Sub Saharan Africa

THE women’s movement has welcomed the election of South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson, with a call on her to embark on conflict resolution and poverty eradication.

Women for Change (WFC) executive director Emily Sikazwe said having a woman at the helm of the AUC brings hope for peace and stability as well as poverty eradication, which are the biggest challenges Africa is currently faced with.

Beatrice Boateng, a member of parliament with the New Patriotic Party, Ghana’s official opposition to the ruling New Democratic Congress, has earned her place among the country’s lawmakers. As she takes her seat in parliament, she does so having overcoming the numerous obstacles that face all would-be female politicians in Ghana, including defamation and financial difficulties. It is little wonder then that when visitors observe Ghana’s legislators in action, one thing is immediately clear – there are very few women who sit in the West African country’s parliament.

MORE than 500 women from Ijara district in Garissa county yesterday protested alleged misuse by men during elections. Interestingly, the protesters were not activists but housewives who said the burden of inefficient leadership imposed on them by men in the region is unbearable. Donning traditional Somali women in-house attires and singing dirges symbolising the end of male dominance in political decision-making in the area, they sat under acacia trees at Masalani Primary School for six hours before making their statement of intent.

Parliament has been asked to ensure articles 8 and 36 of the Somaliland constitution are adhered to.

This was asked of the legislators during a women empowerment meeting organized by NAGAAD umbrella organization in Hargeisa where the women further told the legislators that constitutional rights were not for request.

GINNY STEIN, REPORTER: What is happening in Rwanda borders on revolutionary. Women occupy some of the most important government ministries and make up more than half of the country's MPs.

AGNES BINAGWAHO, HEALTH MINISTER: In the beginning we didn't have enough women educated and there was a sense that they will not be able to fill those position in positive way to speed enough development of this country and we proved them wrong.

Women's representation in local government decreased after the 2011 elections, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

He said this was despite the increase in representation of women in Parliament from 2.7% during apartheid to 27% after 1994.