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Friday, July 24, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Women in Politics
POLITICS-KENYA: A Call to Arm Women Candidates With More Than Speeches
Last Friday, Margaret Wanjiru - a parliamentary candidate in Kenya's Dec. 27 general elections - was reportedly attacked while campaigning in her Starehe constituency in the capital, Nairobi. While she escaped injury, her supporters are said to have been hurt and her campaign van extensively damaged by stoning...Still, those targeted in this incident were probably luckier than Martha Kibwana.
Q&A: "Slash the Salaries of the President, Ministers and Members of Parliament"
The sole female presidential candidate in Kenya's Dec. 27 general elections will launch her party's manifesto on Sunday. Nazlin Umar, one of nine contenders, is running on the ticket of the Workers Congress Party under the slogan "President wa mtaa" ("Street President", in Swahili), as part of a campaign to convince voters that she is able to address everyday concerns.
POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Whose Quota, Exactly?
A campaign to bring about greater gender balance in Sierra Leone's government has sparked debate on issues of class, with some fearing that a proposed quota for women could be monopolised by candidates who are unrepresentative of Sierra Leonean women overall.AFRICA: Money, Media and Tradition Complicate Women's Political Aspirations
The challenges confronting women politicians in Africa were given an airing recently during a press conference in South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg.
MEDIA-KENYA: For a Woman Candidate, It's Good To Be a Man
As with political candidates everywhere, women running in this month's general elections in Kenya are doubtless keeping a close eye on the media to see how they are being portrayed by news outlets. Then again, these women may simply be concerned about whether they are portrayed at all.
Q&A: "The Presence of Women in Local Councils Is in Itself a Revolution"
As local elections in Benin draw closer, activists are pushing ahead with efforts to have more women voted into local government. Just 45 of the 1,189 councilors currently in office are women.
Q&A: "The Advice I Give Women Is to Leave Hang-Ups Behind"
For women politicians in Mali, winning a seat in parliament is a tall order - difficult enough with party backing, and possibly harder still without it. But, this didn't stop Haïdara Ichata Cissé from taking her chances as an independent earlier this year.MOROCCO: Polls Largely Maintain the Status Quo for Women in Parliament
This month's parliamentary elections in Morocco have seen the number of women legislators decline from 35 to 34 in the 325 member body. With 30 of the female representatives elected under a quota, the results would seem to indicate that women face challenges in making their presence felt in the lower house - even though a proportional representation system is used for polls.
POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: A Sea of Challenges for the New Government
A voting process that has stretched over more than a month came to an end this week with the announcement that Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Congress (APC) had won the presidency in Sierra Leone's general elections.POLITICS-MOROCCO: Quotas Overpowered by Machismo
When Morocco held legislative polls a decade ago, just two women were elected to the lower house of parliament in this North African country. Legal reforms enacted since have ensured that women will fare better when the latest parliamentary ballot gets underway Friday. But for activists, there is still a long way to go in bringing gender parity to the Chamber of Representatives.POLITICS-KENYA: “I Almost Have No Fare to Come Back to Nairobi”
Posters, campaign appearances, radio spots and television adverts: all are essential for winning office in Kenya's general elections, set for December, and all cost money that parliamentary candidates are responsible for raising in this East African country.
Q&A: “I Have Ideas for Things That Need To Be Done in All Social Sectors”
It's a long way from the north of France to West Africa - and from studying mathematics at the University of Lille to becoming a mayor in central Cameroon. But Marie-Hélène Ngoa has successfully undertaken both these journeys.
KENYA: Legislation to Get More Women in Parliament – the Next Chapter…
Activists in Kenya have resumed efforts to legislate an increase in the number of women occupying seats in the East African country's parliament, this after a constitutional amendment bill that would have created 50 special seats for women was thrown out by the governing body.POLITICS-MALI: Worst Expectations Confounded
As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once remarked, "A week is a long time in politics." By this token, a political landscape can alter even more in a month, recent developments in Mali being a case in point.
Q&A: Elections "Will Indicate Maturity in the Democratic Process"
Just hours remain before polling stations are scheduled to open in Sierra Leone for general elections that will see seven parties vie for the presidency, and control of the West African nation's parliament.
POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Women As An Antidote to Corruption?
Sierra Leone will hold general elections Saturday with a number of significant achievements in hand, not least maintaining peace for five years.
KENYA: More Women in Parliament, Hopefully – By Way of the Constitution
Kenya's parliament will soon debate a constitutional amendment bill to improve female representation in the legislature by creating 50 special seats for women. At present, only some eight percent of parliamentary posts in the East African country are occupied by women.
SIERRA LEONE: A Women's Issue That Women Are Wary of Campaigning About
Female genital mutilation (FGM) can make sex painful, complicate childbirth, lead to urinary tract infections, enable the transmission of HIV - and induce a host of other ills. So, promising to fight this practice should be a winning strategy for someone hoping to be elected to parliament this Saturday in Sierra Leone - where about 90 percent of girls and women undergo FGM, according to rights watchdog Amnesty International.
Q&A: "In Sierra Leone They Just Cut You, And There's Not Much Problem With That"
Certain comments resonate long after they are made, and Shirley Yeama Gbujama's reported threat to "sew up the mouths of those preaching against Bondo" is certainly one of them.
POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Making a Voting Right a Voting Reality
Having the right to vote is one thing; using it properly, or indeed at all, is quite another, as Sierra Leone has shown ahead of general elections this Saturday.POLITICS-MALI: Bracing for “Zero to Six” in Parliamentary Elections
A fear has been voiced that the number of women in Mali's parliament could be more than halved during legislative elections that wrapped up Sunday.« Previous Page — Next Page »
In societies throughout the world, women’s participation in political and leadership roles is limited. Underrepresented as voters and position holders, women are restricted at local and at global levels. A variety of obstacles bar women’s political participation. Reduced access to education in many countries, as well as weaker political connections make it more difficult for women to enter the political stage. In addition, there are many discriminatory laws that severely reduce the opportunity for women to gain leadership positions. As has been seen, there are many individuals who have overcome these obstacles with great success. There have been great strides to increase women’s political participation. In the last 20 years, the percentage of women in parliamentary positions has nearly doubled. This promising, albeit slow progress, is necessary to empower women and reduce gender inequality. These articles look at various aspects of women’s participation politics.
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