Elections

A new report published by NDI and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) highlights a number of important political gains made by women during the 2017 general elections.

On the evening of Italy’s March 4 general election, Tiziana Stellato will be counting ballots in the hospital where she works. But like many disgruntled Italians, she may not even vote.

What is especially distressing to Ms Stellato is the thought of Silvio Berlusconi returning to power on the back of strong female support, as has often been the case since the former prime minister — known for his retrograde, if not misogynistic, views — entered politics in 1994.

SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Women in Kurdistan are heading several parties’ voting lists, and some don’t want Iraq’s 25-percent quota system to be seen as the reason for their candidacies in this year’s elections. 

Shiler Abdulmajid, head of the list for the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party, said her party’s politburo decided to choose only women candidates because “we wanted to increase the number of women in Iraqi parliament.”

YAOUNDE — Political parties in Cameroon have set an ambitious goal ahead of this year’s polls — to put women in at least 30 percent of elected offices.

An all-female orchestra plays as 300 women selected from associations around Cameroon campaign in markets, universities and popular spots in the capital, asking women to register to vote.

WASHINGTON — No matter which party ultimately triumphs in the November midterm elections, here is one thing we know for sure about 2018: It will be the Year of the Woman — supercharged.

Hundreds of thousands of women marched on the streets in response to Donald Trump’s election in 2017. A year after his inauguration, women marched again. This time though, they’re also taking their fight to the ballot box.