Skip to main content

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

Decoding women’s representation in the 2021 state elections

Back
May 7, 2021

Decoding women’s representation in the 2021 state elections

Reports, anecdotal accounts, and now the results suggest that women played a crucial role in shaping the electoral outcomes in the four states and one Union Territory that went to the polls this year.

Reports, anecdotal accounts, and now the results suggest that women played a crucial role in shaping the electoral outcomes in the four states and one Union Territory that went to the polls this year.

May 7, 2021
Bengal election result 2021: Women voters played an instrumental role in TMC's thumping victory

M Modi’s widely popularised ‘Didi... o Didi’ taunts did not go down well with the women in a state where they are traditionally used to social equality

May 7, 2021
Explained: Share of women, youth in new state Assemblies

The age and gender profiles of 3 of the newly elected Assemblies show that the share of women MLAs is unchanged in West Bengal, has grown slightly in Kerala, and fallen in Tamil Nadu.

May 7, 2021
USA: Women outnumber and outvote men, but they don’t vote alike

Female voters are not a sure bet for Democrats, recent research on voting says.

May 7, 2021
Concern as just a third of candidates in English local elections are women

Fawcett Society says more needs to be done to encourage women into politics

April 29, 2021
Palestinian women still underrepresented on electoral lists

Although the Palestinian electoral law has been amended to raise the quota for women's participation in the Palestinian elections from 20% to 26%, Palestinian women continue to be unfairly represented on electoral lists.

April 29, 2021
Could the new Scottish Parliament turn out to be the most diverse ever?

Since its creation in 1999, the Scottish Parliament has provided a forum to address issues like health, education and the environment, which directly affect the nation.

April 29, 2021
Women’s day as record setting parliament sworn in

The lower house of Western Australia’s newly elected 41st Parliament sat for the first time on Thursday, marking a momentous occasion with the swearing-in of a record number of women in the chamber and the first female speaker.

April 29, 2021
Scottish election 2021: Will there be a record number of female MSPs?

Scottish voters go to the polls to elect a new crop of MSPs on 6 May, with parties under more pressure than ever to correct the imbalances in the gender and diversity of their representatives.