Europe and the CIS

Much has changed since the wannabe prime minister David Cameron pledged to give a third of his first government's jobs to women, thereby ending what he called the "scandalous under-representation" in parliament. Not least the fact that, once in Downing Street, he promptly appointed just five women to his 23-strong cabinet.

Mrs. Juliana Azuma-Mensah, Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, has said the women’s role in participating at all levels of decision making was a key priority on the development agenda of the government of Ghana.

She said government had put in place various interventions to promote gender equality in the country with the support of Non-Governmental Organizations and Development partners.

Three women from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in jail on Friday for staging a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a church, a ruling supporters described as his "personal revenge".

The group's backers burst into chants of "Shame" outside the Moscow courthouse and said the case showed Putin was cracking down on dissent in his new six-year term as president. Dozens were detained by police when scuffles broke out.

Armenian Government approved the bill on Securing Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in the Thursday session to be discussed in the Parliament on second reading.

GENDER QUOTAS are set to become law after the Electoral Amendment (Political Funding) Bill 2011 passed all stages in the Dáil yesterday.

The legislation, which has yet to be signed by the President, will halve State funding to parties unless 30 per cent of their candidates at the next general election are women. This figure will rise to 40 per cent at subsequent general elections.

A French female minister was jeered while addressing parliament by right-wing lawmakers who heckled her because of the dress she was wearing. Later they explained it was not catcalling, but admiration of a beautiful woman.

Despite the introduction of a quota to ensure women make up 20 per cent of Armenia’s parliament, the reform has failed to have much effect, with only half that percentage winning seats in the May 6 election.

Fourteen women out of the 131 members of parliament represent an increase on the 12 who had seats before the election, but analysts say a substantial improvement on that figure is not on the horizon.