Every third woman falls victim to violence in her lifetime. On February 14, 2013 thousands of people all over the world protested against these daily acts of violence with dance though flashmobs and other artistic events.

On February 7, 2013, Angola awoke to the sounds of screams of pain and the sound of two women customers of a store being whipped. In just three days the 13 minute video that showed two women being brutally beaten had more than 25,000 views on Youtube, was aired on state television and shocked the Angolan community. Accused of stealing soap and champagne bottles, the women were severely punished and sexually humiliated by several men, including the owner of the store.

A new infographic from Women & Tech explores government-mandated paid maternity leave policies around the globe. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sweden comes in first place, offering 13 weeks at a fixed rate and a whopping 56 weeks at 80% pay. Waaaaay down at the bottom is the US of A, which does not require employers to prove any paid family leave. (The Family and Medical Leave Act requires only a certain amount of unpaid leave, and only for certain employers.)

With historic votes in favour of marriage equality in the French and British parliaments in the last week, more countries are moving to give gay and lesbian citizens the same rights that heterosexual couples enjoy. And it's about time. Eleven countries already allow same sex marriage, as well as a number of state and city governments.

Young singles in China get pressure from their families to find a mate. That pressure intensifies during Chinese New Year when families gather to celebrate. But there's a new way to deal with the issue: renting a boyfriend. Several online sites now post advertisements by men offering to pose as a boyfriend. You can even win one in a lottery.

Blogger Asaad Abu Khalil of The Angry Arab News Service posted the following satirical picture recently. The caption reads, "Saudi Arabia permits women to drive cars." Of course, Saudi Arabia prohibits women from driving, and also imposes a strict dress code on women, requiring them to be covered from head to toe. Abu Khalil posted the picture to illustrate these points.

Malala Yousufzai has given her first interview since the attack against her by the Taliban. The teenage Pakistani education activist, who was shot in the head and nearly killed last October, told Sky News that she's grateful to have a second shot at life. "God has given me this new life....and I want to serve, I want to serve the people." Check out a clip after the jump.

Late last year, amid the the rallies, dances, blockades, and furious tweeting that accompanied the burgeoning Idle No More movement, a young nativ

by Junjie Jiang

Instead of putting women on billboards, a Japanese company is putting billboards on women. More like small ads on thighs. The epidermal real estate in question is the ‘zettai ryouiki’--or the flesh between the top of a high sock and a short skirt. Yes, it has a name--just like a muffin top or back fat. But unlike those reviled bit, the zettaiis a bit of a fetishy spot much drawn by manga cartoonists.

A variety of problems have combined to move the global civilization toward a collapse. The side effects of the very practices that have allowed humans to prosper have combined to put incredible strain on the planet’s natural systems -- and to threaten future generations. But the collapse of civilization can be avoided by reducing consumption and expanding women’s role in society, biologists report.

The Fearless poster collective's Facebook page describes the project as a series of "posters made by a host of illustrators and designers from across India and more that AFFIRM fearless femininity." Referring to the recent spate of sexual assaults in the country, the project says that "While we need to keep sharing these links and letting these stories be heard...We also need to keep reaffirming fearlessness and channel all this energy somewhere." Check out more posters after the jump.

Since the brutal rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi last month, thousands of women in India, who are increasingly working and studying, have repeatedly taken to the streets to express anger over attitudes towards women, calling for major change. A woman is raped in Delhi, the country’s capital city, every 18 hours, according to official figures, and women across India say they are often subjected to sexual intimidation and violence.

On the television program “Justiça Cega?” (Blind Justice), which airs on the Portuguese network RTP, the president of the Portuguese Bar Association, Marinho Pinto, claimed ”one of the things Brazil has most exported is prostitutes, among other things.” There has been no shortage of reactions of indignation to Pinto's statement on Facebook and Twitter under the hashtag #justicacega.