Women's Leadership

The low participation of women in politics is a global issue. Irrespective of political structures and democracy indexes, almost every country faces this problem. The government and parliament should reflect the full picture of society. Despite this, women are still under-represented in leadership positions.

PKR Women chief Zuraida Kamaruddin today urged state Pakatan Harapan (PH) and rivals Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to field more women candidates in the coming state election.

She also noted that the ruling coalition GPS has not been fielding many women as candidates in the past elections.

Israelis are heading to the polls in a unique election. The vote on September 17 is the first time Israelis will vote in two elections in the same year, after the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, failed to form a new coalition government following the April 2019 election. It’s also exceptional in terms of female political leadership – the only woman heading a party in this election, Ayelet Shaked, is a secular woman leading an alliance of religious, right-wing parties.

If you want to talk about putting your money where your mouth is, then look no further than the historic 2018 midterm election. Women donated a record amount to political candidates in the most expensive midterm race in history. And there are signs that their political influence is only going to grow.

In Switzerland, female voters outnumber their male counterparts by 10%. Yet women remain a minority in cantonal and federal politics. Here’s a look at some of the reasons for this discrepancy.

The Swiss will elect a new parliament this October. Never before have so many women run for a seat in the House of Representatives. However, it is very likely that men will once again dominate the newly elected parliament.

Erin Schrode, who was running for Congress in her Northern California district in 2016, reports that while she was running, she would wake up each morning to countless abusive messages on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Erin Schrode is far from alone.

12 September 2019: High-level representatives of governments, the UN system and civil society participated in a high-level event capping the “women in power” series of gatherings convened by the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) during the 73rd session. Discussions considered measures to weave gender equality and inclusion into the “organizational culture” in all spheres of society, involve men in promoting gender equality, mentor young women to participate in politics, and create synergies among networks advancing these issues.

With nearly a month until the 2019 Federal Election, politicians are upping their campaign efforts more than ever. However, while campaigning is hard work for anyone, female politicians and those with political experience say women face challenges before they're even nominated.