Women’s political participation in electoral processes requires targeted support to overcome gender discrimination. Key strategies for enhancing gender balance in electoral processes include: working with political parties to promote gender sensitive policies and practices to foster women’s leadership; targeted outreach and support for women to register to vote and safely access polling stations; guarantee of protection from election related violence and harassment; the use of quotas and temporary special measures to increase women’s representation; effective technical and financial support to women candidates and political leaders; and engagement of male champions for women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Voters head to the polls in Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Vermont on Tuesday. This week’s round of primary voting will once again set the stage for more history-making moments for women in politics.
By Kate Zernike,
MJ Hegar does not hold back. "I'm an ass kicking, motorcycle-riding, Texas Democrat. That's who I am!"
By Amber Phillips,
By Amber Phillips,
“When a woman enters politics, it changes her. When many women do, it is politics that changes.” So said Florentina Gómez Miranda, a former Argentine congresswoman.
Efforts at encouraging strong women representation in active politics received a major boost as nine women filed their forms to contest for various positions in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Central Region.
Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director
Date: Thursday, July 26, 2018
A breast cancer survivor and trade unionist, a liberation war icon, an author and entrepreneur and a fashion designer are four women who have already made history by contesting Zimbabwe’s presidential elections, a first for women.
Mexico's hard swing to the left in this month's national elections also swept in some other historic firsts. Women won key positions across the country, including, for the first time ever, the mayor of Mexico City.