Women take part in a protest in the southern city of Basra. Thousands took to the streets in predominantly Shiite southern Iraq in a show of support for the Shiite premier Nuri al-Maliki after more than two weeks of protests in the mainly Sunni Arab north and west. -Photo by AFP

A woman holds a poster reading ‘come on, Southern Weekend’ to support journalists from the newspaper near their offices in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province. Chinese bloggers and celebrities, along with foreign media campaigners, threw their support behind journalists at a newspaper enmeshed in a censorship row, after a rare protest for press freedom. -Photo by AFP

A woman dressed in an elephant costume holds a sign during a protest demonstration against the death sentence of two ailing elephants at the Tete d'Or zoo in Lyon. The sign reads, "No to euthanasia of Nepal and Baby". -Photo by AFP

Indian students shout slogans against Indian spiritual guru Asharam during a protest in New Delhi. Asharam sparked a backlash after saying a 23-year-old student could have averted a murderous gang-rape by begging for mercy from her attackers. -Photo by AFP

An Indian woman participates in a protest against the recent gang rape of a young woman in moving bus, in New Delhi. -Photo by Reuters

Nepalese woman participates in a protest in Katmandu, Nepal. The protesters demanded the government to crack down on crimes against women and that authorities do more to protect women in Nepal. -Photo by AP

Hundreds of Nepalese campaigners have protested over the alleged rape and robbery of a maid by government officials, echoing widespread anger in neighbouring India over violence against women. -Photo by AP

A mother protests against organisers of the East Coast Fine Arms Show to cancel its event out of respect for the still grieving community of Newtown, Connecticut. -Photo by Reuters

Woman reacts during a protest in front of the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. Boeung Kak lake residents, embroiled in land disputes in the capital, gathered to appeal to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for help regarding the threatened eviction from their land to be used for the development of luxury private property. -Photo by Reuters