gender equality

The Speaker of the Tongan parliament, Lord Fakafanua today launched a program, the Practice Parliament for Women. The program aims at encouraging women to enter parliament.

 Lord Fakafanua announced the initiative this morning, and launched a nationwide public awareness program to encourage interested women to apply for a seat in the 30 seats, Practice Parliament for Women. Two seats would be set aside for youths and and the disabilities. All women from the age of 21 upward may apply for a seat in the 30 seats parliament for women.

In Afghanistan, a dangerous bill has slipped through two houses of Parliament and is poised to devastate women’s rights advocates and victims of abuse. The law would ban all family members of accused criminals—be they abusers, rapists, murderers—from being questioned by police or testifying against them in court. Doctors and psychiatrists would also be barred from providing evidence. In most domestic cases it would be virtually impossible to get a conviction.

Solomon Islands Member of Parliament Hon. Milner Tozaka says he supports reserved seats for women in the national parliament and calls on the government to legislate the proposal before parliament dissolves in September 2014.

Mr Tozaka made these remarks at a recent three-day regional consultation on human rights for members of parliament in Auckland, New Zealand on 15–17 January 2014 organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC RRRT).

In 1967, Shirley Temple Black ran for Congress in California, attempting to become the first woman in the Golden State’s congressional delegation.

“I think men are fine and here to stay but I have a hunch that it wouldn’t hurt to have a woman’s viewpoint expressed in that delegation of 38 men,” she said, according to an Associated Press dispatch of her press conference. “One congresswoman among 38 congressmen is not unfair, fellows.”

The media plays a crucial role in the political or electoral process. It's the ears and eyes of the public and help mould perceptions. 

People rely on it for information on making decisions on a range of issues such as choosing their political leaders, informing them about their activities, mandate of political campaigns and giving them effective coverage while in office.

Both houses of the Afghan Parliament have voted to pass an act that would prohibit relatives from testifying against a criminal defendant in a judicial proceeding. If signed by President Hamid Karzai, the proposed change to the Afghan criminal code would prevent family members from testifying as victims or witnesses in all criminal cases, including domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault cases. The act would also ban children and doctors – including those who may have examined victims – from testifying against the accused.

According to TOLO News, many of the 11 candidates have focused on similar, broad issues so far, including security, human rights, women’s participation in government, corruption, and economic development.

Twenty-seven presidential hopefuls have registered as candidates for Afghanistan's crucial April 5 vote, setting the stage for a wide-open race among former warlords, powerful officials, and several prominent Western-educated technocrats...