Sub Saharan Africa

Parliament and the Women's University in Africa yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which the institution will offer various educational programmes to parliamentarians and staff. The agreement was signed by WUA vice-chancellor Professor Hope Sadza, Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr Lovemore Moyo and President of the Senate, Ms Edna Madzongwe.

Mr Moyo welcomed the signing of the agreement.

Renowned media personality Wanjiru Chege has resigned to embark on her bid for the Women Representative seat for Murang'a County. The Coro FM presenter who was also the controller of commercial radio services in the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation officially tabled her resignation letter on Monday.

The DA will not accept amendments to the Electoral Act to provide for party gender quotas. This would be as constitutionally problematic as basing representation in Parliament on race or any other demographic variable.

The DA thoroughly rejects the concept of demographic representivity, which was the animating idea of apartheid. In contrast, our constitutional democracy enjoins us all to protect each other's rights. You don't need to look the same as someone to be represented by them in Parliament.

Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu launched her presidential bid on Sunday and pledged to focus on women and the youth empowerment if elected Kenya's fourth President in next year's General Elections.

Launching her bid on the Narc party at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, the Kitui Central MP said she was confident of succeeding President Kibaki in her second attempt for the country's top job.

Ngilu said that the youth and women have adversely been affected by the economic policies that do not favour them.

Women and minority clans will not have the opportunity to access political seats through nomination.

Members of Parliament's lower house of representative have voted against allocating women and members of minority clans parliamentary and local council seats through a quota system.

Read more at Somaliland Sun, published 1 September 2012.

Under the Copac draft constitution, which is set to be taken to a referendum in October, women MPs would be entitled to 60 uncontested seats allocated on a proportional representation basis in addition to other seats guaranteed under the 50-50 gender parity.

he struggle for women's empowerment, is not a new battle.  This is what Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told dignitaries last night's Women's Parliament gala dinner.

She said women in Parliament play a special role in making sure government implements policy promoting gender equality. Dlamini-Zuma bemoaned the lack of gender transformation, especially in the work-force. 

The Minister of Economic Development, Mr Ebrahim Patel, has called for the increased participation of women in the mainstream economy.

Speaking at the Women's Parliament in Cape Town today, Minister Patel said while the country's gender policies have been an area of clear success in the democratic era, South Africa still has a long way to go in the area of gender equality.

"The empowerment of women is an economic imperative. The productive sectors of our economy are the engines that drive economic development, and these are areas where women have been largely absent".