - High Food Prices & Food Shortage - Hunger - Poverty

CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
Women Win First Parliament Seats in Kuwait History
Citizenship Issues for Women & Their Children in Qatar
Public Awareness of Citizenship Law Low in Qatar (The Peninsula)
Increasing Role of Women in Political, Social, Economic Life in the Gulf
Women's Political Participation in North Africa (INSTRAW)
A Woman in Iran as President: Iran's Impossible Dream? (TIME)

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Bahrain - Sunni Family Law Passed - Divisive for Shiites
The Family Code 5 Years on in Morocco (CGNews)

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Iraqi Women Suffer Regular Domestic Violence - UN Report
Middle East - Gender-Based Sexual Violence Against Teen Girls

GENDER & ICT
ICT Code of Best Practices for Women in ICT - Sent to European Commission

GENDER RESOURCES
Palestine-Gaza - Voicing Needs of Women & Men - Survey
Palestine - Women's Photos Document Cultural Survival
Iraq - Women Photo Essay - Looking Beyond the Veil
UK: Launch of Forced Marriage.net! (WLUML Networkers)
Wikigender

CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Abstracts - Gender-Based Violence in the MENA Region
The workshop, “Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the MENA Region” will explore GBV in Middle Eastern communities from a comparative perspective. Workshop participants, scholars who have contributed significantly to the knowledge base on GBV in Middle Eastern communities, will share their knowledge of the magnitude of, and attitudes towards, GBV and its social, economic and health consequences in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_call2.htm

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
National Campaign in Morocco for Women in Local Government
he Moroccan government wants to end women's marginalisation from politics. "The political culture that we have now is open to women as well as men, and yet many women don't think about going into politics," said one analyst.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_morocco.htm

Women's Movement Advocacy for Rights in Algeria
Those who think that Algerians have been passive victims of their country's political problems need look no further than the Algerian women's movement for a change of mind. Twenty-five years ago, a unique relationship developed between Algeria and the non-profit organization, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (W.L.U.M.L.), which is going strong even today. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_algeria.htm

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Statement on the Occasion of the Presidential Elections in June in Iran (Meydaan)
21/05/2009 The Iranian women’s movement, which in the past years has pursued various ways and means of voicing the demands of Iranian women, and actively sought to achieve these, is on the occasion of the tenth Iranian presidential elections forming a coalition. By stating some of the basic demands of Iranian women and raising public awareness, the coalition intends to affect decision-making institutions and individuals.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564582

GENDER ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Election Candidate Pledges Salary to Housewives in Iran
One of Iran's four presidential candidates on Friday pledged to pay a salary to Iranian housewives, the country's labour news agency ILNA said. "I will not only use women in key positions but also use their potential in management and will further legalise the job of housewife and pay housewives a salary," said Mohsen Rezaie current secretary of the Expediency Council, former war veteran and presidential hopeful.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_iran.htm

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Remorse Among Turkish 'Honor' Killers (Women's eNews)
21/05/2009 Journalist Ayse Onal's coverage of the Turkish men who murdered their sisters and mothers in "honor" killings finds they often feel betrayed by their families. Many killers also want to guide other men away from such crimes. For more information: http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564580

Saudi Girls Must Stay Chaste Says Grand Mufti
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti on Monday called on Saudi girls to remain chaste in the face of liberal forces which want to deviate women from the right Islamic path so as to satisfy their ulterior motives which have nothing to with Islam. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_saudi.htm

Saudi Judge Says OK for Men to Beat Wives
A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_saudi.htm

Saudi Cleric Favors One-Eye Veil
A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye. Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_saudi2.htm

Bahraini Opposition to Minimum Marriage Age of 15 (Arab News)
Lawmakers from the largest opposition bloc in the Bahraini Parliament are opposing setting the minimum marriage age for girls at 15, saying this is against Islamic principles. MPs from Al-Wefaq bloc are criticizing a ministerial order setting the marriage age for girls at 15 and men at 18. “This decision is unconstitutional and clearly interferes with the judiciary. It is against Islamic principles,” said MP Haider Al-Sitri. Top scholars are also backing lawmakers. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564509

Saudi Judge says man has right to hit wife (AP)
A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564553

Rape Victims Seek Justice but Find Jail in Mauritania (IRIN)
Women in Mauritania who press charges for sexual assault face the risk of jail time because of poorly defined laws and stigma that criminalise victims rather than offenders, according to a local UN-funded non-profit. The subject of rape is still so taboo in Mauritania that there is no mention of it in the law and the word is absent from government documents, according to the NGO Mauritanian Association for Maternal and Child Health, based in the capital Nouakchott. For more information: http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564534

GENDER & CONFLICT
Palestine-Gaza - High Food Prices & Food Shortage - Hunger - Poverty
Um Abdullah cannot remember the last time she was able to feed meat to her eight children. She does know that for the past week the single meal she cooked for them each day consisted only of lentils. And that on one day, she had received aid coupons from the United Nations, which she subsequently sold to buy tomatoes and eggplant at the local market.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_palestine.htm

CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
Women Win First Parliament Seats in Kuwait History
Women have won four seats in Kuwait's parliament, the first women to do so in the Gulf Arab state’s history, official election results showed on Sunday.
Kuwaiti women were first given the right to vote and run for office in 2005 but failed to win any seats in the 2006 and 2008 elections… for more information: http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_kuwait.htm

Citizenship Issues for Women & Their Children in Qatar
Enforced in 2005, the legislation faces some challenges, Mohamed Jadallah, a senior NHRC official, told a training workshop. The law, for instance, entitles an abandoned child to be automatically a citizen but the offspring of Qatari women married to expatriates do not enjoy this privilege, he said. The workshop was organized by the NHRC to familiarise employees of various government agencies as well as NGO representatives who directly deal with the public, with the basic rights of the people. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_qatar.htm

Public Awareness of Citizenship Law Low in Qatar (The Peninsula)
29/05/2009 It is only on certain conditions that the offspring of a Qatari woman wedded to an outsider is given Qatar’s citizenship. Public awareness about Qatar’s citizenship law is low, the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has said. Enforced in 2005, the legislation faces some challenges, Mohamed Jadallah, a senior NHRC official, told a training workshop. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564609

Increasing Role of Women in Political, Social, Economic Life in the Gulf
The election of four women as members of the Kuwaiti Parliament is a landmark in the history of the country's democracy. It also provides evidence of the increasing awareness of the significant role played by women in political, social and economic life in Gulf countries.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_gulf.htm

Women's Political Participation in North Africa (INSTRAW)
In partnership with the Centre for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR), UN-INSTRAW has initiated a project on Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in politics and decision-making in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Thirty-five Moroccan journalists, men and women, participated in two training sessions on women’s participation in politics as part of the UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR project "Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in politics and decision-making in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia."
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564510

A Woman in Iran as President: Iran's Impossible Dream? (TIME)
This month, 42 women were among the 475 people who signed up to run as president, harboring hope that this time, there was a real chance for a female candidate to stand. Every four years, hundreds of Iranians register to stand as candidates in the country's presidential election. Women have signed up to run since 1997 — yet no female has ever been certified by the government to run for President. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564592

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Bahrain - Sunni Family Law Passed - Divisive for Shiites
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief, Manama: May 14, 2009: Bahrain's lower house endorsed a family law draft that aims to improve the legal status of women. However, the draft law covers only Sunnis, after Al Wefaq, the exclusive voice of Shiites in the lower house, has rejected the draft section that applies to Shiites.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_18_09/051809_bahrain.htm

The Family Code 5 Years on in Morocco (CGNews)
Five years after legal reforms were made to Morocco's family code, the "Moudawana", research professor Hakima Fassi-Fihri and film director Zakia Tahiri assess whether changes have been felt by Moroccan society. It's time for additional reforms by Hakima Fassi-Fihri: In February 2004, Morocco was praised for significant progress in the field of women's rights, particularly for revising its 1958 family code – the "Moudawana". For more information:
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564446

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Iraqi Women Suffer Regular Domestic Violence - UN Report
The vast majority of Iraqi women face domestic violence on a regular basis and many commit suicide because of it.
Iraq and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan should take measures to stop violence against women, including honour killings and genital mutilation, the UN mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI, said in a regular report on human rights. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_iraq2.htm

Middle East - Gender-Based Sexual Violence Against Teen Girls
How to prevent gender-based sexual violence and early marriages in the Middle East
This paper is an analysis of the existing gender-based sexual violence against teenage girls in the Middle East. It is a comparative study that analyses the realities of early marriages and sexual abuse in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen. The paper states that there are thousands of girls in the Middle East region that are denied their right to participation, education, play, and self-expression. They are forced into early marriage and used as domestic labourers in their own homes. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_25_09/052509_middle.htm

GENDER & ICT
ICT Code of Best Practices for Women in ICT - Sent to European Commission
On 3 March, the European Commission has received a signed Code for Best Practices for Women in ICT by some of the major actors in the ICT sector. The Code provides for practices which aim not only to attract women in ICT but also to keep them in the sector and help them reach their full potential. Attracting more women into ICT jobs will not just help to address a problem that risks damaging the whole economy, but also contributes to realising equal opportunities goals and empowers women by enhancing their capacity to participate fully in the information society… for more information:
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_ict.htm

GENDER RESOURCES

Palestine-Gaza - Voicing Needs of Women & Men - Survey
The UN Gender Task Force launched a household survey concerning the impacts, needs and perceptions of men and women in the aftermath of the 23-day military offensive launched by Israel in December 2008. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,100 adult men and women across the Gaza Strip in the first week of March, 2009. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_palestine.htm

Palestine - Women's Photos Document Cultural Survival
In Palestine, women are quietly surviving. In spite of the continuing Israeli occupation, Palestinian women are struggling to maintain their culture, their heritage, and their way of life. Palestinian-American photographer Umayyah Cable documented the daily lives of women living in the West Bank. She learned that women are the backbone of Palestinian cultural survival. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_04_09/050409_palestine2.htm

Iraq - Women Photo Essay - Looking Beyond the Veil
Abayas are floor-length cloaks worn by some Muslim women as a sign of modesty and a statement of religious faith. The garment of choice in many parts of Iraq and throughout the Gulf, Abayas help shield women from unwanted attention and protect them from the elements. http://www.iwpr.net:80/?p=icr&s=f&o=351778&apc_state=henpicr200811

UK: Launch of Forced Marriage.net! (WLUML Networkers)
11/05/2009 The one-stop website that provides you with practical information and sources of advice and help on forced marriage. This website provides advice, information and essential contacts to help people out of a forced marriage. It might be you, it might be someone you know, or you might just want to find out more about this issue so that you can play a part in helping somebody who may be at risk or already in a forced marriage. There are lots of voluntary and community organisations that provide safe, confidential support, shelter and advice to rebuild a productive, independent life. The law can protect victims too. There is always a way out, and here is where to find it. http://www.forcedmarriage.net/

Wikigender
Wikigender is a project initiated by the OECD Development Centre to facilitate the exchange and improve the knowledge on gender-related issues around the world. A particular focus lies on gathering empirical evidence and identifying adequate statistics to measure gender equality. In this respect, Wikigender serves as a pilot project for the OECD Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies. Based on the work of the OECD Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base, Wikigender aims to highlight the importance of social institutions such as norms, traditions and cultural practices that impact on women's empowerment. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/05_09/05_11_09/051109_wikigender.htm