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Parliaments and Representatives

Democracy and the equal participation of men and women in the political arena are closely intertwined. No parliament or any decision-making body can claim to be representative without the participation of both men and women. As stated in the Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Member Parliaments in 1997, "The achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarity, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences."

Recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of women in parliament, though the world average of less than 22 percent remains far from the goal of parity between women and men. The election of women to the highest positions of state and government in several countries has also contributed to the changing face of politics.

While the road to election is a difficult one, the challenges for women do not stop there. Once women enter parliament or other bodies, they are faced with many new challenges. Parliament is traditionally a male-oriented domain where the rules and practices have been written by men. It is, therefore, an ongoing challenge to transform parliament into a gender-sensitive environment, to ensure that actions are gender-sensitive and to guarantee that gender is mainstreamed throughout the legislature.

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In India, She is a Changemaker programme launched for women in politics

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In India, She is a Changemaker programme launched for women in politics

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The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched 'She is a Changemaker' programme for women politicians on December 7, 2021. The pan-India capacity building programme has been launched for women representatives at all levels, from gram panchayats to the parliament including political workers and office bearers of national and state-level political parties.

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The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched 'She is a Changemaker' programme for women politicians on December 7, 2021. The pan-India capacity building programme has been launched for women representatives at all levels, from gram panchayats to the parliament including political workers and office bearers of national and state-level political parties.

World News

Kwara gov signs law reserving 35% of appointments for women

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Kwara gov signs law reserving 35% of appointments for women

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Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has signed into law a bill that makes it mandatory to have at least 35  per cent women appointees in the State Executive Council and other classes of political appointments. The law is cited as Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021.

Justifying the law, the state governor on Tuesday said it was only fair that women be given a fair space in the decision-making process. He spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, during a conference tagged ‘Cracking the glass ceiling: The story of Kwara women.’

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Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has signed into law a bill that makes it mandatory to have at least 35  per cent women appointees in the State Executive Council and other classes of political appointments. The law is cited as Kwara State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021.

Justifying the law, the state governor on Tuesday said it was only fair that women be given a fair space in the decision-making process. He spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, during a conference tagged ‘Cracking the glass ceiling: The story of Kwara women.’

World News

New Chancellor appoints Germany’s first gender-equal cabinet

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New Chancellor appoints Germany’s first gender-equal cabinet

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Germany’s new government will have more women in its cabinet than ever before, with incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz appointing 8 women and 8 men as ministers.

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Germany’s new government will have more women in its cabinet than ever before, with incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz appointing 8 women and 8 men as ministers.

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Of 98 presidential candidates in Libya, just two are women challenging norms

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Of 98 presidential candidates in Libya, just two are women challenging norms

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TRIPOLI (Reuters) - When political activist Laila ben Khalifa announced she was standing in Libya’s presidential race, she said the most common response was sexist jokes and patronising comments.

Even when she met one of her male rivals in the Dec. 24 election, he mocked her candidacy, she added, questioning whether she expected to win any votes.

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TRIPOLI (Reuters) - When political activist Laila ben Khalifa announced she was standing in Libya’s presidential race, she said the most common response was sexist jokes and patronising comments.

Even when she met one of her male rivals in the Dec. 24 election, he mocked her candidacy, she added, questioning whether she expected to win any votes.

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100th anniversary of the first woman being elected to the Canadian House of Commons

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100th anniversary of the first woman being elected to the Canadian House of Commons

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the first woman being elected to the House of Commons.

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Here’s why my baby was banned from parliament and why we must all fight this

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December 3, 2021

Here’s why my baby was banned from parliament and why we must all fight this

By Stella Creasy

Any parent of a newborn knows it’s hard to stay awake, let alone focus on anything else. Maternity leave matters – it’s good for our health, our children and our economy.

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By Stella Creasy

Any parent of a newborn knows it’s hard to stay awake, let alone focus on anything else. Maternity leave matters – it’s good for our health, our children and our economy.

World News

World News

Women in power: How many European countries have female leaders?

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Women in power: How many European countries have female leaders?

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Magdalena Andersson has become Sweden's first female prime minister. But she is among the minority: there are just five other women leading their countries in the European Union: Finland's Sanna Marin; Estonia's Kaja Kallas; Lithuania's Ingrida Šimonytė; Denmark's Mette Frederiksen and Germany's Angela Merkel.

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Magdalena Andersson has become Sweden's first female prime minister. But she is among the minority: there are just five other women leading their countries in the European Union: Finland's Sanna Marin; Estonia's Kaja Kallas; Lithuania's Ingrida Šimonytė; Denmark's Mette Frederiksen and Germany's Angela Merkel.

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Gender and family affairs hosts Women United in politics forum

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Gender and family affairs hosts Women United in politics forum

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Present and former female Parliamentarians (House of Assembly and the Senate) from across the political spectrum, leaders of female Non-Governmental Organizations and advocacy groups – including representatives from the community of persons with disabilities – women in service, women in governance, and other partners and stakeholders, participated in the 2021 Women United in Politics Hybrid Forum held Friday (November 12).

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Present and former female Parliamentarians (House of Assembly and the Senate) from across the political spectrum, leaders of female Non-Governmental Organizations and advocacy groups – including representatives from the community of persons with disabilities – women in service, women in governance, and other partners and stakeholders, participated in the 2021 Women United in Politics Hybrid Forum held Friday (November 12).

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