Political Parties
Introduction
Women politicians and political aspirants in Sri Lanka share certain patterns of marginalisation within patriarchal party and political structures which prevent them from entering and engaging in agentive politics. Women encounter barriers to party nominations and access to campaign finance when contesting and, if elected, freedom to address councils and submit proposals without being harassed. They also face challenges in access to infrastructure to carry out their political mandates. These barriers are framed by cultural and religious ideals about gender, sexuality, and the family that shape the national consciousness (Steans 2007) as well as entrenched patriarchal standards about political engagement and what it means to be a political leader.
Given these shared challenges, in this article, we ask whether the quota for women in local government can foster solidarity among women within parties and across party lines to address gender discrimination and increase women’s representation and participation beyond local politics. Or is the idea of solidarity among women politicians to further their shared interests far removed from the reality of their concerns? What would solidarity among women politicians at local level look like and (how) can this result in positive results for other women in politics and women in general? We attempt to unpack uniting and dividing factors through analysis of women’s wings in political parties.
Click here to read the full article published by Social Scientists’ Association Lanka.
Italy recently joined Great Britain, Finland and New Zealand after the country elected its first woman prime minister.
Globally, women in office have often been the most underrepresented when it comes to politics, and in the Pacific, it is even more so.
Statistics from United Nations Women for Asia and the Pacific show that the region has the lowest levels of women’s representation in national office, a mere 7.3 per cent recorded as of 2018.
In Fiji, the onset of the 2022 elections provides an opportunity for women to step up and make their mark on the political scene, however, there are a few challenges in achieving this.
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) coordinator Shamima Ali said women’s non-participation was historical and represented the inequalities and oppression of women.
Click here to read the full article published by The Fiji Times on 18 October 2022.
Linda Reynolds’ newfound enthusiasm for quotas ignores the many reasons women are turning away from her party.
There is no doubt that the Liberal Party has a lot of work to do in order to, as deputy leader Sussan Ley kept saying on Monday’s explosive Four Corners, “get our house in order”. Last night’s airing of grievances over the NSW preselection stoush made everyone look bad. What’s more, it confirmed that the NSW factions still openly hate one another – viewing each other as a “cancer” – and have learnt little from their loss at the federal election. Neither, it seems, has Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Although he is on leave this week, Dutton made it clear on his way out the door that he ain’t spending any time on it, telling The Australian that he would not be wallowing or conducting an extended election post-mortem. “It’s important for your supporter bases, whether it’s members or general supporters, to have something to fight for and not constantly be on the defensive,” he said. Sure, Peter. There is one woman, however, who thinks she may have a solution to the party’s woes: former defence minister Linda Reynolds, who has this week launched a campaign for gender quotas. But only temporary ones. “Targets with teeth”, as she called them on ABC radio this morning, in a reminder that using the word “quota” is still akin to pulling teeth for the Liberal Party.
Click here to read the full article published by The Monthly on 5 July 2022.
Alberta politics becoming more open to diverse candidates, says UCalgary political science professor Susan Franceschet.
Despite the long race ahead, a United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership ballot boasting a record number of women is already a winning ticket for Alberta, says a UCalgary political scientist.
The June 14 announcement of a fourth woman joining the seven-person race to replace Alberta Premier Jason Kenney as party leader is not only a provincial record, but an indication Alberta’s political spectrum is more open to women’s leadership in 2022, says Dr. Susan Franceschet, PhD.
Click here to read the full article published by University of Calgary on 14 June 2022.
The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of President George Weah has adopted a resolution that would force the party to have more women in leadership positions.
The party, which is celebrating its 17th anniversary, reached a general consensus on the long-sought measure — that has now been claimed as an enshrined policy decision for all of its internal and external democratic processes.
The CDC — one of the three constituting political parties in the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change has set a 40 percent quota for women in leadership positions, and the same with women candidates on party lists.
Click here to read the full article published by Liberian Daily Observer on 30 May 2022.
Democrat Nan Whaley broke a political glass ceiling Tuesday when she became the first woman in Ohio history to win a major party nomination to run for governor.
"This is a historic moment for the Democratic Party and for all of Ohio," said Whaley. "And I want every little girl listening to know that this is possible."
Whaley is running with Cheryl Stephens of Cleveland, which also makes them the first all-female ticket nominated by a major party for governor and lieutenant governor.
Click here to read the full article published by The Colombus Dispatch on 3 May 2021.