Civil Society

In a perfect world, there would be no need for a media platform highlighting groundbreaking women in history. But if history has taught us anything, it's that female achievements are often forgotten or filtered out. Female journalists, spies, investigators, pilots, soldiers, and even cinematic pioneers are only now being rediscovered and added back into the historical narratives where they always belonged.

The Girl Guides once taught young women to cope away from civilisation with camping trips and nature skills.

Now, they are more concerned with helping them face the challenges of modern life.

The youth group yesterday took its first step into politics, demanding school lessons in body confidence and equal numbers of men and women in Parliament.

Photo-Al Jazeera

After years of activism, Amal Basha's demands for guarantees of greater representation for women in the political system has finally edged closer to reality.

"Women have been fighting for it for a long time," said the prominent Yemeni human rights advocate, referring to the more than decade-long battle she and others have waged to secure women representation in public office in Yemen.

Photo-I ama Huam Society

Reinforcing the political participation of women with disabilities is the goal of a new initiative launched by the "I am a Human Society", which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities.

The "I am a Woman... Half of Society" initiative began at the end of July in collaboration with the Stars of Hope foundation (Nujoom al-Amal) in Jordan and partners including ministries, organisations, women's unions and the Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities.

Photo-Ikenna Ikeotuonye and the Howard University Student Association.

All too often, we measure our progress in the process of gender empowerment by counting the number of woman politicians in Parliament and Cabinet. There is also now a new dynamic in ANC politics with talk of the prospect of a woman leading the organisation and the country next. At first it looked as if President Jacob Zuma was merely being politically correct by saying South Africa could have a woman as president sooner than we think. He repeated the sentiment last week during a briefing with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

Europe’s security body has released a strongly-worded statement voicing concern over the targeting of prominent Turkish journalist Amberin Zaman by presidential hopeful Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Many lessons can be learned from South African women who rose as leaders even when it was dangerous to do so, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said on Thursday.

In a speech prepared for delivery at a women's leadership conference in Cape Town, she said the lessons were on how to lead with courage and integrity.

Madonsela said leading examples were the lives of anti-apartheid activists Victoria Mxenge, Helen Joseph, and Helen Suzman.