During the campaign for local elections in the West Bank, many female candidates’ faces were replaced by a rose or a silhouette on voter lists and campaign posters.

About 65% of eligible voters turned out for the first round of voting on December 11. The second round, which will take place on March 26, will determine the composition of 66 local councils for large municipalities.

The United Nations has rallied the nation to stamp out widespread violence against women in politics (VAWP) across the country’s political divide during election period.

Violence against women in politics occurs within the political domain targeting women creating a barrier to women’s political participation.

More than 550 women contested local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, the election commission said.

The is the first time that local polls are being held in districts that used to be part of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) until recently. Polling started at 8am and closed at 5pm in the first phase of the polls in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The British High Commission, in partnership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), UN Women and the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) on December 07 launched the second cohort of their mentorship programme for women parliamentarians in Uganda.

Women in Congress feel besieged and singled-out amid surging threats against lawmakers at all levels, with some frustrated more hasn't been done to halt the trend.

Why it matters: As record numbers of American women are being elected to public office, their growing political power is being met with death and rape threats, sexist and racist abuse and online disinformation. Collectively, it's discouraged women from running for office.

Just over ten years ago, IPU Member Parliaments adopted a landmark resolution on youth participation to encourage the rejuvenation of parliaments. Since then, parliaments from around the world have made some limited progress in its implementation. However, the level of youth representation in parliament, as measured regularly by the IPU, remains low. Half the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6% of MPs globally represent this age group.

At just 21 years old, Adila Yarmuhammad believes she will be the youngest Muslim woman running in the 2022 federal election. She aims to secure a seat in Australia's parliament, but she knows she's inexperienced.

"Even just running [for a seat] is enough, it's showing other women and younger girls that this is possible," she said. "You don't really see a lot of women of color in parliament, let alone a lot of Muslim women in parliament."