Women's Leadership
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.
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
As the world celebrates the International Women’s Day, the women in Azerbaijan continue to drive progress and developments in politics, business, science, education, and entrepreneurship.
Azerbaijani women have long been pioneers in securing their rights and advancing in various spheres of society. They were the first in the Islamic world to gain the right to vote, achieving suffrage in 1918 – a milestone that placed them ahead of many of their European and American counterparts at the time.
While the US and some Western European countries were still contemplating women’s participation in elections, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic leadership granted unrestricted suffrage to women in 1918.
Azerbaijan, thus, became one of the first countries in the world – and the first Muslim majority nation – to grant women political rights equal to men.
It was two years later, in 1920, when the US granted women the right to vote. The Benelux countries afforded the same rights in 1919, while France and Italy followed in 1945.
This progressive step laid the foundation for the continuous empowerment of women in Azerbaijan, which today stands as the wealthiest nation in the South Caucasus. Currently, Azerbaijan has a workforce of over five million people, with women making up almost half of this economically active population.
The entrepreneurial landscape in Azerbaijan has seen increasing strides by women, who contributed to transformation by actively engaging in business ventures.
Read here the full article published by Caspian News on 8 March 2025.
Image by Caspian News
The webinar focused on the challenges and opportunities for women politicians in the digital space. Speakers discussed key issues such as online harassment, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and misinformation/disinformation, all of which hinder women's participation in politics. The discussion also emphasized the importance of digital literacy, legal safeguards, and creating safer online environments for women in politics. Additionally, speakers highlighted the need to engage men in these discussions and support women at the grassroots level.
The invited speakers were:
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Chikas Kumle (Nigerian politician, Women Political Activist)
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Gloria Anderson (Founder & Executive Director at TEDI, Tanzania)
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Juliane Muller (Associate Programme Officer, Digitalization and Democracy, International IDEA)
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Several action points were identified for different stakeholders.
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Electoral commissions should raise awareness among their staff about the challenges women face in digital political spaces, collaborate with civil society organizations and political parties to better understand and address these challenges, and advocate for and participate in policy reforms to protect women online.
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Political parties need to develop actionable policies and legal frameworks to support and protect female candidates. They should also publicly condemn online abuse against women and take disciplinary action against perpetrators within their parties.
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Women’s rights organizations play a crucial role in advocating for stronger support for women in politics by political parties and electoral bodies. They should also push for digital literacy programs that incorporate a gender perspective.
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Digital platforms must implement and enforce gender-sensitive community guidelines to protect women in political spaces.
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iKNOW Politics in collaboration with civil society organizations should continue organizing webinars and discussions on women’s political participation in the digital age while actively engaging in the development of online safety guidelines and policies for women politicians.
Black women are a powerful force in the American political system, and their political power continues to grow and garner recognition for the force it is.
As we look ahead to the midterm elections, which offer greater opportunities for Black women’s gains in statewide offices where they remain especially underrepresented, it’s important to take stock of Black women’s political successes, the persistent hurdles they faced in the 2020 cycle, the outlook for the 2022 election, and the current levels of Black women’s representation nationwide. In this update, we outline the status of Black women in American politics as of fall 2021, one year ahead of the 2022 election.
Click here to download the full report.
In July 2021, UN Women convened the global conference “Gender-inclusive peace processes: Strengthening women’s meaningful participation through constituency building”, in partnership with CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The conference attracted the participation of more than 320 peace practitioners from 70 countries worldwide, with a focus on the MENA region.
This report on the conference proceedings explores current challenges, best practices, and recommendations on how best to leverage the practice of constituency building to further gender-inclusive peace.
Click here to read the full report.
In December 2020, the European Commission released its third Gender Action Plan (GAP III), which lays out how the European Union should promote gender equality in its external relations over the following five years. Just like its predecessor, the new plan highlights women’s equal political voice and participation as one of the EU’s central gender-equality priorities.
The EU’s renewed commitment to women’s equal political participation comes at a critical time. Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic fallout have deepened existing gender inequities. At the same time, women in most societies—including in the EU—remain woefully underrepresented in political decisionmaking, particularly at the highest levels. Their continued marginalization violates women’s rights to equal political citizenship and representation. It also weakens the legitimacy and effectiveness of democratic institutions: women bring distinct policy priorities to the table and raise the likelihood that political decisions respond to the needs of all citizens, including women and girls.
Click here to read the full article published by Carnegie Europe on 6 December 2021.
New reports published ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow in November show that decision-making and technical panels under UN Climate Change (known as “constituted bodies”) are increasingly integrating a gender perspective into their work, but that male overrepresentation on constituted bodies and on government delegations still remains an issue of concern.
Equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women is vital to achieve climate goals. While women and girls around the world are demanding more climate action at the national and international level and have received increasing recognition for their leadership, in the international climate decision-making process, women’s voices are not yet equally represented.
Click here to read the full article published by UN Climate Change on 12 October 2021.
This working paper is part of UN Women’s research efforts to highlight the importance of women’s leadership and participation in decision-making during the pandemic and beyond. The working paper tackles the question of how women leaders at the national and subnational levels of government managed COVID-19 response and recovery during the pandemic’s first 15 months, from January 2020 through March 2021.
The paper finds that women leaders placed premiums on effective leadership, rapid response, and socially inclusive policies as they understood that the effects of the pandemic would reach far beyond public health, affecting every aspect of society and disproportionately harming women and girls.
The publication also maps out lessons learned and recommendations on how to ensure women participate in and influence decision-making during the pandemic response and recovery.
Click here to read the report.
Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry (Canada) issued the 2021 Report today with a thematic focus on “Violence against women journalists and politicians: a growing crisis,” shedding light on intensifying and widespread offline and online violence against women in two public fields – journalism and politics.
The report, divided into two parts, explores the impact of such violence and its implications on the fields of journalism and politics, as well as democracy as a whole – outlining that the negative effect goes well beyond physical and mental health challenges. It examines the existing barriers to effective responses and possible ways forward that could be implemented to address this growing issue. Lastly, the report provides information on the dynamics of gender balance in the OSCE structures and its field offices.
Click here to read the full report published by OSCE on 12 August 2021.