Elections

SEVEN out of 10 voters believe their local authority would make better decisions if it had more female councillors, a new opinion poll reveals.

The survey illustrates a strong desire among the electorate for greater female representation in local politics.

Some 69pc of those surveyed believe their local authority would deliver better outcomes for communities if more seats were occupied by women.

More participation of women in politics will go along way in making democracy in Nigeria an interesting game, even as it would help in stamping out corruption in the political system. This position was made by the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi called on women in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to actively participate in politics and win elective positions in the upcoming 2015 elections.

The Vanuatu Council of Women says the government needs to come up with more strategies to push women's political representation in the country.

The non-governmental organisation has launched a report on women's participation in politics from 2009 to now to mark National Women's Day.

The coordinator of the study, Seman Serekan, says no women being elected in the 2012 general election forced the government to introduce reserved seats for women in municipal elections.

They might not be getting their due when it comes to representation in parliament, but women have increased their participation in the voting process by nearly 10 percent in this general election, even surpassing men in eight states.

Comparatively, the male voter turnout increased to 67.17 percent from 60.24 percent last time.

First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, recently put forward new perspectives on how to make women's voices heard and make their votes count in Nigeria's political process, ahead of the 2015 general elections. She noted that the time had come for women to remind themselves and ask one another how they intend to take their rightful place in the continuously unfolding political equation in the country.

Women political participation in Pakistan is constrained due to deep-rooted gender inequality and politics of patronage. There is need to not only sensitize political leadership but also introduce broader legislative and electoral reforms to strengthen women political leadership in Pakistan.

You will find here the list of MEPs who have already endorsed EWL Manifesto. Let’s get much more until the European elections! Thanks for your support!