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Korea: Women Quota Draws Backlash in DUP

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-02-08 00:47

Summary: 

The main opposition Democratic United Party’s (DUP) plan for a 15 percent quota for women in the selection of candidates to run in the April general election on its ticket is being opposed by some male potential candidates. They claim the rule constitutes reverse discrimination, questioning whether placing more women in politics was such an urgent issue. According to them, the 15 percent quota will hurt male candidates.

Proponents said the liberal party adopted the rule in order to encourage more women to join politics to better represent their interests. The current rate of women in politics _ 13.7 percent in the legislature _ is insufficient to represent the best interests of women, they said.

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Read the complete story at The Korea Times, published 7 February 2012.


UN Women to Focus on Boosting Economic Empowerment and Political Roles

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2012-02-02 23:17

Summary: 

The head of the United Nations entity mandated to promote gender equality today said that her priority this year is to enhance the economic empowerment and political participation of women and called for the support of the international community and the entire UN system to ensure success.

The agency provided support to candidates, political parties, voters, electoral commissions and legislative efforts in more than 25 countries over the past year to ensure that more women voted and got elected. This year, UN Women will support women’s movements in 52 countries.

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Read the complete story at UN News Centre, published 2 February 2012.  Find Under Secretary General Michelle Bachelet's remarks here or watch a recording of her speech here.


Kosovo Women Cross Party Caucus publish the first bulletin

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-02-01 22:40

Summary: 

The Kosovo Women Cross Party Caucus publish it first bulletin. You can find there information about their activities and the great achievemnts of their joint work ! Get inspired.

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Egypt: Islamist, liberal parties fielded few female candidates, says report

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-02-01 14:39

Summary: 

Neither the Islamist nor liberal parties fielded a significant number of female candidates on their lists in the recently held parliamentary elections, a report revealed.

The report, issued by a program at Nazra for Feminist Studies, showed that the average Islamist party list was made up of 16 percent female candidates, while “civil” parties — often considered more liberal — averaged 17.5 percent women on their lists.

In its report, Nazra’s Academy for Women’s Political Participation program investigates why so few women were successful in their bid for parliament and explains how few women ran in the first place.

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Read more in The Daily News Egypt, published 1. February


India: TISS to Train Women 'Sidelined' in Electoral Politics

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2012-01-31 23:21

Summary: 

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) will soon start training women who are actively involved in developmental work with various political parties, but don’t get a chance to be in mainstream politics.

Besides those who are into active politics, the workshops will also target women in developmental work and those in an ‘alternative’ political space. “A primary reason of our involvement here is because we see women in politics as a mode of their empowerment and a tool of social change,” she said. Training will be given in areas like the roles of a municipal body, how to prepare the budget and ways to speak up in meetings. “We will train them in advocacy and ways in which political parties operate in urban spaces. Women who do a lot of work on ground are rarely aware of how to engage themselves in electoral politics or be vocal. We want to change this,” Bhide said.

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Read the complete story at the Indian Express, published 30 January 2012.


Women's caucuses and alliances for sustainable development

A discussion circle on how women's caucuses and alliances can shape national policy agendas

 

Malaysia: Woman of the House

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Sun, 2012-01-29 21:25

Summary: 

A Miri senator, Doris Sophia Brodie, makes history as the first Sarawakian and Iban woman to be appointed Senate deputy president. She speaks passionately about empowering more women to enter the male-dominated field of politics in Malaysia.

“Some people use NGOs (non-govermental organisations) to help, but politics is my vehicle. There is nothing dirty about politics, it is people who make it dirty,” said Brodie.

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Read the complete story at The Star, published January 29, 2012.


Pakistan: Women participation in parliamentary affairs must to make progress

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Sun, 2012-01-29 21:18

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Dr Marilyn Wyatt, wife of US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron P.Munter Saturday appreciated the legislation done by Pakistan’s parliament especially related to women for their empowerment and to give them due rights and for their protection.

Dr Wyatt said while 2011 was very good year for the women of Pakistan as during this year, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed laws stiffening the punishment for acid attacks on women and punishing such practices as marrying off young girls to settle tribal disputes, there was still much to do.

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Read the complete story at the Pakistan Observer, published January 29, 2012.


Egypt: Experts weigh in on low female representation in parliament

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2012-01-27 12:55

Summary: 

Very few female candidates ran in the nation’s parliamentary elections and even fewer have been elected: 10 took the oath last Monday.

Eight women elected and two appointed women make up less than two percent of the 508 seats in the powerful lower house of parliament. Considering the proportion of women who applied, the chances weren’t big. In the capital for example, only 80 women ran compared to 1,010 men.

Echoing the concern that parties were playing politics early on was Omaima Kamel, one of the newly elected parliament members under the Freedom and Justice Party. “Women are put to fulfill criteria on the list,” she said, explaining that parties were worried women won’t have a positive impact on the lists in terms of attracting voters.

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Read more in The Daily News Egypt


India: "Dalit Queen" Faces Polls

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2012-01-27 01:33

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Mayawati is far from a sure bet to win another term as chief minister of the northern state whose population of 200 million would rank as the fifth-most populous in the world if it were a country.

If she doesn't, it would be a blow to her undisguised ambition to one day become prime minister of India, a goal that looked reasonable back in 2007 when she won a huge mandate from the state's voters by appealing to a rainbow of castes, which still define the socio-economic status for many of India's 1.2 billion people.

Electrification and rural welfare projects have undoubtedly contributed to economic growth, which at seven percent annually in her first four years of office, was the state's fastest-ever rate.

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Read the complete story at Reuters, published January 26, 2012.