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
The 2012 elections in American Samoa will include the highest number of female candidates in the Territory’s history.
60 candidates are vying for the 20 House of Representatives seats.
WOMEN in the Western Division have been encouraged to become more involved in the electoral process as the country prepares for the 2014 elections.
Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu launched her presidential bid on Sunday and pledged to focus on women and the youth empowerment if elected Kenya's fourth President in next year's General Elections.
According to Begum, one of the most challenging issues for women is obtaining identity cards. It's estimated that all over the country, 10 million women don't have IDs. The share is particularly high with Pashtun women, where some 70 percent don't have IDs.
Women voters are particularly affected. The latest electoral rolls count 47.77 million men, compared with 36.59 million women — a significant discrepancy given that Pakistan’s male-to-female ratio is 1.06.
Kenyan’s new constitution is not only a historic landmark for Kenya, but a milestone in the East African women’s rights movement.