#AREWAMETOO: Northern women speak up

Stories of courage, specifically about women, are the theme of a special festival organised this weekend by Amnesty International in Paris. For three days, the curtain will go up on the 12th Cinema and Human Rights Festival. The event invites moviegoers and activists to watch a series of short and longer films and then debate their content. In Perspective, we spoke to coordinator Ievgeniia Sokova.

Women represent half the population in Iraq, but are almost invisible in the public sphere. In this ultra-conservative society, a woman's place is neither at school nor at work, but out of sight at home. Yet some brave women have decided to fight against these traditions, despite the danger. Our reporters went to meet them.

Countering violence in their homeland by peaceful means has been the goal of thousands of Muslim and Christian women in Kaduna, Nigeria. They have been awarded the Aachen Peace Prize for their work.

Haitian officials had said the gang had asked for $1 million each for the group of 17, which included five children. The gang had threatened to kill the North Americans.

A Taliban ministry has asked TV networks to stop broadcasting programs that the ultra-conservative group deems immoral. They have said that the directives are not obligatory, but rather "a religious guideline."

Italian authorities said the criminal network forced 41 Nigerian women into prostitution while nine were forced to beg for money on the streets. The exploitation stretched outside Italy into Germany and Libya.

Every two-and-a-half days a woman in Germany dies at the hands of her partner or former partner, according to figures presented on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The US and UN made renewed appeals to the combatants in Ethiopia to de-escalate and work towards negotiating a truce. This comes as PM Abiy Ahmed goes to the front.

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, GuardianTV's Ijeoma Thomas-Odia discusses 'Eliminating Violence Against Women' with Risikat Omolara Yusuff - Founding President, Organization Nonformal Education Foundation (ONEF), Amaka Chibuzo-Obi - Founder, Wivesroundtable Foundation, and Abimbola Ojosipe - Executive Director at Chamagne Foundation.

In Afghanistan, women have now been waiting for three months for their fate to be decided by the Taliban government. One key question is whether older schoolgirls will be able to return to high school. With winter school holidays coming up, women in Kabul fear that the Taliban will simply play for time and postpone any decision on the issue. In the meantime, some Afghan provinces have been able to reopen their schools, but not others. Our team on the ground reports from Kabul.

Police have used tear gas to disperse a crowd protesting gender-based violence in Istanbul. Many of the protesters called on the government to resign.

Seven strong African women speak out about their experiences of violence and abuse to mark the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.