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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

April 24, 2013
Obscene pamphlets target DAP’s woman candidate, Malaysia

As the contest between MCA and DAP for the Kulai parliamentary seat heats up, members of the public have been receiving pamphlets depicting a woman MP deserting her constituents to nurse her baby.

April 24, 2013
Field women candidates: parties urged, Zimbabwe

Political parties have been urged to field more women candidates in the forthcoming elections if Zimbabwe is to realise gender equity and

April 22, 2013
Number of Women Candidates is Not Rising, Pakistan

Despite the welcome addition of a woman candidate contesting independently from Bajaur Agency, the overall number of women candidates contesting on general seats of the National Assembly (NA) has stayed much the same since the 2002 election.

April 19, 2013
Merkel quashes revolt over female exec quota, Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition defeated an election-year opposition bid Thursday to set a quota for female board members in a vote that exposed a party rift and forced her

April 19, 2013
Women get a raw deal in politics, India

The Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) may not have much in common, but they are united in their belief that 

April 19, 2013
Women activists demand higher political representation, Indonesia

Representatives of the government and the House of Representatives told a court hearing on Tuesday that the new legislative election law did not sideline women and was devised to em

April 17, 2013
Saudi female scientist raises hopes for women in politics

With a PhD in biotechnology from Britain's Cambridge University and a recurring presence on many of the world's most infl

April 16, 2013
Hopeful of consensus on Women Reservation Bill, India

The Government is hopeful that a consensus will emerge among political parties on the contentious