(UN News Service) -- Luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, the media, music and film were joining the United Nations on Thursday as it celebrated the birth of a powerful new agency giving voice to women and girls worldwide.

UN Women – formally known as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – was established in July 2010 by the General Assembly, merging four previous UN bodies dealing with women’s issues. “With the birth of UN Women, we welcome a powerful new agent for progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
@H=Hijab regains popularity in Tunisia
@T= (Magharebia.com) -- After years of restrictive policies against religious attire, Tunisia might soon rescind its long-standing ban on the hijab in public institutions.
The veil is a personal matter and part of women's individual freedom, Religious Affairs Minister Laroussi Mizouri announced on February 12th in the first official statement regarding the issue. Under Tunisian law, the veil is considered ""sectarian dress"" rather than a religious duty. The country's first president, Habib Bourguiba, outlawed the hijab in public places, and his successor, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, vowed to preserve the Personal Status Code.
@H= A troubled future for the women of Afghanistan
@T= (The Guardian) -- This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, as well as the toppling of the Taliban, although parts of the country are still controlled by this extreme militia. There is talk that when the troops leave Afghanistan in the presumed near future, the situation for women will worsen due to the fact that the Afghani government is apparently making plans for reconciliation with the Taliban.
This is not to say that women today are faring so well. The treatment of women who are under the thumb of the Taliban is now being considered as part of local culture. In other words the West has changed its attitude due to its efforts to extricate itself from this war.