women's role in society

With only three female aldermen on the last council and just one woman running for mayor, some people are wondering why more women aren’t interested in seeking public office. According to Druh Farrell, who has represented the people of Ward 7 for 12 years, part of the answer is in how women are treated in politics. We invite our users to read the complete article published October 11th 2013 here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sexist-attitudes-discourage-women…

With Janet Yellen slated to become the next chair of the Federal Reserve, the nation is abuzz with the implications of her historic nomination. But while Yellen is the 28th woman Obama has chosen for an executive role, the percentage of women entering top political positions is still disproportionate to the percentage of women in the country. This is abundantly clear during election season. Though 2012 saw a record number of women elected as public officials, few women make it to the ballot in the first place. Why?

President Obama's nomination of the qualified, prescient, and eminently deserving Janet Yellen as the chairman (chairwoman?) of the Federal Reserve yesterday will make her — if confirmed — the first woman in history to hold the position. It's far from the only D.C. office never to be occupied by a boss with two X chromosomes: Just seven women are currently serving among the Obama administration's 23 cabinet-level jobs, and only 45 women have held such spots in the history of the country.

Rwanda's parliament is now almost two-thirds female, while Malawi, Liberia and Senegal have women at the helm. Western feminists, take note.

What would have once sounded like a far-fetched feminist fantasy – namely women forming the majority of a parliament – is a reality in one country in the world, Rwanda.

Early reports from the parliamentary elections last Monday indicate that women now hold nearly 64% of the seats. Prior to the genocidal conflict in 1994, the figure was just 18%.

Women voters were prevented from participating in the by-elections taking place in the Union Council Kari Shamuzi NA-25 earlier today, Express News reported.

The reason behind this is not yet known.

There are 308 polling stations where voting will take place till 5 pm.

There have been similar previous incidents in the past when women were prevented to vote. Not a single woman could cast her vote in NA-103 Hafizabad during the by-elections in August.

Hazel Brown, co-ordinator of the Network of NGOs for the advancement of women, hopes after the October 21 local government elections that 50 per cent of councillors will be women as well as 50 per cent of aldermen elected under the newly-implemented proportional representation. Brown made the announcement yesterday at a news conference at the Professional Centre, Fitzblackman Drive, Port-of-Spain.