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Timor Leste: Angelita Pires Joins Presidential Race

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-02-08 00:42

Summary: 

The Timorese-born Australian Angelita Pires recently declared her nomination in East Timor's Presidential election and is now preparing to begin her campaign. Pires says she's running to address problems in the justice system and to help provide universal access to justice.

"My candidacy was mostly due to the request of many, many people, many poor people and many of those youths and women who felt that they don't have access to justice and they felt that they wanted a change. Until today they insist that they want a new face and new ideas," said Peres in this interview.

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Read the complete interview at Australia Network News, published 7 Feburary 2012.


Myanmar: Panel Says Suu Kyi Can Run for Parliament

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-02-06 23:18

Summary: 

Photo credit: AP Photo/Khin Maung Win

An elections panel Monday affirmed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's candidacy for Myanmar's Parliament in another step toward political openness in a country emerging from nearly a half-century of iron-fisted military rule.

A victory in the April 1 by-elections would be historic. Suu Kyi could have a voice in Parliament for the first time after spending most of the last two decades under house arrest.

A National League for Democracy spokesman confirmed the commission had approved her candidacy. "There is no objection to her nomination and we can say that her candidacy is officially accepted," Nyan Win said.

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Read the complete story at ABC News, published 6 February 2012.


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.

Body: 

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


Pakistan: Women participation in parliamentary affairs must to make progress

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

Summary: 

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.


India: "Dalit Queen" Faces Polls

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

Summary: 

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.

Body: 

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


Japan: Youngest Ever Female Mayor-Elect Wants to Change Women's Lives

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-01-25 20:53

Summary: 

Naomi Koshi, the 36-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer who won the recent mayoral election here has vowed to change the lives of women in Japan.

Her drive to join the political world originates from seeing so many women being forced to choose between family and work.

By working closely with Gov. Kada, Koshi vows to become "the spokeswoman of a generation that cares for their elders and strives to raise children."

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Read the complete story at The Mainichi Daily News, published January 24, 2012.


Taiwan: Tsai First Woman to Set Sights on Presidency

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2012-01-17 20:15

Summary: 

In a traditionally male-dominated society, the 55-year-old leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has sought to turn her gender into an advantage in the campaign for this Saturday's election.

Tsai has promised to turn a new page with a fresh image for the DPP, shedding a history of scandal as it seeks to reach beyond its traditional blue-collar support base and embrace urban middle-class voters.

She is in a tight race with President Ma Ying-jeou who has presided over a warming of ties with China which observers say could be wound back if the independence-minded opposition is victorious.

Body: 

Read the complete story at MY Sinchew, published January 11, 2012.


Cambodia: Parties Want More Women Candidates in Upcoming Elections

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-01-16 20:07

Summary: 

Cambodia’s political parties say they are hoping to get more women candidates to run in local elections next year. Some say they could potentially double the number of women representing their parties in commune councils after the elections in June 2012.

Only 8 percent of commune councilors were women in 2002, compared to 15 percent after the 2007 elections. The National Election Committee says nearly 11,500 commune councilor seats will be contested in the June 2012 polls, leaving a lot of room for more women candidates.

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Read the complete story at Voice of America News, published 26 December 2011.


Consolidated Response on the Impact of New ICTs on Information Behaviour of Women in Politics

According to Marcia J Bates, professor at UCLA, "Information behaviour is the currently preferred term used to describe the many ways in which human beings interact with information, in particular, the ways in which people seek and utilize information.” How do we find the information we need?  How do we identify what it is we are lacking, and how do we go about obtaining it?  What sources do we turn to, and how do we process, analyse and distribute knowledge?  Though these may be common practices these are not the questions asked often enough by women in politics, but they are essential to the actualisation of (political) obligations and goals.  Efficient and targeted information behaviour is invaluable to any political campaign, so how do women candidates and voters make the most of this? 

This consolidated response will explore the use of new communication technologies along with detailing the difficulties women encounter in their information behaviour.  It will also highlight some strategies that have been used to overcome these, focusing mainly on networking, civil society and education at large.   

Consolidated Response on Experiences in Implementing Parity Laws to Improve Women's Political Representation

The adoption of the parity law in Senegal is an important step on the way to increased political participation and equal political representation of women.  Senegal’s women were rightfully proud of this landmark achievement, but other countries’ experiences with parity laws show that there is long road between the adoption of such laws and their effective implementation. 

This consolidated response will detail how parity laws have been implemented elsewhere, what aspects of their implementation bring most difficulties, and how such potential stumbling blocks could be overcome.  It will focus in particular on current developments in the Arab states, where the recent revolutions have led to the revision of certain political and electoral systems.