She is often called the “Iron Lady” of Hong Kong. Anson Chan earned respect serving as Hong Kong’s second-highest official when the British were in charge. And when the colony was handed back to China in 1997, Beijing enlisted Chan to help with that transition.
Photo-Ikenna Ikeotuonye and the Howard University Student Association.
Across the Pacific less than 5 per cent of parliamentarians are women.
It is “highly likely” a woman will challenge Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in the race to replace President Jacob Zuma in 2017.
In March 2014, the Maltese electorate gave a resounding thumbs-up to four female Maltese candidates out of the six elected to the European Parliament. A month later the second female President of Malta was sworn into office.
All too often, we measure our progress in the process of gender empowerment by counting the number of woman politicians in Parliament and Cabinet. There is also now a new dynamic in ANC politics with talk of the prospect of a woman leading the organisation and the country next.
From top left, clockwise: Dido Harding, Karren Brady, Nosheena Mobarik and Joanna Shields Photo: PA/Bloomberg