women in politics

Japan's Shinzo Abe on Friday named the country's first ever female aide to the prime minister, just weeks after Caroline Kennedy arrived as the first woman US ambassador to Tokyo, AFP reports.

Makiko Yamada, a 53-year-old internal ministry veteran, will advise the conservative prime minister on policies affecting women, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

The first time Senator Patty Murray ran for local office, she was so embarrassed to ask people for money for her campaign that she and her husband held a garage sale. But her generous husband could not stop himself from giving away an expensive lawn mower, she said, leaving the fund-raiser at a net loss.

By the time she ran for the Senate in 1992, she had gained the confidence to hold out the hat enthusiastically.

As yet another female Tory MP announces she is to stand down, the soul-searching has begun about why women still find life in the Commons so unbearable. Laura Sandys says she is leaving politics because of "family demands". But the impression given is she is part of a growing exodus of recently elected women; "rising stars" forced out tragically early by the macho posturing in parliament.

The call was made on Tuesday by the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa at the closure of a two-day workshop on building capacity of prisons warders on international peacekeeping missions.

The workshop attracted delegates from 25 countries and representatives of international organisations. The event aimed at exploring reforms on how to train warders for peace-keeping missions.

We invite you to read the full article published November 28, 2013

If women are to achieve equality, they need a voice and a seat at the table. It's time to set measurable goals to affect change.

When I was first elected in 1987, I was part of an increased number of women in the UK parliament, but we still comprised only 5% of MPs. Even now, more than a quarter of a century later and in a country that has long prided itself on a commitment to equality, only one in five MPs is a woman. Far from leading the way, we are languishing at the global average.

What is the appropriate role of women in political life?

Are women fundamentally different than men? How does “femininity” qualify or disqualify women from political participation?

As the deadline for the finalization of Turkey's local election electoral lists draws closer, an association of women's groups has launched a campaign to entice political party leaders to nominate more women as candidates in 2014 elections.

The leader in the race for president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet took 47% of the vote in November 17th elections. She will face a run-off against opponent Evelyn Matthei of the ruling center-right Alliance on December 15 who received 25% of the vote.

We invite you to read the full article published November 24, 2013

The Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU) announced Sunday the initiation of a 16 week campaign to raise EGP 30m to support female candidates running for the 2014 House of Representatives elections.

The campaign’s aim is to help 100 female candidates. The House of Representatives is expected to be formed in April 2014.

We invite you to read the full article published November 24, 2013