Elections

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance — International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. Its objective is to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. International IDEA acts as a catalyst for democracy building by providing knowledge resources, policy proposals and supporting democratic reforms in response to specific national requests. It works together with policy makers, governments, UN organizations and agencies and regional organizations engaged in the field of democracy building. 

It’s a historic day for politics and women in Australia – and even more remarkable for one woman minister, who is also Queensland’s first ever Indigenous woman MP.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cabinet marks an Australian first, with a majority of women ministers: eight women (including the premier, who is also arts minister) and six men. And the leadership team of Palaszczuk and her deputy, Jackie Trad, is only the second time two women have led a state government.

The Academy for International Development-Middle East (AIDME) is implementing a three-year development project in the Middle East and North Africa region. The project entitled "Arab Women's Policy Center (WPC)" to be implemented jointly with six partner local organizations in six different countries in the MENA region (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen) during 2013-2016.

Women are conspicuously absent from the cabinet of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. They have traditionally been underrepresented in Greek politics, but Syriza was different. Joanna Kakissis reports from Athens.

"Greek society exhibits one of the lowest levels of women in positions of power and socio-economic decision-making in the EU," wrote Maro Pantelidou-Maloutas, a political science professor at the University of Athens and the author of "The Gender of Democracy: Citizenship and Gendered Subjectivity."

While women in southern New Jersey government agree they haven’t shattered the glass ceiling in politics, fewer of them are getting headaches from bumping up against it these days and several have broken through to achieve historic firsts.

At the local level, women hold elected office in almost every municipality in The Press of Atlantic City’s coverage area, few governing bodies have more than one woman serving. In some places, like Ocean City and Atlantic City, men currently rule the roost, filling every elected position.

Opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of Croatia, winning by the narrowest of margins.

She secured 50.5% of the vote with 99% of ballots counted, while incumbent Ivo Josipovic was close behind on 49.5%.

Mr Josipovic has conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent.

The challenger's win is a sign that Croatia may be shifting to the right after the centre-left coalition's failure to end six years of downturn.