Democracy and the equal participation of men and women in the political arena are closely intertwined. No parliament or any decision-making body can claim to be representative without the participation of both men and women. As stated in the Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Member Parliaments in 1997, "The achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarity, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences."
Recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of women in parliament, though the world average of less than 22 percent remains far from the goal of parity between women and men. The election of women to the highest positions of state and government in several countries has also contributed to the changing face of politics.
While the road to election is a difficult one, the challenges for women do not stop there. Once women enter parliament or other bodies, they are faced with many new challenges. Parliament is traditionally a male-oriented domain where the rules and practices have been written by men. It is, therefore, an ongoing challenge to transform parliament into a gender-sensitive environment, to ensure that actions are gender-sensitive and to guarantee that gender is mainstreamed throughout the legislature.
A coalition of women-focused civil society organisations (CSOs) says more needs to be done to reverse the decline in female political participation in Nigeria.
The 2020 U.S. Census found that Asian Americans were the fastest-growing segment of the U.S.
The 2020 U.S. Census found that Asian Americans were the fastest-growing segment of the U.S.
As Nigeria’s political season gathers momentum, women are steadily losing ground in governance, raising urgent questions about democracy, representation, and whether Africa’s largest country is deliberately silencing half its population, writes Adedayo Adejobi
As Nigeria’s political season gathers momentum, women are steadily losing ground in governance, raising urgent questions about democracy, representation, and whether Africa’s largest country is deliberately silencing half its population, writes Adedayo Adejobi
Women who enter public life, including journalists, activists and those in politics, have always understood that visibility comes at a cost.
Azerbaijan, in southwestern Asia, has a population of more than 10.2 million people
Evidence on the policy impact of female politicians is mixed.
Evidence on the policy impact of female politicians is mixed.
