Women's political participation

Unlike many women she does not hide her age but actually has a tendency to flaunt it, in April she will be fifty: “ The age of the Algerian revolution” she says. This is how she likes to present herself, Louisa Hounane, proud and touching spokesperson for the Workers’ Party, the only political party in Algeria to be led by a woman. 

KOLEA, Algeria: A string of white pearls around her neck, her hair tied in a bun, Louisa Hanoune, the only woman running for Algeria’s presidency, holds out her palms and declares: “I have clean hands.”

The remark triggers an outburst of celebratory ululations and chants of “Louisa! Louisa!” among supporters of the 60-year-old leftist candidate, who is widely popular in Algeria, even among conservatives hostile to feminism.

“I have clean hands,” she declares in a husky voice. “I have not held back, I have not sold off any businesses, I have not oppressed women.”

Tonga (Matangi Tonga, April 7, 2014) –Tonga's first "Practice Parliament for Women" is a crucial milestone and marks a very positive step forward for Tonga, said Queen Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho in opening the event today, April 7, in Nuku'alofa at the Faonelua Convention Centre.

The women form the majority of the electorate in Arunachal Pradesh but when it comes to contesting elections the numbers are at the odds with their population, with only 6 of them joining the fray for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections. 

The state has 3,77,272 women electorate against 3,75,898 males, with several assembly constituencies having more women voters than males. 

The are in fray in only six Assembly seats in the state and in none of the two Lok Sabha seats.

In the halls of Leinster House, Constance Markievicz cuts a lonely figure as the only portrait of a female parliamentarian in the entire building.

When I pass her portrait, I often think this trailblazing woman would be horrified that the party she helped establish doesn’t have a single female TD today.

Electoral research shows once women get on the ballot paper they have the same chance of getting elected as their male counterparts.

Thirty representatives will take part in Tonga's first “Practice Parliament for Women” on April 10-11 in Nuku'alofa, a two-day event that aims to encourage women to run for parliament in the upcoming 2014 General Election in November.

Lord Fakafanua the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly last week announced the names of 28 candidates picked from a pool of applicants. They include nine “noble's representatives”, 17 “people's representatives” and two representatives elected by the Prime Minister from outside.

The campaign for Saturday's presidential election in Afghanistan is featuring women in a more prominent role than ever before. One front-runner has a female running mate, and another has let his wife address campaign rallies—major departures from established practice in a conservative, Islamic country where women have long been kept out of politics.

Activists say the relative prominence of women in the election campaign underlines the progress Afghan women have made since the U.S. ousted the Taliban regime in 2001.

The social media experience which came across as a liberating tool for women, was often equated with a living room where one could voice opinions in public sphere. However, of late, a series of incidents have sounded a note of caution against the euphoria around social media. It has been compared to a street where women are abused, threatened, ogled at, rebuked, only virtually.

We invite you to read the full article published April 1 2014