Elections

Only four women were elected to Parliament in Malta’s general election, down from the eight female MPs elected in 2017.

If, once the casual elections are held to replace candidates who were elected on two districts, the number of women does not make up 40% of the total number of seats, the gender mechanism approved in the past legislature will be triggered to appoint up to a total of 12 women to complete the line-up of both sides of the House.

Female politicians still face numerous obstacles despite momentum for change.

On a sunny afternoon near a busy motorway in Beirut, former Lebanese MP Paula Yacoubian sits in the headquarters of her charitable organisation.

Al-Shabaab claim responsibility for attacks, including that which killed Amina Mohamed Abdi in run-up to elections this week.

A “fearless” Somali female MP was among dozens of people killed in a series of bomb attacks in rural Somalia on Wednesday.

Despite efforts to encourage women to both vote and run in local elections in the West Bank, candidates say much work remains to be done.

With women voters rooting for the candidates across districts, more women nominees were elected in the panchayat polls this year. In Patnaik’s home district of Ganjam, 40 women candidates were elected as members of the Zilla Parishad out of a total 67 zones in the district.