Parliaments and Representatives

Democracy and the equal participation of men and women in the political arena are closely intertwined. No parliament or any decision-making body can claim to be representative without the participation of both men and women. As stated in the Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Member Parliaments in 1997, "The achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarity, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences."

Recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of women in parliament, though the world average of less than 22 percent remains far from the goal of parity between women and men. The election of women to the highest positions of state and government in several countries has also contributed to the changing face of politics.

While the road to election is a difficult one, the challenges for women do not stop there. Once women enter parliament or other bodies, they are faced with many new challenges. Parliament is traditionally a male-oriented domain where the rules and practices have been written by men. It is, therefore, an ongoing challenge to transform parliament into a gender-sensitive environment, to ensure that actions are gender-sensitive and to guarantee that gender is mainstreamed throughout the legislature.

World News

Togo: Women candidates campaign ahead legislative and regional elections

Submitted by Editor on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 09:06

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Togo: Women candidates campaign ahead legislative and regional elections

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As Togo prepares for the legislative and regional elections on April 29, 2024, a significant number of women are in the electoral race, defying traditional norms and expectations.

With 2,348 validated candidacies for the legislative elections and 113 seats up for grabs, some 593 women are in the running for parliament and 438 women for the regional elections, according to figures obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission.

As Togo prepares for the legislative and regional elections on April 29, 2024, a significant number of women are in the electoral race, defying traditional norms and expectations.

Opinion | America stacks the deck against women in politics

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April 24, 2024

Opinion | America stacks the deck against women in politics

According to the U.S. Census, the majority of Americans are women, yet only 31% of Wisconsin State legislators are women. According to the Pew Research Center, there were 1 million fewer men enrolled in college than women this past winter.

World News

More people will vote in 2024 than ever before … but where are the female candidates?

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 04/22/2024 - 08:59

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More people will vote in 2024 than ever before … but where are the female candidates?

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With more people set to vote in elections than at any time in history, 2024 is being touted as a test of democracies’ strength around the world, but one thing remains in noticeably short supply – female leadership candidates.

Election Briefing Series: Women in Politics

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April 16, 2024

Election Briefing Series: Women in Politics

Failure to launch: Young women and political leadership in Australia

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April 15, 2024

Failure to launch: Young women and political leadership in Australia

Last week, former prime minister Tony Abbott called for more women to be represented in the Aust

Increasing women's role in Indian politics: Challenges persist

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April 13, 2024

Increasing women's role in Indian politics: Challenges persist

A historic law, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, mandates the reservation of one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi for women.

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Kenya: FIDA engaging women to eliminate barriers on taking political leadership

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 04/08/2024 - 08:00

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Kenya: FIDA engaging women to eliminate barriers on taking political leadership

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Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA Kenya) is engaging with the female leaders and citizens, to enlighten and make them understand their role in the democratic process and also for the women leaders to have the courage to interact with the public and take up political leadership.

The ongoing town hall meetings bring together FIDA, women leaders and grassroots women to interact and discuss the role of the citizens when it comes to promoting women in political participation.

The ongoing town hall meetings bring together FIDA, women leaders and grassroots women to interact and discuss the role of the citizens when it comes to promoting women in political participation.

World News

Female MEPs warned of deep-fake explicit image threat ahead of upcoming elections

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 04/08/2024 - 04:00

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Female MEPs warned of deep-fake explicit image threat ahead of upcoming elections

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Female MEPs have been warned of the threat of deep-fake explicit images being used against them in the upcoming elections.

There are now serious concerns that women running in the EU elections could be targeted with AI generated nude photographs or fake videos of them in compromising positions.

Female MEPs have been warned of the threat of deep-fake explicit images being used against them in the upcoming elections.

There are now serious concerns that women running in the EU elections could be targeted with AI generated nude photographs or fake videos of them in compromising positions.

Why are there few women in Indian Politics?

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April 5, 2024

Why are there few women in Indian Politics?

On the eve of India’s independence on August 14th, 1947, a momentous gathering filled the parliament gallery, eagerly awaiting Jawaharlal Nehru’s iconic addre

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