Cynthia L. Hogle, an advocate for women in Afghanistan, discussed her work at a seminar Wednesday hosted by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. Hogle undertook projects to improve the lives of Afghan women in Maiwand, a village in the Taliban’s home province of Kandahar.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that the 2012 TechWomen international exchange participants will take part in an interactive discussion on “Tech for Social Good” hosted by the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute on Tuesday, October 9 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. The 41 TechWomen and 60 of their professional and cultural mentors will engage representatives from non-profits and multilateral organizations on innovative uses of technology for development.

Nigeria has suspended all Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia after the authorities there deported more than 170 women who had arrived without a male escort... A Nigerian government delegation is going to Saudi Arabia to complain.

I am thrilled that the Women in Public Service Project, which we launched in Washington in December, has tapped such a deep vein of enthusiasm for expanding the number of women answering the call to public service around the world.

The initiative, a key diplomatic effort by the State Department, aims to engage young girls and women on how success in athletics can develop important life skills and improve academic achievement. It also is designed to increase cross-cultural understanding between international participants and Americans.