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Governance in Heels

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Governance in Heels

Are the Odds Against Women in Politics?

Eruke Ojuederie In the year 2016, there was a lot of optimism as to the sudden flock of women into the political scene across the globe especially with the very daring US Presidential elections. Although that election did not particularly go well for the women folk, hopes were heightened at the level of possibilities available to women in this day and time. This new drive brings a certain freshness from what was obtainable in the past but there are still lots of questions to be asked. With the inclusion of gender equality among the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN), governments of the world have been put on their toes in ensuring that women get a fair treatment as regards societal norms and beliefs, as well as get a sizeable fraction of the good things in their environment which include good jobs, leadership and political placements and…

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Governance in Heels

Women in Parliament: Where does India figure among the rest of the World?

By: Bhanupriya Rao While the global average for Women in Parliament stands at 22.4%, India is at the 103rd place out of 140 countries with a mere 12% representation. Within Asia, India is at the 13th position out of 18 countries. Countries like South Sudan, Saudi Arabia have better Women representation in Parliament than India. Women’s representation in elected bodies, Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies is a source of huge disappointment. As we observed in a previous article, women occupy just 66 seats in the 543 member Lok Sabha, which is a mere 12%. The scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable 9%. The best among them, Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana have 14% representation while the worst states are Pondicherry and Nagaland, which have no women MLAs at all. This being the…

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Governance in Heels

Mission ‘Break the Ultimate Glass Ceiling: Beyond the US Loss

Following recent announcements which declared Republican Party candidate Donald Trump as the president-elect of the United States of America, several thoughts have trailed women groups as to the effect of the Clinton loss for women all over the world. It was indeed a long road travelled by a strong woman with a brave heart. Women have been known to be resilient in their quest to achieve what they set out to and so it was not surprising that Mrs. Clinton put up a tough fight if not for anything, but to show women that with the right tools in place and self-development, ANY woman can be where she wants to be. So many women have held on tight to the “girl-card” which is usually perceived as manipulative in every sense as it tends to utilize feminine subtleness to get things done. It is true that this unique card has moved…

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Governance in Heels

The US about to make History as Africa Looks on- The Hillary Ticket

The Hillary Clinton ticket was received with excitement by the women folk across the globe. This turn-around in the United States has sparked up lots of ideas, dreams and hopes for women who have been marginalized for such long years with the popular phase “the weaker sex” who is not capable of handling state matters. With numerous charges of assault hovering round the Republican Party Presidential nominee Donald Trump, he is definitely not the choice of women. Many have said “for a man running for president to tag a woman NASTY in the public space, he may do worse things when he assumes power”. Sampling opinions from a number of women has revealed that women around the world have decided to take their destinies into their own hands regardless of what society has proposed. While reviewing the Clinton policy for women, it is an obvious fact that the successes of…

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Governance in Heels

The African Woman- Beyond “Kitchen and the Other Room”

 By Ehis Ayere for Amazons Watch Magazine “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.” Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said, reacting to his wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari’s call in a BBC interview for the President to shake up his government. As reported by media, Mrs Buhari In her words, “I am not a government official, but in my opinion as a woman, a mother, what I think is it is well known that the first 4 years are not going to be easy. Firstly, it was people that brought the government into power. More than half of those people are not appointed into the government. Some people that are not politicians, not professionals were brought into the government. They don’t even know what we said we want and what we don’t during the campaign.”…

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Governance in Heels

The Gambia 2016 Elections: Meet the First Female Presidential Candidate

By Ehis Ayere The African woman is strong. The African woman is brave. The African woman is enterprising. The African woman is ambitious. The significant gradual transitioning of the continent from a repressively patriarchal society to a more equal and inclusive society demonstrates the resilience of the African woman. Indeed, over the last two weeks by highlighting some of the successes of women parliamentarians in Rwanda on this column, we have seen some of the ingenuous initiatives, policies and legal reforms, engendered by the Rwandan Chamber of Deputies with over 64% women representation which have bettered the lives and improved the status of Rwandan women, and relatively closed the gender gap in the country. This is the story of the African woman. Read: Gender and Politics: Celebrating the Achievements of Women in Parliament across Developing Countries Following the recent announcement of a renowned anti-Female Genital Mutilation activist, Dr. Isatou Touray,…

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Governance in Heels

Gender and Politics: Celebrating the Achievements of Women in Parliament across Developing Countries (2)

By Ehis Ayere Last week, we began a discussion focused on celebrating the achievements and successes of women in parliament across developing nations, highlighting some of the achievements of the female-dominated Rwandan Chamber of Deputies which is the country’s lower house. With over 64% of women representation since 2013, the women in Rwanda parliament has over the years been successful in closing the gender parity in the country. Rwanda boasts of successful initiatives, policies and legal reforms that economically empower women, as well as address the health issues and violence against women which was rampant in the country, due to the 1994 genocide. According to the Global Gender Gap Index Report in 2015, Rwanda ranks higher than United States in leveraging the pool of female talent, based on economic, educational, health-based and political indicators. Findings reveal that 88% of women in Rwanda have jobs, compared to 66% of women in…

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