women's rights

A group of around 800 Moroccans, mostly women, staged a march in the capital Rabat on Sunday demanding that a constitutional guarantee of gender equality be applied in the kingdom.

The march from the city centre to parliament was led by the Civil Coalition for the Application of Article 19, which is reportedly made up of some 500 NGOs, and was joined by civil society organisations, lawmakers, rights groups and lawyers.

In 1952, a decade after the Indian independence activist Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the flag of the Indian National Congress at the Gowalia Tank maidan, India held its first general elections. Women had come out in massive numbers to take part in the marches and rallies of the Indian freedom movement, and had filled the prisons of the British Raj alongside the men. Now they thronged in equally large numbers to see for themselves the new ballot boxes, and to cast their votes.

Tonga (Matangi Tonga, April 7, 2014) –Tonga's first "Practice Parliament for Women" is a crucial milestone and marks a very positive step forward for Tonga, said Queen Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho in opening the event today, April 7, in Nuku'alofa at the Faonelua Convention Centre.

Afghan women represented a third of the vote and a historic number of provincial candidates at the weekend's elections. Aid workers say that women are defiant in the progress of democracy and rights, and won't be deterred by violent insurgency.

We invite our users to read the complete article published April 7 2014 

The women form the majority of the electorate in Arunachal Pradesh but when it comes to contesting elections the numbers are at the odds with their population, with only 6 of them joining the fray for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections. 

The state has 3,77,272 women electorate against 3,75,898 males, with several assembly constituencies having more women voters than males. 

The are in fray in only six Assembly seats in the state and in none of the two Lok Sabha seats.

In the halls of Leinster House, Constance Markievicz cuts a lonely figure as the only portrait of a female parliamentarian in the entire building.

When I pass her portrait, I often think this trailblazing woman would be horrified that the party she helped establish doesn’t have a single female TD today.

Electoral research shows once women get on the ballot paper they have the same chance of getting elected as their male counterparts.

Thirty representatives will take part in Tonga's first “Practice Parliament for Women” on April 10-11 in Nuku'alofa, a two-day event that aims to encourage women to run for parliament in the upcoming 2014 General Election in November.

Lord Fakafanua the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly last week announced the names of 28 candidates picked from a pool of applicants. They include nine “noble's representatives”, 17 “people's representatives” and two representatives elected by the Prime Minister from outside.