The Americas and the Caribbean

Photo-Ikenna Ikeotuonye and the Howard University Student Association.

It is “highly likely” a woman will challenge Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in the race to replace President Jacob Zuma in 2017.

This is the view of ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga, who told The Mercury at the weekend there were several women in the league who were ready to take over the party’s and country’s presidencies.

Motshekga and Zuma were in Durban for Women’s Day celebrations at King Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi.

There may have been storms on election day, but for Delegate Donna Christensen the sun was shining.  She and her running mate, Basil Ottley, beat out a crowded six candidate field to win the Democratic primary for Governor of the Virgin Islands.

Del. Christensen’s primary win and all but certain victory in the general election means she will be the first Black female Governor of the U.S. and its territories.

Women in public/leaderships position in the Toledo district have begun a series of workshops on capacity building.

Project coordinator Sheena Gentle explains that the during the course of the training, which is expected to last eight days, the women will be taught about leadership, community mobilization, strategic planning, political campaigns among others.

The objective of the training is to empower women by helping them to confront many of the issues they face on a daily basis whether it be in the home, on the job or working in the community.

The top candidates for Toronto’s mayoral race and where they stand on key issues are well known, but the odds are that few people know who is running for city council in their ward.

A non-partisan group of approximately 15 youth is looking to change this lack of knowledge among Toronto voters. Most of them are under 35 years old and call themselves Women in Toronto Politics or WiTOpoli for short.

It may be the 21st Century, but many of the barriers that kept women from entering politics over the last 100 years still exist, said 20-year-old university student Supriya Trivedi.

For instance, juggling a career with motherhood remains a significant obstacle for prospective female politicans, Trivedi said.

“I definitely felt that we were past that,” she said.

Black female politicians have made history in the state of Georgia. For the first time ever, not just in the state but the nation, five African-American women will be on a statewide ballot.

These candidates are:  Doreen Carter for secretary of state, Liz Johnson for insurance commissioner, Robbin Shipp for labor commissioner, Connie Stokes for lieutenant governor and Valarie Wilson for school superintendent.  So far, Wilson grabbed the Democratic nomination in a recent runoff against another black woman, Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan of Austell.