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Women's Leadership

While there have been important advances in women’s leadership in politics, as of November 1 2017, women make up only 7.2% of Heads of State and 6.2% Heads of Government. Data on women representatives in local government, including as mayors, heads of villages and towns, is not well collected and analyzed. The adoption of an SDG indicator on women’s representation in local government is a great step forward in tracking progress on gender balance, allowing for the systematic collection and analysis of data on women in local government. Women’s access to and continued role in leadership positions is challenged by a range of barriers, including discriminatory laws and practices, as well as social norms that prescribe traditional roles and attitudes towards women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles. Proactive gender-equality policies within political parties and local government structures, including quotas and special temporary measures, gender-sensitive approaches to electoral processes, support networks, mentoring, training, and engagement of male champions, can all help promote women’s role in political leadership. 

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June 16, 2020
Egypt parliament allocates 25% of seats to women

The Egyptian Parliament has approved an amendment to an article in the constitution to allocate 25 percent of seats to women, local daily Egypt Today reported.

Balance up leadership

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June 15, 2020

Balance up leadership

Balance Up Leadership is a global effort to build the platform for women’s leadership through advocacy, using the evidence base and tools designed to promote gender parity in all sectors and at all levels.

Balance Up Leadership is a global effort to build the platform for women’s leadership through advocacy, using the evidence base and tools designed to promote gender parity in all sectors and at all levels.

June 15, 2020
Aunty, Didi, Bhabhi, Tai: How Indian women politicians are ‘domesticated’ so they fit in

The Suffrage, one of the most important milestones for the feminist movement, marked the beginning of women’s struggle to win the right to vote. Generations later, not only do women exercise voting rights, they have also contested and won elections.

June 15, 2020
Women integral to battling coronavirus and pushing for lasting peace and security

At a virtual roundtable discussion on Thursday, the Peace Operations chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, stressed the importance of continuing to prioritize the UN’s Action for Peacekeeping’s (A4P) Women, Peace and Se

June 15, 2020
Raising women’s voices and leadership in COVID-19 policies

GENEVA (22 April 2020) – The UN Women’s rights committee calls on governments and multilateral institutions to ensure women’s equal representation in formulating responses to COVID-19 and strategies to recover from the crisis.

June 12, 2020
Women of Bangladesh emerge as global model of leadership

Bangladesh ranks 7th in the world in the political empowerment of women.

June 11, 2020
The black women who paved the way for this moment

In cities across the United States, black activists are denouncing state-sanctioned violence and demanding radical changes to American policing. Black women leaders occupy a central role in these movements.

Exclusion or interests? Why females in elected office reduce petty and grand corruption

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June 11, 2020

Exclusion or interests? Why females in elected office reduce petty and grand corruption

Disappointed by the numerous failures of anticorruption reforms, international organisations, scholars and policy makers increasingly place their hopes on measures aimed at enhancing gender equality and in particular increasing the inclusion of femal

Disappointed by the numerous failures of anticorruption reforms, international organisations, scholars and policy makers increasingly place their hopes on measures aimed at enhancing gender equality and in particular increasing the inclusion of femal