Sub Saharan Africa

A Kenyan politician has apologised for suggesting that unmarried women are not effective leaders.

Local leaders and activists criticised the comments by Kiambu County Governor William Kabogo, saying they were demeaning to the women.

The row involved unmarried MP Alice Ng'ang'a, who opposed his new taxes.

The dispute highlights the cultural and social stereotypes that have held back women from running for public office in the past.

FEMALE political stakeholders have condemned the violence that characterised 2013 and have implored political parties to learn to co-exist.

 They said yesterday that violence was a hindrance to the participation of citizens, including women and youths, in the political and governance processes of the country.

Women in Puntland have expressed their dissatisfaction with their representation in the new Puntland Parliament. Halimo Mohamed Farah, the chairwoman of Puntland Women Alliance said that they were dismayed to learn that only two women were among the 66 newly assembled legislators.

She placed the blame on traditional elders, who she said do not recognize the role and leadership qualities of the Somali women. She vowed that they will continue to double their efforts to attain their rightful positions in the political arena.

Nouakchott, Mauritania - An African Union (AU) observer mission to the Mauritanian municipal and legislative polls, led by former Algerian Prime Minister, Ahmed Ouyahia, has recommended that the Mauritanian government should create an environment which will allow more women participate in the country's political process.

Speaking Tuesday to the media, Ouyahia, who monitored the elections in November and December, said the measure would put the country on the international map as one which encourages gender parity.

Twelve women councilors in the Kailahun District, east of Sierra Leone, have climaxed the 2013 commemoration of '16 Days of Activism' with the official adoption of the 'Gender Model Family' as an antidote to poverty reduction, improved social relations and reduction in gender-based violence. The 16 Days of Activism is a global event aimed at reducing gender-based violence and the flagrant abuse of the rights of women.

He was loved and admired all over the world for helping to end apartheid and heal the scars of a divided nation.

But in his fight for total freedom, the liberation leader also devoted himself to another cause -- the empowerment of women.

Here are five things Nelson Mandela did to advance female equality in his quest for justice.

MBABANE – A segment of the women electorate is disappointed with the poor representation of women in Parliament.

The Chairperson of the Gender Consortium under the Co-ordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Orga-nisations (CANGO), Hleli Luhlanga, feels that some of the constitutional provisions for the election of women into Parliament have been violated.