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.
France has never had a woman as president. With a number of female candidates in the election race this time, could that finally change? Challenges range from a #MeToo campaign to an "invisible" barrier to the top job.
Parties will have ensure 40% of their candidates in the next general election are women if they want to avoid a funding cut.
By Satang Nabaneh
By Satang Nabaneh
By Anoa Changa
For Rep. Barbara Lee, part of Chisholm's legacy is how she inspired and empowered other Black women to reach higher.
By Anoa Changa
For Rep. Barbara Lee, part of Chisholm's legacy is how she inspired and empowered other Black women to reach higher.
One political hopeful in Antigua and Barbuda is commending the recently-elected Barbados government for its progress with the inclusion of women in politics, while urging the same for the twin island nation.
In Mexico, half of Congress is now female and seven of the country's 32 governors are women. This is partly due to changing attitudes but also to federally mandated gender equality laws.
In Mexico, half of Congress is now female and seven of the country's 32 governors are women. This is partly due to changing attitudes but also to federally mandated gender equality laws.
The second season of the reality TV show, Ms President, was launched yesterday. The show seeks to portray to a national audience the capacity and ability of women to lead effectively.
According to Palestinian Central Elections Commission data, the first phase of the 2021 local council elections showed the extent of women
According to Palestinian Central Elections Commission data, the first phase of the 2021 local council elections showed the extent of women
The three women parliamentarians who were elected in the 2012 Papua New Guinea (PNG) election failed to win re-election in the 2017 general election. Their electoral defeats only deepen the concern for gender representation in parliament.
The three women parliamentarians who were elected in the 2012 Papua New Guinea (PNG) election failed to win re-election in the 2017 general election. Their electoral defeats only deepen the concern for gender representation in parliament.