Women's political participation

SARAJEVO – Sending a message of hope to Bosnian Muslim women, a veiled woman was elected to the House of Representatives in October's elections, becoming the first woman to enter the parliament with the Islamic headscarf.

"I think my being elected is a good message for all women, especially for women who wear the headscarf," Kanela Zuko told Anadolu Agency on Thursday, November 13.

The 38-year-old Muslim woman, who was elected last October, is the first to wear hijab among the 22 females MPs in the Balkan country.

Member of the European Parliament Ruza Tomasic on Sunday supported HDZ candidate Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic in the race for the next president of Croatia, saying that Croatia was ready for a woman president.

"Croatia is ready for a woman president and this is the future president of the Republic of Croatia," Tomasic told Hina after meeting Grabar Kitarovic in a central Zagreb square. She described the presidential candidate of the strongest opposition party as "a firm and steadfast woman who knows what she is saying and doing."

This week Schulz kicked off the spring forward for women conference, which aims to bring about ideas for encouraging political representation of women, with particular focus on women in Arab countries.

The conference comes as world leaders gear up for the 59th session of the commission on the status of women, due to take place next March at the UN headquarters in New York. At this meeting, heads of states will discuss the progress that has been made 20 years after the implementation of the Beijing platform for action - an agenda for the empowerment of women.

Photo-Paulo Whitaker/Reuters

SÃO PAULO—This year, for the first time in Brazil’s history, two women—incumbent President Dilma Rousseff and former environment minister Marina Silva—had a serious chance of winning the presidency. Marina, who sought the country’s highest office after the death of her running mate in August, ultimately fell short, coming in third in voting this week behind Dilma and Aécio Neves, who now enter a runoff.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, has said that the country’s economic problems could be solved when a female is elected as the president.

“If you want Ghana to develop, make a woman the president," he said, adding that “corruption will go down if we have many female ministers.”

Dr Baah made the call during the closing ceremony of a five-day capacity building workshop organised by the TUC for 50 of its staff members from all districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.