Women's Leadership

Diane Abbott has spoken out about how she deals with online vitriol after a growing number of female MPs announced they would not be standing in the general election, with some citing the abuse they faced in public office.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was unusually blunt on Tuesday: Women are still excluded from many peace negotiations nearly two decades after the U.N. adopted a landmark resolution calling for women to be included in decision-making positions at every level of peacemaking and peacebuilding.

Women members of Sindh Assembly, representing both treasury and opposition benches here Friday pledged to unanimously support the cause of gender sensitivity, including provision for econom

This coming week, members of the New Zealand Parliament will be involved in two events aimed at strengthening women’s political participation and recognising the importance of diversity in democratic institutions.

Pakistan ranks second lowest in the world for gender equality, placing at number 148 out of 149 countries. The nation ranked 146 in economic participation and opportunity and 97th in political empowerment. In an effort to work towards greater female empowerment in Pakistan, international humanitarian organizations are working with Pakistani women. Organizations UNDP and U.N. Women are creating initiatives to support greater political and economic equality.

Female under-representation in politics continues to be a problem in Botswana, where only three women won seats in the 57-member National Assembly during last week’s general elections. Activists say the central African country has a bias against women both in its electoral system and its culture.

After the 2014 general election, Botswana only had four elected female Members of Parliament in the National Assembly. The number dwindled to three after the October 23 national poll.

MPs have increasingly become the target of abuse - and some women politicians say they are bearing the brunt of it.

Labour MP Rachel Reeves - who has written a history of women in Parliament - recalls how the first female MP to take up her seat, Nancy Astor, had to push past jeering male colleagues in the chamber to get there.

Slovakia is walking on the right path when it comes to women’s empowerment. But the country still lags, even behind its closest neighbours.