Women's political participation

Opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of Croatia, winning by the narrowest of margins.

She secured 50.5% of the vote with 99% of ballots counted, while incumbent Ivo Josipovic was close behind on 49.5%.

Mr Josipovic has conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent.

The challenger's win is a sign that Croatia may be shifting to the right after the centre-left coalition's failure to end six years of downturn.

The Jordanian parliament is no stranger to screaming matches but a recent incident was so controversial that it provoked people to poke fun at their MPs online.

Earlier this week, during a heated argument over the Muslim Brotherhood, independent MP Yehia al-Saud was cut off by one of his female colleagues, Hind al-Fayez.

"Sit down Hind!" al-Saud yelled several times.

Smashing the glass ceiling women face to "smithereens" is an important part of tackling inequality, Scotland's new First Minister has said.

Nicola Sturgeon, who is the first female to take on the top job in Scottish politics, pledged she would work to "ensure there are no limits on women's ambitions".

Geneva, 17 November 2014

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has today condemned the attack on Afghan woman MP Shukria Barakzai on 16th November and once again urged authorities in the country to do more to ensure the voices of women political leaders are not extinguished or intimidated.

Although Barakzai, a high-profile women’s rights activist and parliamentarian, survived the suicide bomb attack in Kabul, three people were killed and many more reportedly injured.

A new report on Public perceptions of women in leadership, released in Suva on 5 November, provides a window onto changing community attitudes about the role of women in political leadership in Fiji. The research also provides insight into the views that lie behind women’s increased representation in parliament at the recent elections, to 14%, up from 11% in the 1999 and 2006 elections.