- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – President of the Republic of Liberia
- Joyce Banda – President of the Republic of Malawi
- Catherine Samba-Panza – Interim President of the Central African Republic
There is progress here and there on the continent regarding women's rights . We must go much further to ensure greater gender equality in Africa. It is not just a matter of justice....When women take their rightful place at the negotiating table, in the parliament and in leadership positions across society, we can unleash Africa’s enormous potential..." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
To learn more about women's political participation, please visit the following websites:
Women constitute 51% of Sierra Leone's population, yet only 16 out of 112 elected parliamentarians are women. Furthermore, even though 12 parliamentary seats are reserved for Paramount Chiefs, women hardly occupy these seats.
Source: the Herald
While a lot of women are being enrolled into media training and joining the journalism profession, precious few have reached top management. Women decision-makers make it possible and a lot easier for women reporters to grow their careers and see issues they value being put into print.
Source: Sudan News Agency
Chairman of the Council of States, Gen. Hamid Adam Musa, has announced completion of all arrangements for holding the Second for Parliamentarian Women during March 18 - 19 at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum.
The fielding of an all-women slate of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections could start a trend in a country where women remain grossly underrepresented in political life.
Julia Sebutinde from Uganda on Monday officially started her term as a judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Madam Sheila Minka Premo, a Lawyer and Gender Advocate, has observed that some Ghanaian cultural beliefs and practices, hindered women from participating actively in politics.
Women's participation in national decision making has shaped, and continues to shape, the political direction and destiny of Ghana. The role played by women in the struggle for Ghana's independence in 1957 cannot be over-emphasised.
South Africa celebrated this year's International Women's Day with calls for African leaders to advance women's participation in politics and empowering them economically.
Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs, Steven Gaojia has cautioned women from the All Political Parties Women Association, APPWA not to politicise gender issues.
On March 8, nations around the globe marked the International Women's Day for the 102nd time since it was first observed in 1910.
Women’s voices and their participation in all aspects of society are more important than ever, as witnessed last year in the context of the global economic crisis, political transitions in the Arab world and elsewhere, and environmental disasters, United Nations officials stressed today as they marked International Women’s Day.