Partner News

The data is clear. Despite women’s increased engagement in public decision-making roles, equality is far off: women hold about 21 percent of ministerial positions globally, only three countries have 50 percent or more women in parliament, and 22 countries are headed by a woman. At the current rate of progress, gender equality will not be reached among Heads of Government until 2150, another 130 years.

Shirley Chisholm, the first black US Congresswoman once said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”.

The future is better with women at every table where decisions are being made. Trailblazing women like Shirley Chisholm have been claiming their space and demanding women’s inclusion and equality throughout history, and now it’s on us.

Following elections in 2020, the global proportion of women in parliament reached a record 25.5 per cent, representing an increase of 0.6 points compared with 2019, according to the IPU’s latest Women in Parliament report.

Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.

The International Women’s Day is observed worldwide on Monday 8th March.

By Emma Batha

LONDON, Feb 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Boosting the number of female leaders and government ministers will help build a stronger post-pandemic world, the head of U.N. Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said on Monday as data showed women may wait 130 years to see equality at the top.

UN Women and UNV launch the new Young Women Leaders Initiative to create professional opportunities for leaders of tomorrow and further enhance diversity in UN Women. We invite 10 young women from the Global South to serve as UN Youth Volunteers at UN Women Headquarters in New York starting in April.

With generous support from the Government of Norway, UN Women will intensify its efforts to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Libya at this critical juncture.

The Government of Norway has contributed USD 570,000 to UN Women Libya to promote the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on women, peace and security and support Libyan women’s participation in peacebuilding and recovery efforts.

In the early afternoon of May 13, 2020, Joana Mamombe, a member of parliament in Zimbabwe, was seized by security officers after she participated in a pop-up protest, demanding aid for the poor during the Covid pandemic. She and two other rights advocates were accused of violating a lockdown, an act intended to demonstrate the urgency of the issue, according to Mamombe’s account.

For this civil violation, the result was brutal.