Elections

SHAHDARA, Pakistan – Bushra Khaliq stood in the middle of a village home, chin up and shoulders back, holding the attention of fifty women around her. Old and young, they wore Pakistani tunics and scarves; some cradled and fed babies, others shushed children who tugged at their sleeves. Sun from the open roof warmed Khaliq’s face as she looked around, holding eye contact with one woman, then another. “Who is going to decide your vote?” she asked. The women clapped and shouted in unison: “Myself!”

On November 6, 125 women were elected to the House, Senate, and governorships. This week, they assume power. Here's what they plan on doing with it.

For the first time in Togo’s history, the national assembly will be presided by a woman: Yawa Tsegan Djigbodi is the new president of this assembly.

She is replacing Dama Dramani, president of the former mandate during which she was the first quaestor. 

Australia’s Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer said Saturday she will quit politics for personal reasons at this year’s election, adding to the list of female politicians to leave the ruling party, some citing disunity, bullying and intimidation.

Women in Australia make half of the population, but they make up less than a quarter of federal politicians in the Liberal party, the senior partner in the governing coalition.

The 116th class of Congress broke barriers before its members even set foot in Washington.

One example: Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who will be the first Somali-American member of Congress, noted the history of her election on Twitter on Wednesday night.

The Representation of People Act 1918 granted the vote to Irish and English women aged over 30 who met certain property qualifications.

While some nations had extended that right to women earlier, other countries, in Europe as well as elsewhere, did not allow women to vote until much later into the 20th century.

New Zealand: First nation to grant female suffrage, in 1893, to all adult women.