Women's Voting
In 1893, New Zealand became the first nation to grant women full voting rights. Among the countries in the developing world that were the earliest to grant women the right to vote were: Albania (1920), Mongolia (1924), Ecuador (1929), Turkey (1930) and Sri Lanka (1931). Some of the latest countries to grant women suffrage are: Switzerland (1971), Iraq (1980), Liechtenstein (1984), Namibia (1989) and Kazakhstan (1994), Qatar (2003).
In the 21st century, some countries still do not have universal suffrage. In others, women's suffrage is conditioned:
* Bhutan — One vote per house. Although this applies to both men and women, in practice it currently prevents many more women from voting than men. If the new proposed constitution is voted and ratified, then no restrictions will apply by 2008.
* Lebanon — Partial suffrage. Proof of elementary education is required for women but not for men. Voting is compulsory for men but optional for women.
* Brunei — No suffrage for women. Neither men nor women have had the right to vote or to stand for election since 1962 because the country is governed by an absolute monarchy.
* Saudi Arabia — No suffrage for women. The first local elections ever held in the country occurred in 2005. Women were not given the right to vote or to stand for election.
* United Arab Emirates — Limited, but will be fully expanded by 2010.
(CEDAW) in the World
Among the nations who have not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are Qatar and Sultanate of Oman. The United States is the only industrialized nation that has not ratified CEDAW.
Current women heads of state and government
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Chandrika Kumaratunga, Presidente de Sri Lanka (1994- )
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Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (1997- )
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Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999- )
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Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999- )
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Tarja K. Halonen, President of Finland (2000- )
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Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of Philippines (2001- )
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Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991-1996, 2001- )
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Luisa Diogo, Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004- )
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Yulia Timoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukrania (2005- )
- Maria do Carmo Silveira, Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe (2005- )
- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (2005)
- Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile (2006)
- Ellen Jonson Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006)
- Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica (2006- )
- Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina (2007)
Women in parliaments
Women occupy only 17.4% of parliamentary seats around the world. Regional averages of the percentage of women in parliament vary greatly: Nordic countries - 41.6% , Americas - 19.4% , Europe (excluding Nordic countries) - 19.0% , Sub-Saharan Africa - 17.0% , Asia - 16.6% , Pacific - 12.6% , Arab states – 9.5%.
Women Ministers
Women ministers remain concentrated in social areas (14%) rather than legal (9.4%), economic (4.1%), political (3.4%) and executive (3.9%) areas.
IWDC 2003...
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