Parliament

Archaic and chauvinistic practices are being used to prevent Swazi women from taking part in the upcoming primary elections, despite the country having a constitution that guarantees their rights, says political analyst Dr. Sikelela Dlamini.

“The discrimination [against] women by preventing them from participating in politics is a consequence of deeply-rooted notions of male dominance and the subordination of women,” Dlamini told IPS.

Stella Creasy is young, female and very blonde, which would describe any number of aides around Parliament. But there aren’t a whole lot of anecdotes about this British politician being mistaken for a secretary or an intern.

A women’s group in Papua New Guinea says having three women in Parliament is a victory, but there is an ongoing struggle to have allocated seats.

Susan Setae, the Executive Officer of Papua Hahine Social Action Forum, says the awareness work the group does should be credited for the breakthrough.

We invite you to read the full article published August 20, 2013

Quotas should be introduced to increase the numbers of women in parliament and public life to address the "dire" gender balance in Westminster, authors have told the Edinburgh international book festival.

Kamila Shamsie, the novelist, and Kate Mosse, the author and founder of the Women's Prize for Fiction, argued that quotas for women in parliament, though according to Mosse "a blunt tool", could "effect real change".

What is it about the “woman question” that drives so many pundits and politicians to despair in New Zealand? To call the all-women shortlist a “man ban” shows how clearly many of them see politics as being all about them, men.

President Michael D Higgins said last night that the low level of women in the political world was of serious concern.

Speaking at an event at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark International Women's Day, he said: "We must do much more to reform our political system to ensure that the boundless talent, intelligence and skills that women bring to the workplace generally can be more profoundly present in our parliament.