The politics of gender
We ask key thinkers to discuss some of the big issues in gender and development
Talkpoint: can quotas in parliament close the gender gap?
Rwanda’s political quota inspired a female majority in its parliament, but are they the best method to bridge the gender gap? Tell us your thoughts
Violence against women: help us build a global picture
Have you experienced violence against women? Or been involved in campaigning against it? Help us build a global picture
Lakshmi Puri on combating violence against women worldwide – video
UN Women's Lakshmi Puri urges global action to end violence against women
Women's economic empowerment offers a win-win scenario
Naila Kabeer: Not only does gender equality lead to higher economic growth, it is key to ensuring a fairer world for both men and women
Sierra Leone's women are a political force that can no longer be ignored
Hussaina J Abdullah: Their push for a quota system has yet to bear fruit, but women have growing political influence – and that should be celebrated
Who creates harmony the world over? Women. Who signs peace deals? Men
Report calls for more balanced approach to resolving conflict and says female view on freedom from violence is needed
African women won't wield political influence without cultural change
Sarah Jackson: Women elected to African parliaments courtesy of candidate quotas are too often marginalised by a lack of respect once there
Talk point: Your views on what's blocking access to contraception
Ahead of the London family planning summit, we asked our readers for their views on the challenges to expanding access to contraception globally. See their views here, and add your own
Reader's photos - International Women's Day 2012 - in pictures
A gallery of pictures of inspirational women, sent in by our readers from around the world. After posting a first gallery of readers' pictures to celebrate International Women's Day 2012, we received many more images, and so created this second gallery to showcase them
Boys and men must be included in the conversation on equality
Andrea Cornwall: Often branded hazardous or hopeless, boys and men are part of the development equation and can help tackle gender equality
Gender is just one of many inequalities that generate poverty and exclusion
Claire Melamed: We don't lose points on gender if we admit that class, race and ethnicity also have a role in creating inequality
International Women's Day 2012: cartoons exploring women's place in society around the world - in pictures
International Women's Day 2012: Let's make a commitment to education
International Women's Day 2012: Your photos
To politically empower women on a global scale we need more than quotas
Cash transfers do not address the underlying causes of women's poverty
Maxine Molyneux: Women need more than just small amounts of cash to escape poverty – the limited 'empowerment' of income support should be coupled with training and employment
World Bank must re-evaluate its strategies to cut maternal mortality
Elizabeth Arend: Deaths in childbirth would drop further if the bank cut fees and expanded grants in its spending on reproductive health
Donor policies fail to bring real and sustained change for women
Andrea Cornwall: For all their talk of empowerment, initiatives by development agencies and donors fail to tackle power imbalances, and do not allow women to realise their own hopes and dreams
