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Elections

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

November 29, 2019
Women have been a lot less visible in this UK general election campaign – why?

Every general election is haunted by the ghosts of campaigns past.

November 8, 2019
Votes for women? Not without facial recognition technology in Afghanistan

The first female founder of an Afghan political party has urged the country to rethink the use of facial recognition technology in elections amid concerns it stopped large numbers of women from voting this year.

November 8, 2019
Muslim women and refugees won historic victories across the US in Tuesday's elections

The 2018 midterm elections saw voters elect a record number of women to the House of Representatives, with a number of individual candidates achievi

Women to the rescue: The gendered effects of public discontent on legislative nominations in Latin America

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November 6, 2019

Women to the rescue: The gendered effects of public discontent on legislative nominations in Latin America

Political parties act as gatekeepers, meaning that improvements in the representation of women depend on parties’ willingness to nominate women candidates.

Political parties act as gatekeepers, meaning that improvements in the representation of women depend on parties’ willingness to nominate women candidates.

November 6, 2019
After weeks of Latin American protests, expect to see more women elected to office

For several weeks, angry Latin Americans have been protesting in the streets.

November 1, 2019
Botswana battles declining number of women in politics

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.

October 28, 2019
USA: These candidates are proof: Investing in women who run for state and local office pays off

Many feminists celebrated the incredible progress made in 2018 when more women were elected to Congress than ever before—but victories at the state level warranted commemoration, too.