Charisma challenged Chancellor

Glitz and glamour haven't followed Germany's first woman Chancellor Angela Merkel Many worried at the outset that Ms Merkel didn't have enough charisma for the job. Some wondered whether this unassuming former physicist could hold her own with the heavyweights on the world stage. But, it turns out she's put most of those fears to rest.

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Thursday's International women's day. Now there seem to be more commemorative days than there are days of the year. Some, like World No Tobacco Day, are self-explanatory. Others, such as International day of the potato, seem less obvious. But why do women need a day? Men don't get a day and do you hear us complaining? No. We rise above it. They're hardly a minority so is there a good reason to focus on 50% of the population? 

Scandinavia is known for the high number of women in politics. A full 47.3 percent of the country's parliamentary politicians are female. Nine of the current ministers in the centre-right cabinet are women - including the deputy Prime Minister. 

Perhaps International women's day would be better appreciated by the female MEP's and bureaucrats trying to make a name for themselves in Brussels. But how seriously are women taken in the EU capital? We put it to RN's Brussels correspondant Vanessa Mock that it was surely still a man's world. 

She's the socialist candidate for april's presidential elections, and has become something of a media darling in the past year, with the papparazzi snapping her with her children and even on holiday in a bikini. Attention her centre right rival, Nicolas Sarkozy can only dream of. The 2 are neck and neck in the polls and Ms Royal represents the first strong chance of a woman winning the French presidency. Surveys show that the French are now prepared to elect a woman president. But this doesn't mean that sexism in France is dead and buried. Ms Royal's critics, sexists and feminists among them, say she's not doing women any favours. 

On the 1st of March, it is customary for women in Romania to receive “Martisor”, a sort of talisman, which can be a jewel, or just a nickel, glass or plastic figurine tied to a red and white string. Men give offer this little present to women in token of love, appreciation, or just trying to be complaisant with female colleagues at work. This year however, there is a woman in Romania which enjoys the sincere appreciation of a large part of the Romanian people. She is Romania's Minister of Justice and she's received one of the most beautiful Martisor a person can get. Iulian Muresan, from Radio Romania International witnessed the gesture...