Monday, September 25, 2023
News and Views from the Global South
Africa: Women from P♂lls to P♀lls
MALAWI: Women’s Education the Path to the Presidency
On an elegant veranda adorned with a red carpet, Malawi's Vice President Joyce Banda recalls how her childhood friend Chrissie Mtokoma was always top of their class and how she struggled to beat her. But now decades later Banda is a likely contender for the country's presidency in 2014, while Mtokoma lives in poverty.
Angolan Spring – Protests Shaking Up Authorities
Adolfo Andre knows what he wants for his country and says he will fight on until he gets it.DR CONGO: Election Promises of Peace and Security
The 11 candidates contesting presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo all pledge to improve peace and security in the country - promises received with varying degrees of scepticism by Congolese voters.DR CONGO: No Real Programme Behind Campaign Promises
"In truth, none of the candidates and none of the parties have a programme for society," asserts Mastaki Mushosi, one of the leaders of the National Union of Catholic School Teachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
LIBERIA: Runoff Goes Ahead Despite Boycott and Killings
Liberians headed to the polls in what appeared to be modest numbers Tuesday morning for a presidential runoff that has been marred by an opposition boycott and the deaths of at least two demonstrators at an opposition rally.
DR CONGO: Rehabilitating Former Child Soldiers Who “Liked” Killing
Murhula’s* life changed forever when he was nine years old. It was the year that he learned to kill, torture and rape.DR CONGO: No Hope for Free and Fair Elections
With six weeks to go before the presidential and parliamentary elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, civil society organisations say the elections will not be fair, as many doubt the ability of the country’s electoral authorities to ensure transparency.LIBERIA: Former Warlord Backs Johnson-Sirleaf for Second Term
Former warlord Prince Johnson, who placed third in Liberia’s election last week, has endorsed the re-election bid of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who was named a joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize just days before the vote.
Liberians Turn Out in Numbers to Vote
Liberians cast their ballots Tuesday in an election that has so far been described as orderly and peaceful, though concerns persist that a disputed result could anger voters and fuel minor unrest.
LIBERIA: “Security Risk” at Ivory Coast Border Ahead of Elections
As Liberia gears up for Tuesday’s presidential and legislative elections, officials stationed near the border with Ivory Coast have expressed concern that insufficient border security - a problem highlighted by two recent cross-border attacks - could fuel electoral violence.
LIBERIA: Mixed Reviews for Johnson-Sirleaf’s Nobel Peace Prize
As the Norwegian Nobel Committee named Liberian President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf a joint winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, opposition party supporters were flooding the streets of Monrovia to demand that she be voted out of office in the upcoming election.Liberian Muslims Allege Disenfranchisement
It seems all of Liberia is paying close attention to the campaign for the Oct. 11 presidential and legislative elections. But Sekou Camara is one exception.
ZAMBIA: New President, New Governance Yardstick
The election of Michael Chilufya Sata as Zambia's new president shows that Zambians are more interested in issues of accountability and transparency than mere service delivery, say analysts.
ZAMBIA: Largely Peaceful Elections
Only two incidents of violence, triggered by the late start of voting and the suspicion of electoral fraud, were reported as Zambians went to the polls to elect a new president and government on Tuesday.
ZAMBIA-ELECTIONS: Perpetrators of Violence Warned: ‘Expect No Mercy’
As Zambians go to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new government and president they do so amid fears of election violence.
ZAMBIA: Social Media to Monitor Elections
When Zambians go the polls on Sep. 20 they will have the most effective team of observers monitoring the electoral process – themselves. Citizens, through social media, will be able to report offences and irregularities during and before the general elections.
MALAWI: Government Becomes a One-Man Show
For the last two weeks, Malawi’s president has been running the country’s 22 ministries on his own after firing his entire cabinet. But political and economic analysts say that his delay in appointing a new cabinet is detrimental to the country’s development. Some analysts say government has come to a standstill because of this, while others say the situation shows that the president has lost control.
ZAMBIA: Outlook Dim for Women Candidates
Although there is a female presidential candidate contesting Zambia's Sept. 20 general elections, her prospects are not strong. And in fact, fewer women overall are likely to be elected into public office this year, analysts say.
Q&A: ‘Men Have Failed Zambia, Now Is the Time for a Woman’
In Zambia's highly patriarchal society Edith Nawakwi, 52, has broken a few records on the political scene over the last two decades. And she broke another one on Sunday by being the only female candidate to file for nomination to run for president in Zambia's upcoming elections.
KENYA: Post Election Violence Victims Still Suffer
The Mawingu camp for internally displaced persons affected by Kenya’s 2007- 2008 post-election violence is a desolate place. Located in the Rift Valley, the camp is a collection of tattered, sagging and forlorn tents.
SWAZILAND: Impossible for Children to Access Public Information
Many public officials in Swaziland do not think that access to information is a public right, but rather a privilege – which can be withdrawn at anytime.Next Page »
With democratic elections a fact of life across Africa, the continent now faces a different challenge at the polls: ensuring that women have equal opportunities when running for office, representing their constituents, and casting ballots for future leaders. The Inter-Parliamentary Union notes that women hold an average of just 17.5 percent of legislative seats in sub-Saharan Africa -- a far cry from the 30 percent believed necessary for them to have real influence in parliaments, and further still from the 50 percent that would signal parity had finally been attained. Here, we examine obstacles to women's participation in legislative politics. We also analyse how women -- and men -- are dealing with the problems, so that these difficulties can be relegated to the history books.
The Week with IPS
NEXT STOP - SDGs
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
This page includes independent IPS news coverage which is part of a partnership with UN WOMEN SARO to strengthen the voice and visibility of "Women in Politics" in the region.
Advocacy Toolkit for Women in Politics
- Planning for Advocacy
- Framing an advocacy message
- Mobilising Resources fot your Advocacy Activities
- Conducting Research
- Networking Tools - Srength in numbers
- Be Media Savvy
- Writing for Media - Opinion and Commentary Pieces
- Key Gender Concepts
- Using the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development as an Advocacy Tool
- One woman's journey in advocacy
