Local Government

Harini Amarasuriya was officially sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first woman to hold the office since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000.

The ceremony took place in the capital, Colombo, where the 54-year-old leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) took her oath of office administered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dissanayake also appointed a new cabinet of four members, including himself.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips will be critical in changing the direction of South Africa’s economy.

Transnet’s inefficiencies have seriously inhibited growth in South Africa, with manufacturers, miners, and farmers struggling to move their goods.

In 2023, South Africa recorded historically low coal and iron-ore exports due to logistics troubles, specifically rail.

The first woman governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, has won a third term – against another woman candidate. The race between multiple women signifies a push for greater female representation in Japanese politics, which is still overwhelmingly dominated by men.

Eight years ago, Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term as governor July 7, and one of her closest rivals was a woman.

UN Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Administration Governance and the Agency for Gender Equality within the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, under the European Union-funded “Gender Equality Project”, on June 2024, organized an exchange visit and workshop in Albania to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and capacities of local Gender Equality Officers to effectively engage in gender-responsive governance and EU accession.