Afghanistan

• Explosion in University Injures Eight Female Students. [WBOC TV 16] Police say whoever planted a bomb in a college classroom doesn't want education for Afghan women. A small explosion went off Monday in a classroom at Herat University in western Afghanistan. Eight female students were hurt.

• Shaikha Sabika Receives Female Parliamentarians. [Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain] Women leaders and parliamentarians are taking part in a regional gathering being organized by the Shura Council. During the meeting, Shaikha Haya noted that Bahraini women represent pillars for women movement in the kingdom, praising in particular Shura council female members.

• Gulf Indian Women Forced into Prostitution. [Hindustan Times, India] Three Indian women in Bahrain who were allegedly forced into prostitution have filed a complaint with labor officials in that Gulf nation. The three, aged 24, 25 and 35, worked in a restaurant. They alleged that were forced into prostitution by the restaurant manager and a woman supervisor, both Indians.

• High Time Quota Bill is Tabled, Say Women. [Hindu, India] It is high time the Government took the Women's Reservation Bill out of cold storage, women's groups warned here on Monday. They said if the United Progressive Alliance Government ignored the voice of women and failed to feel the pulse of the people, it would have to regret its failure in the near future.

• One-Third Reservation for Women in Parliament A Must. [Hindu, India] Backing the demand for 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State Assemblies, former Prime Minister V P Singh said the inclusion of women in decision-making bodies can help in forming effective policies in sectors like women and child development.

• Genocide of India's Daughters. [Daily Mail – UK] Ten million female fetuses have been illegally aborted in India by mothers desperate to bear a son. What will become of this nation of ever fewer women?

• Let Us All Uphold the Dignity of Women. [Herald Publications, India] Any organization, or for that matter any women's commission taking up the cudgels to fight crime against women, by coming on a common platform to fight for the cause of women in India to seek adequate protection by strengthening the legal system, obtain justice through fast track courts and call for deterrent punishment to the perpetrators of the shameful act we call RAPE - are welcome.

• Harassment Victims Have No Place to Go. [Times of India] While blackening the face of a college professor cannot be the way to deal with a complaint, victims of sexual harassment in city colleges say they have nowhere to turn. Even as cases of sexual harassment in colleges are on the rise, not a single city college has a properly functioning redressal mechanism.

• Bihar Women's Panel Issues Fresh Summons to Udit. [Hindustan Times, India] The Bihar state women's commission has asked Bollywood playback singer Udit Narayan and his alleged first wife Ranjana to depose before it by Wednesday to clarify their move for a compromise.

• Women Can Storm the Digital Bastion. [Indiatimes, India] Women tend to rate themselves significantly less competent at navigating the Internet compared to how men rate themselves. But in reality, both sexes are equally skilled given similar experience and education levels, a new study finds.

• Efforts to Improve Literacy Level of Women. [Hindu, India] Since many women in the `productive age group' are illiterate in the district, efforts have been made to improve their level of literacy. Funded by the Central and the State Governments, the project for residual illiteracy would be implemented through the Continuing Education Program (CEP) with active involvement of non-governmental organizations.

• Women Are Easy Prey in MedEd. [Times of India, India] The findings showed that over 25% of the women at JJ—including doctors, nurses, interns, medical students and paramedical staff—had experienced sexual harassment, including verbal harassment, touching, passes, lewd remarks and also molestation.

• Batala Case: Women's Panel Seeks Report. [The Tribune, India] Taking notice of the alleged incident of a Batala-based pregnant woman losing her baby due to the thrashing that she received at the hands of three Punjab Police personnel and a driver yesterday, the Punjab State Commission for Women today sought a status report from the SSP, Gurdaspur. The provocation was an altercation that took place between one of the accused and the husband of the woman.

• India to Host Women’s Cricket World Cup. [PakTribune.com, Pakistan] The 2013 women’s World Cup will be held in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. India was one of the 19 hosts approved by the ICC’s board of directors for the ICC-owned tournaments between 2007-2015.

• Delhi to Host Women's World Boxing Championship. [Hindu, India] The Women's World Boxing championship will be held in Delhi later this year after some of the participating nations made a request for the event to be shifted from Hyderabad.

• Women in Ahmedabad Police Have High Stress Level. [Gujarat Global.com, India] About 65% of women working in the police in Ahmedabad are under tremendous work pressure and stress which is badly affecting their family life according to a study conducted by a student of the Social Science Department of the Gujarat University. Erratic and long working hours, is one of the major reasons behind the high levels of stress among the personnel.

• Dissident Rallies Her Followers. [New York Times] Thousands of Iranians from across Europe gathered in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and its leader, Maryam Rajavi, recently freed from French judicial restrictions. Rajavi has built a loyal following among middle-class Iranian immigrants across Europe, primarily through an online network of Iranian women. More women than men support Rajavi "because of the misogynist character of the Iranian regime".

• Iran Charges Women's Rights Activists Following Tehran Demonstration. [Jurist] Iran has charged leading women's rights activists with acting "against national security" in connection with a June 12 women's rights demonstration that turned violent when police detained more than 70 people in central Tehran.

• Sunni Female Legislator Kidnapped in Baghdad. [USA Today] Gunmen in Baghdad kidnapped a Sunni female legislator Saturday along with seven of her bodyguards, the parliament speaker's office said.

• Gunmen Kill 3 Women in Najaf. [News24, South Africa] A group of gunmen killed two women and a teenage girl on Monday when they stormed a house allegedly used as a brothel in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, local security sources said. The house had received three warnings from unknown gunmen to stop its activities.

• For Iraqi Girls, Changing Land Narrows Lives. [New York Times] The American invasion and occupation have wrought small, but profound, changes in the everyday lives of girls — changes that serve as a weather vane of sorts for the social fabric of a sovereign Iraq. Even though the last years of Saddam Hussein's rule had brought new restrictions on women's freedoms, the simultaneous collapse of the police state that had kept public order and the new leeway for religious clerics to demand stricter compliance with Islamic law have increasingly narrowed girls' lives.

• Stolen Away. [Time Magazine] No one knows how many young women have been kidnapped and sold since 2003. The Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq estimates from anecdotal evidence that more than 2,000 Iraqi women have gone missing in that period. A Western official in Baghdad who monitors the status of women in Iraq thinks that figure may be inflated but admits that sex trafficking, virtually nonexistent under Saddam, has become a serious issue.

• Unemployment Forces Female Professionals into Domestic Work. [Reuters] National unemployment figures have risen ever since the occupation of the country by US-led forces three years ago. This has led to increasing numbers of female professionals being driven to search for work as domestic servants. "For women, the [unemployment] figure is almost 70%, meaning that many of them must search for low-status jobs."

• Lewis: Democrats Must Be Stronger on Security. [Jerusalem Post, Israel] When the American Jewish Congress convened a conference on women's empowerment in Tel Aviv recently, it brought together an array of women who have made their mark across the Atlantic.

• Only Female Warrior in Lebanon. [Ynetnews, Israel] One of the doctors who evacuated wounded IDF soldiers from Bint Jbeil on Monday is also the first female soldier to serve in Lebanon. Lt. Dr. Marina immigrated to Israel and serves as the doctor for the 52nd armored battalion. "In Russia, I was a doctor in the Red Army," she tells.

• Lack of Time and Money Led to Women's Election Defeat. [Kuwait Times, Kuwait] When women candidates entered this election they forgot several important keys to success. They didn't recognize a month was never going to be enough to convince people and make voters, especially men, have faith in them. Second, they didn't spend a lot of money on receptions and promotion like male candidates.

• Women Candidates Discuss Election Defeat. [Kuwait Times, Kuwait] 11 female candidates gathered in the office of local daily Al-Qabas where they talked about the five-week election campaign. Rola Dashti said that the failure of women was caused by alliances between the liberal and Islamic movement in addition to buying votes.

• Mauritanian Women March in Support of Palestinians. [Reuters AlertNet, UK] More than 10,000 Mauritanians, many of them women, marched in the capital Nouakchott on Tuesday in support of Palestinians after the latest Israeli attacks in Gaza. The demonstration was called by political parties in the Islamic republic, and residents said it was the biggest the city had seen for many years.

• Morocco's Veiled Feminists. [Morocco Times, Morocco] It is often assumed that modern feminism has no place, and thus can make little headway, in societies undergoing a religious revival, particularly in the Islamic world. But the real progress made in recent years on women's rights in Morocco suggests otherwise: a unique combination of activism by secular and religious women, the calculations of political parties, and a significant role for the King has led to real progress.

• No Women Aid Workers in Quake Area: Clerics. [Reuters] Muslim clerics in Pakistan's conservative North West Frontier Province want local authorities to expel all women working for international relief agencies in earthquake affected areas by the end of this month. The clerics accuse the women, including Pakistanis employed by foreign non-government organizations (NGOs), of dressing improperly, mixing with men and drinking alcohol, which is banned in Islamic Pakistan.

• Musharraf Orders for Immediate Release of Women Prisoners. [PakTribune.com, Pakistan] President Musharraf issued orders for immediate release of women prisoners from the jails who are not involved in the cases of robbery, murder and terrorism. He also issued directives to end the discriminatory law against the women and directed the government to go for comprehensive and effective legislation in this connection.

• All But Two Offences by Pakistan Women Bailable. [Hindu] As many as 1,300 women in Pakistan's prisons will be released on bail under an ordinance that President Pervez Musharraf signed on Friday. The law makes all offences by women, except terrorism and murder, bailable.

• Pakistan Allows Bail for Female Adulterers. [Seattle Post Intelligencer] Pakistan's president on Friday amended an Islamic law to allow hundreds of women facing charges for adultery and other minor crimes to be freed on bail. The much-anticipated amendment by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf would affect 1,300 female prisoners currently awaiting trial, the minister for women's affairs said.

• 106 Women Prisoners Still Languishing in Adiala Jail. [PakTribune.com, Pakistan] The Federal Minister for Women Development and Youth Affairs visited Central Jail Adiala where in spite of the issuance of Presidential Ordinance regarding release of women prisoners, 106 women prisoners are still languishing. "The jail authorities informed that a final list of 106 women has been prepared who would be released soon on bail. Though they have to file a request for bail."

• Lists Being Prepared to Release Caged Women in Pakistan. [Pakistan Times] The authorities of Women Jails in Pakistan are preparing lists to facilitate release of the women detained in minor crimes after the President promulgated an ordinance to allow bail for women.

• 200 Women Rally to Demand Female Students Wear Head Scarves. [Canada.com, Canada] More than 200 women rallied in the Pakistani capital Monday, demanding the government make it mandatory for female students to wear Islamic head scarves, or hijab, in schools and colleges. "We want that government make it mandatory for women to be in hijab in all educational institutions."

Turkey

• Those 5 Wives? 'I wouldn't do it again'. [International Herald Tribune] Banned as part of an effort to modernize the Turkish republic and empower women, polygamy remains widespread in this deeply religious and rural Kurdish region of southeastern Anatolia, home to one- third of Turkey's 71 million people. The practice is generally accepted under the Koran.

• ‘Virgin Suicides’ Save Turks’ ‘Honor’. [IHT.com] Hoping to join the EU, Turkey has tightened the punishments for "honor crimes." But lives are being ended by a different means. Parents are pressing the daughters to take their own lives instead. A growing number of "dishonored" girls are being locked in a room for days with rat poison, a pistol or a rope, and told by their families that the only thing resting between their disgrace and redemption is death.

• Female Azeri Citizen Killed in Istanbul. [TREND Information, Azerbaijan] Tamasha Ismayilova, 20, citizen of Azerbaijan, was murdered in Istanbul. Having been stabbed with knife by local dweller Erkan Sartkayyi, she died in one of shops in Aksaray district. According to the preliminary information, victim and murderer had an affair during the lat two years.

• 1,300 Female, 347 Male Students Graduate from Qatar University. [Peninsula On-line, Qatar] A total of 1,300 female and 347 male students have graduated from Qatar University (QU) on completion of the 29th batch.

• Family Law Gives Women Advantage. [Peninsula On-line, Qatar] In a revolutionary departure, Qatar's family law passed recently gives a divorced women the right to claim maintenance from her former husband provided it is the latter who has given the divorce. The new law divests the courts of their powers to order a woman to return to her husband if she has walked out of his house in the event of a dispute or alleging harassment.

• Walls and Veils Hide Women from the World. [Malaysia Star, Malaysia] Women have been hauled off by the Islamic religious police for talking to strange men. A system of gender segregation is in force which rigorously separates men from women unless they are close relatives. The religious police consists of clerics or their students who roam the streets with normal police to ensure that the strict regulations of Saudi Islam are enforced.

• Female Physicians Drive Awareness of Key Health Issues. [Strategiy, UAE] Female doctors have a key role to play in providing counsel and support for women suffering from sensitive conditions, said a leading doctor working in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Women in the Kingdom feel more comfortable talking to a female doctor and, as a result, these doctors have a responsibility to participate in healthcare education and awareness-raising.