One of the first few countries to introduce suffrage for women and their election to office, Türkiye marks the 89th anniversary of the constitutional amendment, with more women in political offices though they are still outnumbered by men.

Nakiye Elgün’s message was simple: “We are a whole.” One of the first female lawmakers of the Turkish Parliament, Elgün noted in her speech in 1935 that men and women worked together in many fields but they were “honored” to be part of Parliament.

Globally, approximately 736 million women — almost one in three — endure violence at least once in their life. The most prevalent form of violence against women globally is intimate partner violence (affecting around 641 million). However, this problem goes beyond interpersonal relationships and reaches into diverse environments, including online platforms.

Since 2005 UBCM has participated in international projects that support local government development through missions in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. With direction from UBCM Executive, UBCM is currently partnered with the Cambodian National League of Councils on a project to support women in local leadership. The program aims to support more women to get involved in local governance, as well as local governments' capacity to deliver inclusive, gender-responsive services.

In what is arguably a significant step forward for women in politics, 2023 saw two important events: the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill, and an increase in women’s participation in the Assembly elections in various states. Not only are more women showing up to vote, but they're also playing a big role in deciding which political parties get support.

What numbers tell us

Udora Orizu chronicles the noteworthy strides being made by the 10th House of Representatives towards improving women’s political representation and end gender based violence in the country.

The 10th House of Representatives, is rekindling hopes of Nigerian women following assurances of legislative reforms to improve women’s political representation, one of which is to revisit the five gender bills rejected during the alteration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), in  March, 2022.

There is increase in politically motivated violence against women in Zimbabwe, manifesting as rape and sexual assault, direct violence and hate speech, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (The Forum) has said.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday presented its slate of 18 female legislator-at-large nominees and outlined its policies on gender equality.

The DPP has marked several milestones when it comes to women’s participation in Taiwanese politics, DPP Department of Gender Equality division director Lee Yen-jong (李晏榕) told a news conference at party headquarters in Taipei.