Africa: Women from P♂lls to P♀lls

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: Hide And Seek

By Mantoe Phakathi
Swazi gender activists are angry that King Mswati III and the newly elected Parliament have betrayed their hopes, and the Constitution, by not appointing more women to the House of Assembly and the Senate.

POLITICS-BENIN: Women Left Out of New Govt

By IPS Correspondents
"Every change is a step backwards in this new era. It's disheartening," is Claire Houngan Ayémona's response to Benin's newly-appointed cabinet.
Power to the people... Credit: Amandio Vilanculo/IPS

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Still A Man's Thing?

By IPS Correspondents
Only a handful of women are running in Mozambique's municipal elections scheduled for Nov. 19. Among the 111 candidates vying to become president in 43 municipal councils, only eight are women.
Visibility of women politicians in elections is still low Credit: Amandio Vilanculo/IPS

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Ready To Roll

By IPS Correspondents
The posters and flyers are ready, and so is Marta Simango. Ready for Nov. 4, when the municipal elections campaign officially kicks off in Mozambique.
Mideksa -- "The values that guide me are truth and fairness" Credit: Michael Chebsi/IPS

POLITICS-ETHIOPIA: A Career In Dissent

By IPS Correspondents
Frozen in disbelief on the steps of the courthouse where she presided as a federal judge, Bertukan Mideksa watched as a man she had just ordered released on bail was detained by plain-clothes police with no warrant and no apparent regard for the law.
Simply seeking information -- 47 women were arrested. Credit: Ephraim Nsingo/IPS

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Women Demand Movement On Talks

By IPS Correspondents
Over 300 women gathered outside the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on the morning of Oct. 27, dressed mostly in black and white. They were there to protest the prolonged impasse over the allocation of Cabinet ministries among Zimbabwe’s rival parties.
Dlamini -- Advocating laws to protect women and children. Credit: Mantoe Phakathi/IPS

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: A Woman With Swagger

By Mantoe Phakathi
The writing is on the wall. "WANTED - Men who Believe that Wives are not for Beating," reads a poster on Nonhlanhla Dlamini's office wall.
Msiska says her first priority will be to bring water to her rural constituency. Credit: Pilirani Semu-Banda

POLITICS-MALAWI: The Bold and the Beautiful

By Pilirani Semu-Banda
The reigning Miss Malawi, Peth Msiska, has hit the campaign trail, not seeking another crown but to be voted into Parliament in her country’s general elections in May 2009.

POLITICS-GHANA: The Steep Price of Getting Elected

By Francis Kokutse
Mawusi Awity and her husband were willing to jeopardize his military career for her dream of running for parliament in Ghana but there was another price to pay that she could not afford.
Politics is a manly affair in Sao Tome. Credit: Lourenço Silva/IPS

SÃO TOMe AND PRINCIPE: A Retro Approach to Politics?

By IPS Correspondents
It is lonely at the top – especially when you are one of only two women among 53 men at the National Assembly.

POLITICS-SENEGAL: Ms. Mayor, Ms. Prefect

By IPS Correspondents
The Sicap Baobab neighborhood, one of the prettiest in the Senegalese capital, stands out, but not for the most obvious reasons. Not for its well-paved roads, or the number of naturalised immigrants from Cabo Verde, Togo or Benin, not for the hustle and bustle of the formal and informal economies.

MADAGASCAR: A Difficult Step For Women

By IPS Correspondents
The northern region of Diana is known for the beautiful beaches of the Nosy-Be district and the scent of fields of ylang-ylang flowers. But the political landscape of Diana is as extraordinary as its geography: the region's administrative head is a woman, Anjara Mantasara.

POLITICS-KENYA: Broken Bodies, Unbroken Spirit

By Najum Mushtaq
It was a sad occasion, and an occasion to rejoice. Sad, said Dr Ludeki Chweya, introducing Flora Terah's new book, because her heart-wrenching story shows that physical abuse and torture are a weapon of choice to deter women's participation in electoral politics in Kenya.
Political rally: dancers, cooks, or leaders? Credit: Moses Magadza/IPS

POLITICS-NAMIBIA: Gender Equality – Making The Numbers Count

By Moses Magadza
Namibian gender activists applaud the goal of a 50/50 split of women and men in government by 2015, but warn that the real work is only just beginning.
Women like this trainee doctor are pushing against entrenched male attitudes blocking women from powerful positions. Credit: Nicholas Reader/IRIN

POLITICS-GUINEA: "Sheep Who Vote?" Women Say No

By Saliou Samb
Long absent from the top posts in the civil service and under-represented in political parties, Guinean women are calling for changes during legislative elections planned for December.
Zainab Bangura: "A woman leading this country? Yes, I still believe in it. Only time will tell." Credit: Lansana Fofana/IPS

POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: The Ups And Downs Of Zainab Bangura

By Lansana Fofana
Her reputation as a fiery orator is enhanced whenever she takes the podium, her punch softened by her broad smiles and gorgeous attires in West African style.
Voters queuing to cast their votes in Motstane constituency. Credit: Mantoe Phakathi/IPS

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: Struggling Against Tradition

By Mantoe Phakathi
The crowd ululated, whistled and danced. Their candidate had won! Last Sunday, the people of Mbabane East returned Esther Dlamini to Swaziland's House of Assembly for a second term.
MP Luzia Ingles -- women's views and needs may differ from those of men. Credit: Louise Redvers/IPS

POLITICS-ANGOLA: Boys’ Club No Longer

By Louise Redvers
Something looked very different at the inauguration of Angola’s newly elected parliament, held Tuesday at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda, the capital - this is not a boys' club any longer.

SOUTH SUDAN: Growing Women's Power in Government

By Skye Wheeler
When Sabrina Dario Lokolong, the Speaker of South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria State Assembly, enters or leaves Parliament, all the other members of parliament must stand up.
"Nothing will come out of this power-sharing deal until women are included." Credit: Mercedes Sayagues/IPS

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Now To Share Power With Women

By IPS Correspondents
The ink was barely dry on the power-sharing agreement signed by Zimbabwe’s main political parties on Sep. 15 when women activists demanded a fair share of power.
Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga Credit: Ephraim Nsingo/IPS

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Blazing a Trail For Women Politicians

By IPS Correspondents
You could spot her easily in the evening newscasts: the only woman among the grey-suited men daily accosted by reporters as they emerged, tense and tight-lipped, from the closed-door meetings.
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