The right to vote and the right to stand for election are two fundamental elements of democracy. Notably, many countries did not afford women the right to vote until the 20th Century. Even today, universal suffrage is not a given right in all countries, and women often face obstacles that undermine their participation in political and electoral processes. There are various ways to support women in overcoming these obstacles. Such methods include revising the electoral system used, applying affirmative action mechanisms such as quotas, improving voter education for women and training political candidates. These are a few of the modes available to strengthen women’s political participation .Photo©Jens Franssen
Yesterday, the preliminary results for Libya’s General National Congress (GNC) elections showed that women had acquired 33 out of the 200 available seats in the GNC. This means that women only make up 16.5% of the governing body that will replace Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC).
Two women are among 120 unaffiliated candidates who have won seats in Libya’s National Assembly, the nation’s first free election following the end of Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule.
I didn’t wash my finger for 2 days – purposely avoiding the water just so that the blue stain I received when voting remained there for as long as possible.
I didn’t wash my finger for 2 days – purposely avoiding the water just so that the blue stain I received when voting remained there for as long as possible.
India has an impressive record of women’s participation in politics and the success of panchayats has often been referred to as a ‘silent revolution’ within the democratic decentralisation process, a senior US diplomat said here on Friday.
The number of female elected parliamentarians in Senegal’s National Assembly has almost doubled thanks to the impact of new parity laws on the July elections
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Despite the introduction of a quota to ensure women make up 20 per cent of Armenia’s parliament, the reform has failed to have much effect, with only half that percentage winning seats in the May 6 election.
Across the political spectrum, parties – all led by men – have been scrambling to grab a slice of the female vote.
