Employers Can Pay Men More Than Women, EU Court Says. [EUobserver.com] The European Court of Justice has ruled that companies can pay male workers more on grounds of length of employment, even though natural childcare burdens limit the ability of many women to compete on the basis of time served. The case was brought by UK health inspector Bernadette Cadman, who argued that domestic duties such as pregnancy and maternity leave often dictate the length of time women work - leading to diminished "seniority" - and called for employers to provide special justification for paying men more. But Europe's highest court rejected her claim, stating that additional years of service allow for greater experience on the job which leads to improved work performance.

Albania's Muslim Community Denounces University Decision to Suspend Student Wearing a Veil. [Associated Press] The leader of Albania's Muslim community denounced a decision by a small state university to suspend a female student for wearing a veil to school. Agim Kukeli, the dean of Aleksander Moisiu University had previously told Behije Hoxha not to come to the school wearing a traditional Muslim veil, warning that wearing the veil ran counter to the atheist philosophy of the university in Durres, about 35 kilometers (20 miles) west of Tirana. It was the first time in recent memory that such a case has been reported at any of Albania's 11 state and 14 private universities. It was unclear if Albania's universities have regulations banning veils or any religious symbols. A woman wearing a veil is a rare sight in predominantly Muslim, but secular Albania.

Nord-Ost Anniversary Recalls Ascent Of Female Suicide Bomber. [RadioFreeEurope, Czech Republic] American sociologist Rosemarie Skaine, in her book "Female Suicide Bombers," addresses the phenomenon that was soon to become a regular feature of the second Chechen war. "I have a philosophy about most women that participate," Skaine says. "There may be several factors that make people enter it. For instance, in the case of the Chechen women, several of the families received large sums of money for them performing these tasks. But I believe that they themselves would not do this kind of thing if there weren't mediating forces in society. In other words, it's true, some women have personal reasons."

Website Puts Women on the Map. [Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, UK] You do not have to look far to find an enterprising woman in this region - and now there is an innovative map to tell you exactly where they all are. More than 300 businesses run by women have already been added to an online map of the six counties of the east of England, and more are being added every day. It is the first time such a map has been created in the UK. It allows people to find their nearest female-run business, while the search can be narrowed down to anything from construction to health services.

Missing Millions: Women in Finance Lost Out on Millions of Pounds. [Online Recruitment, UK] Research reveals ‘missing millions’ in the finance industry: Gender pay differences top £31 million per annum; Pay differences between men and women continues to increase year on year. Research released today [4 October 2006] by specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Half Finance and Accounting reveals that women in finance are losing out on millions of pounds per year. The latest figures show that in the last 12 months female finance workers have missed out on over £31 million – almost 20% more than in 2005.

Female Driving Convictions Double. [Reuters.uk] Women might historically be safer drivers than men, but when it comes to driving convictions, the gap between the sexes is narrowing. Some 16.8% of men currently have convictions, compared to 9.8% of women. However, the number of female drivers with points on their license had more than doubled from just 4.8% three years ago.

Female Students in the UK Resort to Prostitution to Pay Fees: Study. [Daily News & Analysis, India] An increasing number of female students in the UK are resorting to prostitution or other jobs in the sex industry to pay rising university tuition fees. Research by Kingston University in southwest London suggested that there has been a 50% rise in numbers over the past six years in such cases.

Debate Over Muslim Women Veil Continues. [Xinhua, China] The on-going debate, sparked by a British government minister over whether Muslim women should wear a veil, continued. The row erupted after Leader of the House of Commons Jack Straw said he asked visitors to his office to remove their veils, saying they acted as "a visible statement of separation and difference". One leading Muslim said his comments were responsible for an attack on a Muslim woman in the northern city of Liverpool in which her veil was ripped off and racial abuse was shouted.

Jones Goes for the Female Touch. [crash.net, UK] Adam Jones went for the female touch at Brands Hatch with an all woman pit crew during the latest round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. New team sponsor Diva's modeling agency came up with the idea for an all girl crew on the car rather than just a grid girl, although it wasn't just a publicity stunt for the Xero Competition team as all the ladies involved had been for a days training in their duties at the teams workshop.

Paris Fashion Week Kicks Off With No Plans to Ban Skinny Models. [Associated Press] The Paris ready-to-wear shows kicked off  with the French fashion industry's leading official saying he did not believe organizers should ban the use of models considered underweight. Didier Grumbach, head of the Chambre Syndicale said that he did not plan to follow in the footsteps of Spanish authorities in setting guidelines for the minimum weight of models who appear on the catwalks. "I think it's a non-issue. You don't solve public health problems by regulating the size of models. You know, fashion is only the reflection of what is happening in society. It is not the cause." France's Health Ministry recently announced it was setting up a working group on body image, with the aim of establishing a charter with advertisers banning the use of excessively thin models. Grumbach said he did not plan to take part in the government talks.

Fit for the Working World: Female Immigrants in Germany. [Deutsche Welle, Germany] A project helps female immigrants shape their careers for working in Germany -- from deciding on work, training, improving language skills and writing applications. Germany offers various programs for immigrants, many of which are specifically defined for women who want to enter the job market. Normally, however, these programs are aimed at women looking to work in a particular field and leave many who are undecided about what kind of employment they seek or unsure if their training will be recognized in Germany to wonder about their future.

Germans Book Tickets to Women's 2007 World Cup. [People's Daily Online, China] World and European Champions Germany sealed their place at the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 thanks to a 3-2 away win in Moscow. Germany, who had a 5-1 win in the first leg, took the lead after 32 minutes thanks to a goal from striker Sandra Smisek.

Women Focus in Debrecen. [Kenya Times] The Women’s 20km Race at the 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships, Debrecen, Hungary will offer the home spectators the best chance of individual success. Leading the world in 2006 over 20km, and entered for Debrecen are the Asian and African record holders, respectively Kayoko Fukushi of Japan and Kenyan Edith Masai. Fukushi and Masai set their records as intermediate splits on the way to Half Marathon victories, the former in the Marugame Half Marathon (67:26 Area Rec) on 5 February, and the latter at the Berlin Half Marathon (67:16) on the 2 April.

Only Irish Women Binge Drink More than the English. [Daily Mail – UK] Women in England are some of the worst binge drinkers in the world, a study has revealed. One in three 17 to 30-year-olds is now classed as a heavy drinker, bingeing on four or more units in one session at least once a fortnight. That puts them second in an international league of shame, with only Ireland having a bigger problem.

Fallaci, Controversial Reporter and Writer, Dies. [AKI, Italy] Oriana Fallaci, the Italian war reporter and controversial writer, died in her home-town, Florence. She was 77. For two decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, Fallaci was known worldwide for her war reporting and irreverent interviews to world leaders including U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Iran's ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Her most recent publications were harshly criticized in Italy and abroad as inciting hatred against Islam.

Kovesi Becomes First Female Prosecutor General. [People's Daily Online, China] Laura Codruta Kovesi became Romania's first female prosecutor general after the Supreme Court of Justice promoted her to the office under a presidential decree. Kovesi, 33, began her prosecution career at the prosecution office with the Sibiu Tribunal in central Romania. In January, she was appointed head of the Sibiu Local Office of the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Directorate.

Russia Provides Women's Car Insurance as Female Driver Numbers Increase. [Kwik Fit Insurance, UK] The increasing number of women drivers in Russia has led to insurers offering females in the country specialist car insurance for women. Of the 142 million Russian residents, two million are female drivers. The number is almost double what it was in 2001. "Fifteen to 25 years ago, there were no female drivers in Russia. There was only one car in the family and that belonged to the husband, the brother or the father and they did all the driving. Now many more women can afford their own car."

World's Women Tennis Stars Set to Clash for Kremlin Cup. [RIA Novosti, Russia] The world's top women tennis players will arrive in Moscow at the weekend for the start of the Kremlin Cup 2006. "The women's draw for the tournament is impressive," Shamil Tarpishchev said, adding that it included world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo of France, and Russia's top player and world No.3 Maria Sharapova.

First Female Lord Advocate Nominated. [stv.tv, UK] Solicitor General Elish Angiolini has been nominated by First Minister Jack McConnell to be Scotland's new top law officer. If approved by MSPs, Ms Angiolini will become the first woman to hold the title of Lord Advocate. She has held the position of Solicitor General since 2001.

Court Upholds Ruling Against Violator of Female Circumcision Ban. [Raw Story] A Swedish appeals court upheld a four-year jail term for a 41-year-old Somalia-born man convicted of violating a ban against female circumcision. The man was found guilty of taking his then 12-year-old daughter to Somalia in 2001 where she underwent the painful procedure. It was the first time a court has ruled on female circumcision in Sweden since the law banning the procedure was adopted in 1982. In 1999, the law was amended to make it an offence to take the victim to another country and carry out the procedure there.

Somali-Born Woman Sentenced for Violating Female Circumcision Ban. [Monsters and Critics.com] A 42-year-old woman was sentenced to three years imprisonment for violating a Swedish ban on female circumcision and child abuse by forcing her daughter to undergo the painful procedure. It was the second ruling on female circumcision in Sweden since the law was adopted in 1982.

Male-Female Pay Gap in Finance Jobs Widens. [ic Wales] The pay gap between men and women in finance jobs has grown over the past year by more than £2,000 to £11,600, research shows. A survey of more than 1,000 workers showed average earnings for men were £51,000 compared with £39,400 for women. Recruitment consultants Robert Half Finance & Accounting said its study suggested that the gender pay gap in finance was worth more than £30m.