United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Hollywood star and human rights activist, Angelina Jolie-Pitt, has been recently appointed as Professor of Practice at the London School of Economics, within its new Centre for Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

Ms. Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, becomes the First Minister of Northern Ireland. This new appointment followed the decision by her predecessor, Mr. Peter Robinson, to step down as First Minister on November 2015. Ms. Foster has been Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since 2003, and served as Minister of the Environment during the period 2007-2008, Minister for Enterprise and Investment (2008-2015), and Minister for Finance and Personnel (2015-2016).

British UKIP Politician and Member of the European Parliament, Ms. Louise Bours (see image), made recently a statement against gender quotas benefiting the participation of women in politics. Her statement followed the commentaries of Ms. Harriet Harman, former Labour deputy leader, who told the BBC ‘We can’t have a men-only leadership when we are party for women and equality’. Harman’s declarations followed the announcement of a reshuffle of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

The London School of Economics have launched a new study concluding that gender quotas to place women in positions of power are needed in order to guarantee gender equality. This quotas would include both private and public sectors and the study makes particular emphasis on parity within political parties to guarantee decision-making processes free from gender discrimination.