Women's political participation

Tonga held its first ever Practice Parliament for Women on 10-11 April at the Fale Alea - Legislative Assembly - in Nuku’alofa. With the upcoming general election in November, it was the opportunity to encourage female participation in politics and to come together in a near reality parliament to discuss issues affecting women.

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.”

MPs from around the world have urged parliaments everywhere to work to ensure the equal participation of indigenous peoples in parliaments and political decision-making becomes a reality.

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.

Twenty years ago tonight, the assassination of Rwanda’s president set in motion the most gruesomely efficient genocide in modern history. The anniversary reminds us of the brutality of those 100 days — 800,000 people killed because of their Tutsi ethnicity, or because they stood up for their neighbors.

But we are also reminded of the less-known stories of the extraordinary women who took the lead in rescuing Rwandan society over the past two decades.