Women's Leadership
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CHENNAI: Indian parliament has finally passed the historic women's reservation bill or to call it by its proper name Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
After a waiting period of 27 years, the Indian parliamentarians decided to take a concrete step towards the political empowerment of Indian women. This step is not a full stop to a much-discussed topic of political reservation for women but marks the beginning of a new era.
It's a significant move to ensure the Political and Gender equality promised by the Constitution of India.
Click here to read the full article published by DT Next on 8 December 2023.
Image by DT Next
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PETALING JAYA: The statistics department reported better gender equality overall in 2022, but noted a clear challenge faced in women’s political empowerment, which remains alarmingly low.
Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin said the women’s political empowerment subindex scored the lowest at 10.2%, emphasising the urgent need for increased female participation in political spheres.
“Despite the significance of Malaysian women’s participation in the economy and education, there is an inspiring opportunity for further progress in leadership positions in the country’s political system, as only 17.9% of women held ministerial positions in 2022,” he said in a statement.
The Malaysia Gender Gap Index in 2022 achieved a 0.2% increase from the previous year, reaching 69.4%.
Click here to read the full article published by Free Malaysia Today on 13 December 2023.
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In a live event discussing the impact of women’s power, or Nari Shakti, in politics, female representatives from various political parties, including Sunita Duggal, Amee Yajnik, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Sushmita Dev, express their perspectives on the changing political landscape. The conversation revolves around women’s leadership and their inherently transformative roles in politics.
Gender Equality and the Role of Men
The discussion also delves into gender inequality’s impact on both men and women, underscoring the need for men’s participation in fostering feminism and gender equality. Initiatives like the Men’s Resource Center, the White Ribbons Campaign, and the HeForShe solidarity campaign are highlighted as key conduits for engaging men in ensuring gender parity.
Click here to read the full article published by BNN Breaking on 13 December 2023.
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IT’S the responsibility of political parties to ensure that more women take part in local and national elections, says Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker Lenora Qereqeretabua.
Additionally, Ms Qereqeretabua said making political life safer for women was crucial.
“Many capable women in politics face unfair attacks, making them reluctant to participate in public office,” she said, adding that addressing these issues was essential for a more inclusive society. The 2022 general election witnessed a decline in the number of female politicians compared with the 2018 election.
Click here to read the full article published by The Fiji Times on 13 December 2023.
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Abstract: While the passage of the 2018 Gender Parity Law was a step in the right direction, progress on women’s political empowerment in Japan has been slow. With a combined effort from advocacy groups, political parties, and the international community to include more women on ballots and support them to electoral success, Japan can move the needle on gender equity in politics.
The annual Group of Seven (G7) meeting invites opportunities for multi-national collaboration but also comparison amongst the attending states. The G7 countries (Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Japan, plus attendance from the European Union) indeed share many things in common: they are all relatively wealthy, liberal democracies committed to working together on global issues. Yet the photos from this year’s meeting highlight another questionable commonality: where aren’t there more women in positions of leadership? A deeper look reveals varying levels of gender equality in politics across G7 members with Japan continuing to lag significantly behind.
Click here to read the full article published by The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus on 10 December 2023.
Image by The Asia-Pacific Journal
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Today, I’d like to reflect on why Southeast Asia stands out in the global history of gender, for pioneering female political and spiritual leadership; how job-creating economic growth, urbanisation and universities are the major contemporary drivers of gender equality; and how development cooperation can promote gender equality.
If you were to invent a time machine, where would you go to avoid gender discrimination? Pre-Christian Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and East Asia were all patrilineal and patrilocal. Survival and solidarity were rooted in clans, which were governed by men. Sons were celebrated as scions of the family line; heralded as providers and protectors. Daughters were merely temporary: they married out and moved away.
Since patrilineal societies trace descent down the male line, they usually care about paternal certainty and legitimate biological heirs. Virginity, chastity and cloistering were all idealised. In Ancient Greece, women were seen as inferior and ideally secluded. In public discourse, women’s names were not uttered. Men gained honour by providing for their families and keeping their wives at home.
Click here to read the full article published by Devpolicy on 8 December 2023.
Image by Devpolicy
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