On February 6, 1918, a select group gained suffrage but it took 10 more years before all women had the same voting rights as men. Yet at the last election, in 2010, more than nine million women didn’t use that hard-won right. As we approach polling day on May 7, it is worth remembering what women were doing 100 ago to secure the right to vote.

UNDP has been providing training to 25 aspiring women, offering information on advocacy and lobbying tools, and also a chance to network. 

To listen to Julie Bukikkun, UNDP Assistant Representative for Governance in UNDP PNG Country Office, speaking on ABC Radio Australia about how and why women should be more involved in leadership and policy-making please click here.

With Kiran Bedi leading the Delhi election campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party and Sheila Dixit already having been chief minister for three terms, it might appear that women have a significant role to play in Saturday's elections.

Instead, the data show that the percentage of female candidates has declined from 10.2% during the 2008 elections to 9.4% for the forthcoming elections.

Women make up 46.4% of the city’s 16.8 million people, yet the last two elections, in 2008 and 2013, returned only three female winners, a success rate of 3.7% and 4.2% respectively.

The country sits near the bottom of global rankings on women's parliamentary representation with less than six per cent of its politicians female.

Australia's ambassador for women and girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, has just wrapped up a two day visit to the once-reclusive state.

The first-ever Israeli political party dedicated to ultra-Orthodox women, was unveiled Monday.

A new day for women dawned in Taiwan Thursday, with females winning seven of the 22 city and county council speaker positions throughout the country.

 The seven are Wu Pi-chu of Taipei, Kang Yu-cheng of Kaohsiung city, Jao Ching-ling of Taitung county, Liu Chen Chao-ling of Penghu county, Sung Wei-li of Keelung city, Hsiao Shu-li of Chiayi city and Hung Li-ping of Kinmen county.