Around 150 Afghan high school aged girls were poisoned on Tuesday in northern Afghanistan in what many suspect is an attack on females seeking education.

The schoolgirls were poisoned by contaminated water in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, causing them to suffer from severe headaches and vomiting.

Some of the affected students remain in critical condition over the poisoning. more >>

Jenna Talackova, the 23-year-old transgender Canadian who was booted from the upcoming Miss Universe Canada pageant, could possibly be reinstated to the competition, organizers have said.

Talackova, who was born a male but underwent sexual reassignment surgery four years ago, was originally told she would not be able to participate in the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May because she had lied in her application about being a naturally born female.

The decision, based on the rules created by the larger Miss Universe organization, run by billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump, sparked a wave of worldwide criticism, including a petition on website Change.com that gathered more than 41,000 signatures demanding Talackova be reinstated to the competition. Still, others have insisted that the rules are there for a reason. more >>

A new report released by Human Rights Watch this week argues that despite the ousting of the Taliban, women and girls in Afghanistan continue to live in precarious conditions with hundreds of females spending years behind bars for committing "moral crimes," which sometimes include being victims of rape.

The report, "I Had to Run Away: Women and Girls Imprisoned for 'Moral Crimes' In Afghanistan," was published by Human Rights Watch on Wednesday and details the circumstances of women and girls in Afghanistan's female detention centers.

The report outlines the "crimes" that send women and girls into detention centers, often for years at a time, which include fleeing a situation of domestic violence or being the victim of rape. more >>

Christian author and speaker Carol McLeod is gearing up to explore the spiritual side of women's emotions next month with the release of her new book HOLY ESTROGEN: Every Woman's Guide to Making Her Emotions the Holiest Part of Her.

McLeod told The Christian Post that she went through years of battling depression until she "developed an addiction to the word of God." She said she finally discovered a way to live above her circumstances, but also realized in the process that there are many Christian women who are "enslaved to emotions and circumstances, [even though] God never designed us to live that way."

Often, in the rush of life, the negative effects of women's emotions emerge in different situations with detrimental results. Statistics show that women are twice as likely to experience depression as men, and that depression is the leading cause of disability for women in the world. more >>

Christian women often try to organize the messiness of life by creating "happy little compartments that we suppose will bring peace," said Trisha Wilkerson, a Christian blogger and mother.

As the wife of a pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Wash., and as a writer for Mark Driscoll's The Resurgence blog on subjects like work and worship, Wilkerson is no stranger to juggling the busyness of everyday life.

But she notes in her post, titled "Ladies, Don't Compartmentalize God," that women often try to control the chaos of life the wrong way. They create checklists and compartments in their hearts, "gladly tucking devotional and Bible thoughts into that 'Jesus' category." more >>

Never in history has the world's social ills and the campaigns against them been more exposed than now, thanks to the use of social media and celebrity and corporate endorsements, says the founder of International Women's Day.

Today marks the 101st International Women's Day with thousands of events occurring worldwide that celebrate women's progress.

Glenda Stone, founder of the internationalwomensday.com website, said in a released statement, "Activity on International Women's Day has skyrocketed over the last five years. This is due to the rise of social media, celebrity involvement, and corporations taking on the day sponsoring and running big events." more >>