women's role in society

Despite efforts to increase the number of women in politics, they still face an uphill battle to join the male-dominated political world, a political expert has said.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political analyst Siti Zuhro said women in general were still victims of discrimination.

We invite you to read the full article published January 13, 2014

Noorzia Atmar never wanted to leave Afghanistan. Not even after the beatings, knife attacks and bitter divorce; not even when her ex-husband turned up at her new workplace with a gun and sent thugs to the shelter where she had sought refuge. Only when the threats targeting her spread to include other women living in the shelter did she feel she had no choice but to flee.

Where are all the women?

A new study of women serving elected office in Utah shows that, even though Utah is one of the few states with a female Speaker of the House, the number of women serving in the state Legislature has actually declined over the past decade and only 12 of 161 mayors are women.

“Our young women are forming a new era in female history,” wrote Massachusetts feminist Judith Sargent Murray excitedly. “The Rights of Women begin to be understood; we seem, at length, determined to do justice.” The year was 1798. It would be two hundred and fourteen years until her home state would elect its first female senator, Elizabeth Warren. This year, it might get its first elected female governor, likely Democratic nominee Martha Coakley.

Recently, women leaders from around the world gathered in Brussels to participate in the inaugural Women in Parliaments (WIP) Global Forum. I was honored to join them.

As we gather with family and friends across our great country to celebrate the end of 2013, and as we look forward to a more hopeful 2014, let this be a New Year focused on Canadians, and not on political drama and scandal. And let parliamentarians work to ensure a brighter future for all women in Canada.

These are my New Year's wishes for the women in our lives -- the women who give us life, care for us, inspire us, and who are there for us when life treats us unkindly.

Two people have pleaded guilty to sending "menacing" tweets to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez.

Isabella Sorley, 23, of Newcastle, and John Nimmo, 25, of South Shields, admitted at Westminster Magistrates' Court sending the messages over a public communications network.

We invite you to read the full article published January 7, 2014

The 10th parliamentary polls see 17 women candidates elected, according to unofficial results of the election. The number is just one less than the historic high of the 2008 election, when 18 women were elected.
However, the current figure can still level the previous high if Mosammat Razia Begum of Jatiya Party (Manju) gets elected from Gaibandha - 1 that awaits re-election. 

We invite you to read the full article published January 7, 2014

I’m often surprised when young ambitious women ask me how to find a mentor.  It’s something that I think most professional women would not find challenging. Yet, this question persists.

We invite you to read the full article published January 6, 2014