The Americas and the Caribbean

The 113th Congress will have 20 female senators, the most ever in U.S. history.

Joining the Senate will be Republican Deb Fischer (Neb.) and Democrats Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.).

Last weekend, two women were elected to key positions in the Congress of the People (COP) and the People’s National Movement (PNM). Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan beat the incumbent Joseph Toney to become the COP’s new chairman while Penelope Beckles defeated MP for Laventille East/Morvant Donna Cox for the position of female vice-chairman of the PNM. 

Read more at Guardian Media, published 1 November 2012.

Pauline Marois made Canadian history Tuesday night as the first female premier of Quebec and the fifth woman currently at the helm of a Canadian province or territory.

After the Parti Quebecois’ minority win, Marois joined the likes of Alberta Premier Alison Redford, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, Newfoundland Premier Kathy Dunderdale and Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak.

It’s unclear if this influx of female leaders in our country is here to stay, though, according to one Canadian politics expert.

St Lucia is mourning the loss of Heraldine “Ma” Rock, who became St Lucia’s first-ever female Member of Parliament when she won the election for the Castries South East constituency in 1974.

Rock, who was also the first woman to serve as a Minister of Government, passed away at the age of 79.

“Ma Rock, as she was affectionately known by friends and adversary alike, had her political baptism during the heyday days of the 1970s, and was a champion of the people of South East Castries,” said Acting Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre.

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said that women are his "weakness" and added he was convinced that they will be the ones who win him the presidency next month when he faces off at the ballot box against President Hugo Chavez.

The 40-year-old former governor and attorney interrupted his speech during a rally Saturday in Tocuyito, a city in the central state of Carabobo, to confess that he was "impressed with how beautiful the women are" in that state.

The number of women serving in government posts increased in the past two years in Cuba, where females now hold around 45 percent of the seats in parliament, Communist Party daily Granma said Thursday.

"As a result of the government strategies for promoting women" seven government bodies, including the supreme court and the central bank, have filled between 50 percent and 70 percent of their top and essential positions with women.

Democrats unveiled a slew of female speakers Wednesday for their convention next month, an indication that they will continue to press Republicans on women’s issues as GOP leaders furiously try to distance themselves from Missouri Senate candidate W. Todd Akin’s recent comments on pregnancy and rape.