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.
2020 was a milestone year for women in politics in the US. The country saw the highest numbers of women entering Congress and the executive in its history.
After the November 2020 national elections, women make up 49 per cent of the Legislative Assembly of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, cementing its position as a forerunner on gender parity in politics.
Elena Crasmari decided to run for office so that the local administration could meet the needs of all members of her community.
The Institute for Social Research of Austria (SORA) surveyed the proportion of women among all mayors and councillors in Austria as part of the “Equality Index” for the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns (AACT).
In recent months, Australians have grown accustomed to stories of sexual impropriety by their politicians dominating the news headlines.
A projected 30 women will enter the Israeli legislature, a record for an Election Day, but it appears female representation in parliament will remain roughly the same for the 24th Knesset as in past sessions.
Although significant progress has been made with regard to the participation of women in political and public decision-making in Europe, such progress is too slow and uneven.
Although significant progress has been made with regard to the participation of women in political and public decision-making in Europe, such progress is too slow and uneven.
Newly inaugurated Samia Suluhu Hassan who served as Tanzanian vice-president under President John Magufuli has declared 21 days of mourning for her predecessor.
Newly inaugurated Samia Suluhu Hassan who served as Tanzanian vice-president under President John Magufuli has declared 21 days of mourning for her predecessor.