Women's political participation

Fianna Fáil has conceded it is “disappointed” with the proportion of female candidates it is running in the local and European elections in May.

The passage of a draft law seeking to provide 30 percent women participation in all political parties was stalled recently by a motion for reconsideration made by Nimba County Senator Thomas Grupee.

Senator Grupee's motion for reconsideration angered several women leaders who have expressed disappointment in the senator's action.

Some of them told a local radio station that Senator Grupee is against women leadership.

Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights.”

So proclaimed Hillary Clinton, US First Lady at the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995, in a landmark speech of her career.

Despite Clinton’s words echoing around the world for close on 20 years, one must ask: What has changed?

As many as 556 women contested from various national and regional parties during the 2009 general elections for the 15th Lok Sabha. Out of them 134 contested from the national parties, 27 state parties, 188 from registered parties (unrecognized) and 207 independents. 

When it came to parties in specific, BJP fielded 44 women contestants while INC fielded 43 women. Out of these, 23 women contestants from INC and 13 women contestants from BJP won the Elections. 

More work needs to be done post-elections in the Pacific to ensure Pacific countries do not remain at the bottom globally for gender equality in politics.

Two thirds of Tunisians support women's participation in political life, according to the results of a survey presented Saturday in Tunis.

"The support for women's participation in politics is however less pronounced in the case women are members of respondents' families," noted the survey, since only 52% of respondents encourage women from their family circle to be involved in politics.

Two thirds of Tunisians support women's participation in political life, according to the results of a survey presented Saturday in Tunis. "The support for women's participation in politics is however less pronounced in the case women are members of respondents' families," noted the survey, since only 52% of respondents encourage women from their family circle to be involved in politics

We invite you to read the full article published March 15, 2014

Participate in IFES' (International Foundations for Electoral Systems) quiz celebrating women's political participation!

A quick look at the rights of women across Arab countries today. The article offers a snapshot of how women are fairing in different Arab countries.

We invite our users to read the complete article published March 8 2014