Women's Leadership
Politics is a tough subject: it can either paint you as a villain or the master of progress.Sithembile Mbete is a political analyst whose passion goes beyond reporting. She questions the status quo and is not afraid to call out those who abuse power.
How did you become a political analyst?
I studied politics, French and economics for my undergraduate degree, then did honours and masters in international relations at UCT. My first job was at IDASA, a think tank, where I monitored parliamentary committee meetings and helped analyse the 2011 local government elections. That’s where I learned the ropes of political analysis.
I also got involved in civil society campaigning against the “Secrecy Bill”, which gave me insight into political activism and grassroots organising. After that I worked in the Presidency as a researcher for the National Planning Commission Secretariat, which gave me an insider’s view of the government. It was quite an education! I decided to further my studies with a PhD at the University of Pretoria where I’ve been a senior lecturer and researcher since 2013.
Read here the full interview published by Glamour on 28 March 2025.
Image by Glamour
What you need to know:
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When we silence women in politics through sexism, we're robbing ourselves of the leadership our nation desperately needs.
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Their courage in the face of this hostility demands not just our admiration, but our immediate action.
Last week as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel interviews played out on our screens, I couldn't help but notice the stark imbalance: eight men, three women shortlisted for the chairperson position.
And like clockwork, the familiar refrain emerged: "How will we ever achieve the two-thirds gender rule if women don't apply?" This question is tiring.
It's not that women lack ambition—it's that they understand the price of it all too well.
When we ask why women aren't applying, we're ignoring the storm they must walk into simply to serve their country. Kawira Mwangaza, the former Meru governor who made history in 2022 becoming the first female governor-elect in the county, didn't just face impeachment last month—she faced a systematic dismantling that sends a chilling message to every woman watching: "This space is not for you." While men in power insist "it wasn't about gender," political aspirants are already admitting they'd now think twice before supporting women candidates.
This calculated exclusion isn't happening in a vacuum. It's a global phenomenon. When Kamala Harris ran for the American presidency last year, we witnessed the predictable playbook: attacks on her appearance and questioning of her qualifications despite her extensive experience. An analysis found over 11,000 news articles with biased language about her in just two weeks. This isn't criticism—it's a coordinated effort to undermine women's legitimacy in leadership.
Read here the full article published by The Nation on 4 April 2025.
Image by The Nation
The Women and Foreign Policy program’s most recent update of the “Women’s Power Index” ranks 193 United Nations (UN) member states on their progress toward gender parity in political participation. It analyzes the proportion of women who serve as heads of state or government, in cabinets, in national legislatures, as candidates for national legislatures, and in local government bodies, and visualizes the gender gap in political representation.
Over the past year global progress toward gender parity in political representation has remained flat at 29 on the 100-point aggregate scale employed in which a 100-point score represents gender parity. The number of countries that are halfway or more to parity has remained the same. Twenty-eight countries exceeded fifty in their gender parity score, including Canada, Dominica, Moldova, and the United Kingdom in the past year. Mozambique, Peru, Rwanda, and Senegal fell below that halfway to parity mark in the past year. The U.S. gender parity score is slightly above the global average at 35. Iceland has maintained its position in first place, with a score of 86, Mexico and Andorra occupy second and third place, with scores of 75 and 73, respectively.
Progress in women’s political leadership at the national level has been stalling recently. Since the end of World War II, 82 of the 193 countries have elected a female head of state or government, with the most progress coming in the past two decades. Eleven countries elected their first woman into high office during the 2000s, twenty-five in the 2010s, and seventeen thus far in the 2020s. Most recently, Namibia elected its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in 2025, and Mexico elected its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, in 2024.
Read here the full article published by the Council on Foreign Relations on 2 April 2025.
Image by the Council on Foreign Relations
Women Now Hold Top Three Positions in Government
Namibia has made history by becoming the first African country to have its top government positions held by women. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was recently sworn in as Namibia’s president after winning 58 percent of the vote. With her election, she becomes Namibia’s first female head of state but as well as Africa’s second-ever directly elected female president. Nandi-Ndaitwah promptly expanded the number of roles held by women upon taking office, appointing Lucia Witbooi as vice president and Saara Kuugongelwa–Amadhila as speaker of the National Assembly. This is also the first time these roles have been held by women. Nandi-Ndaitwah also made history with her cabinet appointments. For the first time, women hold the majority of positions. Sixty percent of Namibia’s fourteen ministers are now women and hold offices in finance, foreign affairs, health, education, and gender equality. The new president said her election should encourage other women because “I was not elected because I’m a woman, but on merit. Women are capable members of society.” Her priorities in this new administration are to diversify Namibia’s economy and reduce the country’s debt.
Read here the full article published by the Council on Foreign Relations on 31 March 2025.
Image by Council on Foreign Relations
In honor of Women’s History Month, the National League of Cities (NLC) reached out to members of the Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Constituency Group to share their personal reflections on the impact and importance of women serving in local government. These women leaders, who serve as mayors, council members and other local government officials, spoke candidly about the importance of recognizing women’s contributions to society and advancing gender equity in municipal governance.
How Do You Think Women’s Voices Have Changed the Landscape of Policy and Governance?
“Making up half of the world’s population, women should feel confident to become elected leaders who practice compassion, lead with integrity and build on the legacy of those who pave the way for a more equal and just society. Together we can work to eliminate discriminatory barriers and empower younger generations to feel like they can and should run for local office.”
Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, San Antonio, TX – District 4, WIMG President
“Women’s voices have reshaped policy and governance by bringing resilience, wisdom and a commitment to progress—even in the face of adversity. Our presence in government expands perspectives, drives meaningful change and sets new standards for leadership, proving that dignity and determination will always outlast the storms we face.”
Council President, D.M. Collins, Center Point, AL, WIMG Board Member
“Women’s representation at the leadership table is critical to ensure inclusion when discussing community issues. Through lived experiences, women often lead discussions to the establishment of more comprehensive policies that address the needs of ALL citizens.”
Alderman Carol Bell, Savannah, GA, WIMG Board Member
“Women promote cooperation, consensus-building, and focus on common goals through participatory leadership. They advocate for social issues that are often overlooked such as education, domestic violence prevention and child welfare.”
Councilmember Jan Arbuckle, Grass Valley, CA, WIMG Past President
“The increasing involvement of women in policy and governance not only enriches governance processes but also leads to more equitable and just outcomes for all members of society. Women bring diverse perspectives, tend to focus on social issues, have collaborative and consensus-building leadership styles, are role models that inspire future generations and encourage more women to engage in politics and governance.”
Mayor Debra Wimpee, Broken Arrow, OK, WIMG Board Member
“As more women are elected to serve in government positions, we will have more influence over public decisions. Working together, women have been able to make decisions that impact health, employment, housing and more by taking time to ask questions and study the issues.”
Councilmember Susan Honda, Federal Way, WA, WIMG Board Member
Read here the full article published by the National League of Cities on 27 March 2025.
Image by National League of Cities
A movement that began as a protest against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan is now evolving into a strong political and social force for change. The women at the forefront of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee have amassed a large following of Baloch men and women, but who are they and how did they become so influential in a largely patriarchal and tribal society?
On January 27, 2024 in Quetta, the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Dr Mahrang Baloch, addressed a crowd of thousands, which comprised men and women, many of them young students. Having recently returned from a month-long sit-in outside Islamabad’s National Press Club, held to protest enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, Mahrang said that this movement was the “voice of Baloch people, from Nokundi to Parom and Koh-i-Suleman to Makran.”
The recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which resulted in the tragic loss of the lives of almost 40 people, tend to take the media spotlight because of the sheer violence involved, but they also do a disservice to the efforts of movements such as the BYC, which have attempted to highlight the alienation of Balochistan’s educated youth in a peaceful and constitutional manner.
Read the full article here.
The Women and Foreign Policy program’s most recent update of the “Women’s Power Index” ranks 193 United Nations (UN) member states on their progress toward gender parity in political participation. It analyzes the proportion of women who serve as heads of state or government, in cabinets, in national legislatures, as candidates for national legislatures, and in local government bodies, and visualizes the gender gap in political representation.
Over the past year global progress toward gender parity in political representation has remained flat at 29 on the 100-point aggregate scale employed in which a 100-point score represents gender parity. The number of countries that are halfway or more to parity has remained the same. Twenty-eight countries exceeded fifty in their gender parity score, including Canada, Dominica, Moldova, and the United Kingdom in the past year. Mozambique, Peru, Rwanda, and Senegal fell below that halfway to parity mark in the past year. The U.S. gender parity score is slightly above the global average at 35. Iceland has maintained its position in first place, with a score of 86, Mexico and Andorra occupy second and third place, with scores of 75 and 73, respectively.
Progress in women’s political leadership at the national level has been stalling recently. Since the end of World War II, 82 of the 193 countries have elected a female head of state or government, with the most progress coming in the past two decades. Eleven countries elected their first woman into high office during the 2000s, twenty-five in the 2010s, and seventeen thus far in the 2020s. Most recently, Namibia elected its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in 2025, and Mexico elected its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, in 2024.
Read here the full article published by the Council on Foreign Relations on 2 April 2025.
Image by the Council on Foreign Relations
Last Saturday, March 8th, marked International Women’s Day, when the international community celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women. In post-communist societies, where this day is often a public holiday, there is still a lot left to do to ensure better representation of women in political institutions—but the contribution of women to democracy-building efforts is undeniable.
Meet four exceptional female leaders who are shaping Eastern European politics today and learn more about women of the region fighting against war and autocracy.
Read here the full article published by the Wilson Center on 10 March 2025.
Image by Wilson Center
This year, 18 of Africa’s 54 countries went to the polls for presidential or general elections, making 2024 a significant year on the continent. There were high hopes for renewed commitment to fair governance, transparency and equal representation. In particular there were hopes for women’s political participation, for more women to be elected to office to shape policies that address the needs of all citizens.
For more than a decade, we at the human rights organisation Make Every Woman Count (MEWC) have been tracking women’s political participation across Africa. Unfortunately, we did not see the progress we hoped for this year. In 2014, there were three women serving as heads of state across Africa. In 2024, there were two: the president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who became Namibia’s first female president-elect on 3 December; the result is being contested in court. Nandi-Ndaitwah was the sole woman among 15 candidates, underscoring the persistent gender disparity in contests for high office.
Ghana also made history by electing Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as its first female vice-president.
Read here the full article published by The Guardian on 31 December 2024.
Image by The Guardian
Significant and, arguably, profound changes took place in Baltic high politics over the past four years. The peak pandemic years — 2020 and 2021 — proved quite pivotal for both Lithuania and Estonia, as both saw the emergence of the first most gender-balanced cabinets in the history of these countries, with Latvia following in 2022. The Estonian parliament elected the first woman prime minister, Kaja Kallas, whose cabinet had the largest number of women ministers. For almost a year, Estonia’s top political positions — the presidency and prime ministership — were held by two women, making Estonia the only parliamentary democracy ruled by elected women. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian prime minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, was the second woman to hold this position. Unlike her predecessor, Danutė Prunskienė, who served as the first woman prime minister of Lithuania more than 30 years ago (1990-1991) and was the only woman in her all-male cabinet, Šimonytė’s cabinet was the most gender-balanced in the modern history of the country. With the election of Evika Siliņa in September 2023 as Latvia’s prime minister, all three Baltic prime ministerships were held by women for about ten months — a historical first in the Baltic states’ politics.
Read here the full article published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute on 19 December 2024.
Image by Foreign Policy Research Institute
Introduction
Gender equality has been a point of debate in the recent past. This is based on the ability to accord equal rights and opportunity for both genders where discrimination and prejudice are prevented. In Nigeria, gender equality and related issues are prevalent in different cases.
This is where the female gender is facing different inequalities and challenges, which are making it hard for them to cope and become effective in community participation and development (. This is based on the rise of various forms of conflict in the region, such as the Boko Haram and Harder-Farmer conflicts.
These are negatively impacting the country’s economy, and they are also affecting women and gender dynamics in the area. Therefore, this research outlines the way such conflicts have led to issues impacting women, such as gender-based violence, and also impacts the roles of women in society. Also, the discussion outlines the relationship between conflict and political participation of women in the country and the post-conflict challenges and opportunities available in the case of women in Nigeria.
Read here the full article published by The Vanguard on 7 January 2025.
Image by The Vanguard
This is the second issue of our policy insight series on gender-inclusive conflict transformation. This paper explores the political re-conversion pathways that women ex-combatants pursue after the signing of a peace agreement. From 2022 to 2023, we engaged in focus group discussions, interviews, and peer-learning workshops with over 70 women ex-combatants from Colombia, El Salvador, and the Philippines. In this publication, we present their testimonies and analyse their experiences of continuing their engagement post-war through nonviolent means in both formal and informal political spheres.
Click here to read the full article published by Relief Web on 17 December 2024.
Image by Relief Web