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.
Deliberate effort to put women in political positions, building institutions and strong legal frameworks, as well as strong human resource capacity, are some of the catalysts that will ensure the African woman is empowered.
Raising women’s political participation leads to faster maternal mortality decline. We estimate that the introduction of quotas for women in parliament results in a 9–12 per cent decline in maternal mortality.
Tackling inequality between women and men in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels is essential to strengthen democracy and achieve peace and sustainable development.
Women Deliver President/CEO Katja Iversen and the first female president of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, discuss women in leadership and links between sexual and reproductive health and rights and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to advance gender equa
The President of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, is holding this Thursday her latest informal High-Level Panel: Women in Power - Call to Action and Women Leaders - Voices for Change and Inclusion: Joining Forces and Redoubling Effor
In March 2019, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers adopted a new
By Jamila Afghani, President of WILPF Afghanistan,
Justice for women and girls is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, with its commitment to gender equality (SDG 5) and its promise of peaceful, just and inclusive societies (SDG 16).
With a record number of women in the fight for the White House, it's time to re-examine what role - if any - gender biases may play in the 2020 election.