Urging women to concentrate on moving forward rather than “up,” Ping Fu, chief strategy officer for 3D Systems, described life as a mountain range that needs to be scaled. “Forget about this glass ceiling stuff,” she said at a May 29 Washington, D.C., panel discussion on women, democracy and technology.

When Ilirjana Gafurri, a political party activist in Peja, Kosovo, won a seat on her local council six years ago, she became an advocate for issues such as better health care and women’s equality in her community. But Gafurri had to struggle to make her voice heard in the predominantly male body, where women are often perceived as being passive or not as qualified.

In Kenya’s male-dominated political landscape, women face many barriers to political participation, especially when seeking elective office. Aspiring women politicians often struggle with discrimination and lack of coverage by top media outlets, which makes it difficult for them to gain public exposure and support.

The widespread problem in Iraq of violence against women — tolerated in households, schools and businesses— has become the primary focus for a local women’s advocacy organization, Bent al-Rafedain (BROB). It has sought to raise awareness among residents of Babil province, south of Baghdad, that violence against women is not an isolated issue, but a widespread problem that needs to be addressed.

NDI has announced that it will award its 2013 Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the Network of Support for Women Municipal Leaders (REAMM) of Mexico. The $25,000 grant goes to community-based organizations that create greater roles for women in civic and political life.