The Women’s Rights in Transitions to Democracy: Achieving Rights Resisting Backlash (Pre-Meeting and Strategy Sessions Report) is based on the pre AWID 2012 Forum consultation devoted to strategizing around women’s rights and transitions to democracy, attended by almost 100 women’s rights leaders from over 18 countries in the MENA region, as well as activists from Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia.

One youth whose work was featured is 22-year-old Islande Henry. She spoke in front of one of her paintings, of two women talking in front of their home, inspired by Article 16 of CEDAW which protects women and children’s rights in family relations. Islande said.

On the verge of a fast approaching civil war, women in Turkey are calling for unconditional and immediate peace, and for an end to the harassment and violence against dissenting women in Turkey. As we commemorated International Day of Peace on 21st September and a call for a global ceasefire, AWID takes a look at the situation of women human rights defenders in Turkeys increasing conflict.

Following the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali on 20 June 2015, AWID spoke with Bintou Founé Samaké Bouaré and Fatoumata Maiga to learn more about mainstreaming gender into the Mali peace building process and the associated challenges.

FRIDAY FILE: Militarism, conflict and violence are on the rise and have a range of gender-specific impacts. Increased spending on defense, arms and security often means that spending on social services is being cut. In the context of militarism and conflict violence against women also increases and attacks on women’s human rights defenders are growing and are increasingly normalized.

FRIDAY FILE: In May of this year, the Dutch government launched the Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW)Fund— which represents the replenishment of the successful MDG3 Fund.Women’s rights and civil society organizations that meet the criteria can apply for FLOW through July 29, 2011.

The north-east African nation of Sudan, currently Africa’s largest country by territory, will soon be split into two, following a referendum which took place in the south of the country in January 2011. On February 7, 2011 it was announced that an overwhelming majority (98.83%) of Southern Sudanese had voted in favour of secession from Sudan.

By Kathambi Kinoti

FRIDAY FILE: Côte d’Ivoire has been in a political impasse since the declaration of contested results of a second round of presidential elections held in November 2010. Since both candidates claimed victory and have been sworn in, the country has two presidents and two governments.

As a Métis woman from a “very poor background”, Menke faced numerous obstacles, seeing her biggest challenge as “simply being a woman, and in certain cases being an aboriginal woman”.