NBC News will focus a significant amount of attention in October to its effort to “‘educate the public on the current state of women in America.’”[1] A study initiated by Maria Shriver, a former NBC correspondent, will be covered throughout one week of NBC’s evening newscast and on three mornings of the “Today” show.

The 34th Annual Toronto International Film Festival proved to be a success for women in the industry, as female filmmakers overwhelmingly dominated the scene. The festival’s opening on Thursday, September 10th was a memorable one, as a string of films were premiered with women at the helm. Despite the fact that about 90% of directors at American studios are male, women managed to stake claim in some of the most prestigious time slots during the 10-day event.

Researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago recently published a study conducted from 1984 to 2004 on the performance of male and female members of the House of Representatives. The findings suggest that women in Congress introduce more bills, attract more co-sponsors, and secure more money for their districts than their male counterparts.

Due to isolation, lack of education, and cultural insensitivity, maternal mortality rates are particularly high among indigenous and rural women around the world. In order to address this situation, international NGO Health Unlimited worked with its Peruvian partner, Salud Sin Límites Perú, to implement culturally-sensitive birth facilities for Indigenous women of rural areas in Ayacucho, Peru. The rate of health facility births has now increased from six percent in 1999 to eighty-three percent in 2007 in this region of Peru.

Last Tuesday, Sudanese journalist Lubna Huessin was freed from prison after being convicted for wearing trousers in public, a violation of Sudan’s indecency law. At her court appearance last Monday, Huessin arrived dressed in the same green pants that got her arrested just over a month ago.

In their new book, Half the Sky, NY Times reporter Nicholas Kristof and his wife, reporter Sheryl WuDunn expose the undervaluation of female life through various anecdotes and case studies around the world. They hold that the fight for gender equality is “the paramount moral challenge” of our era[1] and argue that releasing women’s energy is also critical to economic success.

Diane Sawyer, co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” was named the new solo anchor of ABC’s “World News” on Tuesday, after Charles Gibson unexpectedly decided to step down. The promotion of Ms. Sawyer to leader of ABC’s network news division has fundamentally altered the traditionally male-dominated and male-anchored evening news.

Earlier this week, Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi was sworn in to President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet as health minister, making her the first female minister in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. When addressing Parliament, she spoke of the need to increase women’s participation in politics and in national affairs, and of the “miracles” that can be performed when men and women work together.

The vast majority of advertisements promoting women’s products contribute to unrealistic standards of beauty in western society. Dove, however, has launched an advertising campaign dedicated to both promoting a healthy body image among women as well as raising awareness about how media and advertising distort standards for physical attractiveness.

A newly adopted code in Mali which extended more equal rights to women and girls has been sent back to Parliament for review by President Amadou Toumani Toure. The new code, which according to IRIN has been under review for the past decade, sparked protests and violence in the country.