THIMPHU – In 2016, when Kinley Zangmo first put her name forward for the Mangmi post in Talo Gewog, Punakha, many still whispered that politics was a man’s domain.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) conducted a consultation forum on March 18, 2026, in Addis Ababa with stakeholders regarding the legal protections provided for women political party members, independent candidates and journalists within electoral contexts.

March is more than a marker on the calendar. It is a season of reflection, recognition, and renewed resolve. As the world observes International Women’s Day 2026, attention turns not only to the achievements of women, but also to the inequalities that persist beneath the surface of progress.

When women lead, democracies thrive. Yet, in Bangladesh's electoral landscape, the voices of women remain critically underrepresented.

The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Speakers at the fourth day of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) warned that Taliban policies in Afghanistan amount to a system of “gender apartheid,” while also highlighting persistent global gaps in women’s political participation.

Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania were consolidated after the First World War, all experiencing communist regimes following the Second World War, and, after 1989, embarking on a transition to democracy.

Countries with women as head of state or government: Twenty-six UN member states have a female head of state or government (excluding monarchs, interim leaders and members of collective leadership bodies).