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.
![Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric will be sworn in on March 11 and oversee a vote on a new constitution in the South American nation [Esteban Felix/AP Photo]](/sites/default/files/styles/home_news_image/public/field/image/2._chile_copia.jpg?itok=Vgahmw6e "Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric will be sworn in on March 11 and oversee a vote on a new constitution in the South American nation [Esteban Felix/AP Photo]")
Gabriel Boric, Chile’s left-wing president-elect, has announced his first cabinet, giving a majority of the posts to women and several to former student protest leaders.
Political parties are all set for the upcoming elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a very important demographic with 403 assembly seats.
Mia Mottley, who shot to international fame during the Cop26 climate talks and oversaw Barbados’s break with the Queen last year, has won a second term as the Caribbean nation’s prime minister.
WOMEN empowerment. Very obvious now in any given society. Anywhere in the world, sans for few countries like Russia and North Korea. We should applaud the women involvement. She is no longer the weaker sex. They can be on top of any situations.
WOMEN empowerment. Very obvious now in any given society. Anywhere in the world, sans for few countries like Russia and North Korea. We should applaud the women involvement. She is no longer the weaker sex. They can be on top of any situations.
By Mark Bonokoski
By Mark Bonokoski
By Gillian Brockell
By Gillian Brockell
Only two of the government briefings held at the height of the coronavirus pandemic were led by a female politician, and in both cases it was the home secretary, Priti Patel, a report into gender representation across the UK’s top jobs has shows.
By Eliza Anyangwe
The appointment of a woman into a position long-held by men is often believed to be a sign; a harbinger of good things to come for other women and in the fight for gender equality. But is it ever?
By Eliza Anyangwe
The appointment of a woman into a position long-held by men is often believed to be a sign; a harbinger of good things to come for other women and in the fight for gender equality. But is it ever?
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has called for more concerted actions toward better recognition of the contributions that women make in national development.