Updated: Mary Robinson (Ire), Women's Rep in Egypt, Real 'war on women', A topless candidate?

Ireland Taking the Lead in Politics and Climate Change: An Interview With Mary Robinson Huffington Post (blog) Mary Robinson was the first woman ever elected to the presidency of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997. She came up in Irish politics via the Dublin city council, and the Irish senate, where she championed the rights of women, gay rights, and the cause of the poor…

Egypt Egyptian women feel excluded, despite the promise of the revolution Washington Post …as Egyptians prepare to vote for a new president this week, rights activists complain that women are being excluded from key decisions. “At the time of the revolution, women were needed to fill out the numbers,” said Hoda Badran, head of the Egyptian Feminist Union, which was banned under Mubarak but reinstated last year. “Now, the decision-makers don’t need women, and we’re back to this idea that femininity is inferior and masculinity superior.”

NEW Bahrain defends rights success… Gulf Daily News …Bahrain was the first country to undergo the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process during the 13th session of the UNHRC in Geneva yesterday. Leading the government delegation, Dr Ali’s speech focused on achievements made by Bahrain in different areas namely security, labour, women’s empowerment and education.

Pakistan Electoral reforms package: ‘If less than 10% women vote, nullify poll result’ The Express Tribune It is common practice in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (KP) to exclude women from voting in elections, usually through compromises and accords between political parties’ representatives in the region as well as family members. Serious efforts, however, are finally being made to address this illegal disenfranchisement,

Mexico Candidate for Mexican congress appears topless on billboards CNN It’s a campaign that’s raising a lot of eyebrows in Mexico. The campaign involves a 34-year-old philosophy professor named Natalia Juarez, who’s running for the Mexican congress. When Juarez realized her bid for office was off to a slow start a few weeks ago, the leftist candidate quickly decided she was going to be transparent with voters in a way they didn’t expect.

NEW Getting Naked to Change the World spiegel.de The Ukrainian activist group Femen has made headlines around the world by baring their breasts to protest against prostitution, exploitation and corruption. But can their naked stunts change anything, or are they just providing images for a sex-obsessed media? (Thanks again to @sarahwsalem for the link.)

International

NATO: Women’s rights must be part of future plans in Afghanistan GlobalPost (blog) CHICAGO — The clear message of Amnesty International’s Shadow Summit, held concurrently with the first day of NATO talks Sunday, was that Afghan women are not victims. See also: World War 4 Report (blog)

Opinion

NEW Power to Asia’s womenStabroek News(Opinion) While South Asia performs worst in overall gender equality and women’s attainment, it comprises three of the top five countries in terms of political empowerment (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India). South Asian countries also lead in terms of women in parliament (Nepal and Pakistan); women ministers (Bangladesh); and women leaders in sub-national government (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh).But being vaulted to leadership by family and dynastic connections is not a sign of greater gender equality. And, while affirmative action has also significantly increased women’s political representation, limited political leadership gains have yet to translate into real benefits for women in general.

Abandoning women in Afghanistan Chicago Tribune Want to see a real “war on women?” Wait until 2014 when U.S and NATO forces effectively leave Afghanistan to the whims of the bloodthirsty Taliban. The savagery will make the alleged Republican sins against women — as politically motivated Democrats have charged — pale in comparison. The Taliban’s strict enforcement of Sharia law, or Islamic law, has resulted in what can be described without exaggeration as a scourge against women.

Iran War On Women: President Ahmadinejad Accused of Being Too “Soft” on Women PolicyMic  …Despite his near total obscurity, Motahari made a surprising statement yesterday, saying that the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s views on women are so lax that: “They have actually allowed sexual provocation … and now they should think of opening nightclubs and cabarets.” The source of his indignation? The fact that Iranian women are occasionally: “wearing (in public) pants, and coats that don’t cover the knees.” He vociferously condemned the government for not doing enough to tackle this evidently pernicious issue.

Nigeria Isn’t It Time To Change The Game? Leadership Newspapers What is it that we want when advocates ask for fair representation of women in decision-making positions?  The vision is a world that becomes more accommodating and caring of all men women, and children regardless of any difference. A world that is fairer, more productive and less oppressive. With more women working alongside men, the world will get the full complement of strength from diversity marrying the qualities and skills of its human inhabitants. So why is it so hard to sell this concept to the men who control the current situation and want to retain the political and social status quo?

Academia

‘No gender equality in Turkish academia’ Hurriyet Daily News (press release) The number of female academics working in higher positions in Turkish universities is few, despite the larger number of female academics, Gökhan Çetinsaya, the President of the Higher Education Council of Turkey said yesterday.