Women's Leadership

On 29 November, the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, together with UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, held their first official commemoration of International Women Human Rights Defenders Day to centre the voices and experiences of women human rights defenders and call on the international community to provide them necessary public, political and financial support and protection.  

The event took place in the context of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, this year being marked under the theme “UNiTE! Activism to end violence against women and girls”. It acknowledged and celebrated the critical role that women human rights defenders play in preventing and responding to violence despite the pushback and risks that they face.  

“Women in countries around the world, especially in conflict affected countries and where there are autocratic regimes, are demonstrating that they hold the key to a peaceful future for all of us. It is their courage and their example that should give us hope and direction,” emphasized UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Åsa Regnér, opening the event.  

Click here to read the full article published by UN Women on 30 November 2022.

A stronger representation of women in India’s power structure will greatly boost India’s economic growth, opined Augusto Lopez-Claros, chair of the Global Governance Forum. In a conversation with Times Network CEO and MD MK Anand at the Times Now Summit 2022, Lopez-Claros called for a quota for women in the Parliament which would ensure greater participation of women in the workforce in reverse.

The pivotal role of women in uplifting the economic and social well-being of a country is unmistakable. Taking the theme of ‘India: A Vibrant Democracy. Global Bright Spot’ at the Times Now Summit 2022 further, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network, engaged with economist Augusto Lopez-Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum where the two discussed at length the tapping of ‘Women Power’ to unleash the true potential of the country.

Anand highlighted, what in his view, was a troubling reality – low participation by women in the workforce. In comparison to the world average, participation of women in sheer quantity and in the number of years is much lesser in India. "How is that it will play out?" he asked.

Click here to read the full article published by Times Now on 29 November 2022.

Violence against women in all its forms is perceived by the OSCE as one of the most pervasive impediments to women’s full, equal and effective participation in political and public life and as a threat to human security. Yet, it is prevalent across the OSCE region, and it is especially, but not exclusively, affecting young, disabled, ethnic minority women. Women are targeted with violence not only for their political views but also to prevent current and aspiring women politicians from engaging in politics and decision-making altogether. Violence is not a price women should have to pay in order to enjoy their political and civil rights. In addition to individual suffering and violation of women’s rights, this violence weakens democratic governance, political pluralism and the inclusivity of public institutions. This toolkit provides recommendations for legislators, governments, parliaments and political parties as well as guidance for civil society and women politicians affected by violence. It consolidates existing definitions and compiles examples of promising practices on preventing violence against women in politics from a variety of States. The toolkit is based upon international standards and OSCE commitments.

Click here to access the report.

INEC urges political parties to respect their constitutions

The United Nations (UN) has scored Nigeria low in the area of women participation in politics.

The UN Women Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms. Beatrice Eyong, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, at a one-day meeting of, “He for She” (a term for men who are supporting gender equality), organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), said in terms of women participation and representation in Africa, Nigeria was the least.

Click here to read the full article published by This Day on 30 November 2022.

Trust in women leaders is falling even as their numbers in high-ranking positions are rising. Why?

More women than ever before are running the world’s biggest companies, but research shows that the rise in representation has been accompanied by a fall in trust in female leaders. It paints a grim picture for those who manage to break through the metaphorical glass ceiling.

In November, new data from The Reykjavik Index for Leadership, an annual survey that compares how men and women are viewed in terms of their suitability for positions of power, showed trust in women leaders has fallen markedly throughout the past year. It’s the first decline in this measure since Kantar Public, an evidence and advisory public-policy business, started collecting data in 2018.

Click here to read the full article published by BBC on 30 November 2022.

A question asked to New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, to justify why she was meeting with Finland’s leader, Sanna Marin sparked debate around the world on Wednesday. The reporter asked, “[is it] just because you're similar in age and, you know, got a lot of common stuff?”

Ardern, 42, responded with a rhetorical statement, wondering “whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and [former New Zealand Prime Minister] John Key if they met because they were of similar age.” Marin, who is 37, addressed the question simply by saying, “we’re meeting because we are both prime ministers.”

Click here to read the full article published by Forbes on 30 November 2022.