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
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Women in Kurdistan are heading several parties’ voting lists, and some don’t want Iraq’s 25-percent quota system to be seen as the reason for their candidacies in this year’s elections.
YAOUNDE — Political parties in Cameroon have set an ambitious goal ahead of this year’s polls — to put women in at least 30 percent of elected offices.
WASHINGTON — No matter which party ultimately triumphs in the November midterm elections, here is one thing we know for sure about 2018: It will be the Year of the Woman — supercharged.
BEIRUT — In a country where women occupy only three percent of the parliament seats, Lebanon's first women's affairs minister — a man — is supporting a campaign to attract more women politicians.
Since Hillary Clinton’s devastating loss in the 2016 election, there has been a renewed interest for women in politics and women running for politics.
Since Hillary Clinton’s devastating loss in the 2016 election, there has been a renewed interest for women in politics and women running for politics.
The under-representation of women at any level of governance and decision-making results in a democratic deficit. It has been proven time and again that diverse groups make better decisions. This is particularly true when it comes to a task as challenging as representing the interests of citizens at the local level. Often influencing policies in housing, security, transport, and the economy, local government makes important decisions that affect the lives of women and men.
The under-representation of women at any level of governance and decision-making results in a democratic deficit. It has been proven time and again that diverse groups make better decisions. This is particularly true when it comes to a task as challenging as representing the interests of citizens at the local level. Often influencing policies in housing, security, transport, and the economy, local government makes important decisions that affect the lives of women and men.
Hundreds of thousands of women marched on the streets in response to Donald Trump’s electio
Lebanon is campaigning to get at least five times more women elected to Parliament this spring in its first vote in nearly 10 years, the country’s first women’s affairs minister says.
The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs (OMSWA) and the United Nations in Lebanon are organizing a conference on the role of political
