leadership

Many lessons can be learned from South African women who rose as leaders even when it was dangerous to do so, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said on Thursday.

In a speech prepared for delivery at a women's leadership conference in Cape Town, she said the lessons were on how to lead with courage and integrity.

Madonsela said leading examples were the lives of anti-apartheid activists Victoria Mxenge, Helen Joseph, and Helen Suzman.

Photo-Spencer Platt/Getty images

A sad reality of Hillary Clinton's career advice for women is that it's all about men. How to navigate the sexist taunts that arise in the workplace, how to be less of a perfectionist (because men don't bother), and how to handle double standards surrounding appearance and dress.

There may have been storms on election day, but for Delegate Donna Christensen the sun was shining.  She and her running mate, Basil Ottley, beat out a crowded six candidate field to win the Democratic primary for Governor of the Virgin Islands.

Del. Christensen’s primary win and all but certain victory in the general election means she will be the first Black female Governor of the U.S. and its territories.

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), on Thursday urged more women to contest the forthcoming district assemblies’ elections to enable them to participate actively in policy formulation and decision-making processes.

Mrs Theodora Williams Anti, FOSDA Programme Officer said the participation of more women in politics and the decision-making process with their male counter parts would provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning.

Opinion by Breda O'Brien

Ireland is among the 10 lowest-ranked EU countries when it comes to political and economic representation of women.

In January, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, we ranked joint 60th in the world when it comes to women in ministerial positions, along with Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Ukraine and Uruguay. I doubt the new ministerial appointments have nudged us far up the list.

It may be the 21st Century, but many of the barriers that kept women from entering politics over the last 100 years still exist, said 20-year-old university student Supriya Trivedi.

For instance, juggling a career with motherhood remains a significant obstacle for prospective female politicans, Trivedi said.

“I definitely felt that we were past that,” she said.

President Barack Obama criticized gender oppression in Africa that he said is "crippling" development in some countries, speaking out publicly Monday for the first time against female genital mutilation while encouraging young leaders from the continent to empower women.

As the world looks on in horror at the bloodshed in Gaza, Mary Gahonzire brings a unique perspective to the role of women in peacemaking and reconciliation. Gahonzire is deputy commissioner of the Rwanda Correctional Service, which runs prisons in the country that 20 years ago was torn apart by 100 days of killing.