Women's Leadership

For women political leaders, social media had the potential to be a big gamechanger. Often left invisible in the media and lacking access to large financial resources, this was the space where they could overcome traditional barriers and engage with citizens directly. But instead, the online world has increasingly become another site of harassment and abuse for many women politicians across the world.

Gendered abuse, misogynistic comments, even rape threats, doctored images, fake nudes, and doxing of personal information are common, and often come via armies of organized “trolls”. It has affected their well-being, forced many to reconsider their decision to be in politics, and even enabled murderous attacks on women.

This is what Lucina Di Meco, co-founder of #ShePersisted Global, found in her research on the role social media is playing in fostering gender-inclusive and participatory democracies. She found “overwhelming” abuse for women around the world - with similar misogynistic tropes routinely adapting themselves to local contexts in countries as diverse as India, Italy and the Philippines.

Click here to read the full article and interview published by WomenLead on 17 June 2021.

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kakumiro Woman Member of Parliament Robinah Nabbanja has been approved by legislators as Uganda’s first female Prime Minister. Nabbanja will replace Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, now a special envoy in the Office of the President.

Chris Baryomunsi, the Kinkizi East MP on Monday moved a motion seeking the approval of Nabbanja as the Prime Minister, describing Nabbanja as a hardworking and a no-nonsense person when it comes to fighting corruption and proper use of public resources.

He added that Nabbanja is a patriot, team player and will be able to offer leadership as Prime Minister once given the opportunity.

While seconding the motion, Oyam South MP Betty Amongi said that Nabbanja has risen through different leadership positions and understands what the ordinary Ugandan goes through.

Click here to read the full article published by The Independent on 14 June 2021.

The Parliament of Uganda has Monday morning approved the appointment of Hon Jessica Alupo as new Vice President of Uganda.

The Parliament of Uganda has Monday morning approved the appointment of Hon Jessica Alupo as new Vice President of Uganda.

The motion to approve Katakwi Woman, MP Alupo was moved by Ruhinda North MP, Thomas Tayebwa.

Alupo was declared Vice President by Deputy Speaker Anita Among after all the members of Parliament present voted in favour of her appointment with only one member voting against the motion.

Upon her appointment, Alupo thanked President Museveni for entrusting her with the opportunity to serve in the position adding that she will not spare any energy in serving the country.

Click here to read the full article published by Nile Post on 14 June 2021.

Women’s Political Empowerment is an integral component of International IDEA's Sudan Program. The program seeks to support initiatives aimed at enhancing women's political participation and promote the broad participation of women in every aspect of Sudan’s democratic transition process.

This short documentary celebrates five stories of women’s political participation in Sudan. It highlights the importance of expanding our understanding of political participation beyond mainstream political activities.

Source: International IDEA

Research has found it is smart to invest in the candidacies of Black women. But one expert says because of their loyalty to the Democratic Party, in particular, there's less incentive to court them.

In 2017, more than 30 prominent African American women wrote an open letter to then-Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, calling out the party for taking Black women’s political activism and leadership for granted.

“We have shown how Black women lead, yet the Party’s leadership from Washington to the state parties have few or no Black women in leadership," the letter said. "More and more, Black women are running for office and winning elections – with scant support from Democratic Party infrastructure."

More than four years since the letter was written, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is now the Democratic National Committee’s vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection. Kamala Harris is the nation’s the first Black woman and the first South Asian woman to be vice president.

Despite these gains, Black women continue to be underrepresented in statewide offices across the nation. In Virginia’s recent Democratic primary for governor, neither of the two Black women running won the race. (Virginia has also never elected a Black woman to Congress.)

Click here to read the full article published by USA Today on 10 June 2021

I am an unabashed child of the 1960s. I marched. I chanted. I tried to levitate the Pentagon and shake all the bad out of it while on a particularly fun acid excursion. Women had dreams for their future that had nothing to do with the way things were done. How big were those dreams, you ask? Well, we actually fought for women to not only have ownership and control of their body, but also to be able to get a credit card without their father’s or husband’s approval. Women wanted their place in the world and would no longer have it denied to them because they were “unclean” once a month — or too busy having children because birth control was mostly achieved by not having sex. A single woman was viewed with pity. Even a bad marriage was better than no marriage at all.

Then I moved to Utqiagvik in 1972 and found a culture in which women had a voice and the power that came with it. The men might be the ones to go out on the ice to harvest a whale but, I quickly found out, once that whale was up on the ice and being cut up for distribution, it was the whaling captain’s wife who was in charge and made the decisions. Maybe she couldn’t get a credit card, but she could control food distribution in a culture where that distribution could mean whether or not you would have food for your family in winter.

After 50 years in Alaska, some things have definitely changed for the better. Inupiat women are now whaling captains and harpooners. The North Slope Borough has had a woman mayor, and its current Administration and Finance Director is a woman. Utqiagvik has a female mayor. Women are moving into traditional male roles and — wow. Look at them go.

Click here to read the full article published by Anchorage Daily News on 9 June 2021