Latest news with #womeninpolitics
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
If old school white-anting Sussan Ley on gender quotas works, the Liberals may pay a heavy political price
A day after the Labor party first voted to implement gender quotas to promote the representation of women in federal politics, five female Liberal MPs condemned the decision in a statement. Labor's national conference in Hobart in September 1994 featured heated debate about rules requiring that women be preselected for 35% of winnable seats by 2002. At the time, blokes made up more than 85% of Labor's parliamentary ranks. The five women in then opposition leader Alexander Downer's shadow cabinet – Bronwyn Bishop, Jocelyn Newman, Amanda Vanstone, Judi Moylan and Chris Gallus – signed a statement saying quotas demeaned women and would further institutionalise their minority status in frontline politics. 'It is effectively a vote of no confidence in women's own abilities and it is a reverse form of discrimination,' it read. 'It only treats the symptoms, not the cause of the problem.' The statement came just a few weeks after Downer had apologised for making light of domestic violence, joking that the opposition's policy on women's safety would be titled 'the things that batter'. Fast forward 30 years and the Liberals, emphatically rejected by voters at the 3 May federal election, are asking why just six of their 28 lower house MPs in the new parliament will be women. In contrast, Labor will have 50. An assessment by the outgoing Liberal senator Linda Reynolds found the Liberals will have their lowest number of women in parliament since 1993, a year before Labor adopted its first quotas. Charged with picking up the election defeat pieces, the party's first female leader, Sussan Ley, this week promised to be a 'zealot' on actions to get more diversity in Liberal ranks, but said she was agnostic about the right approach to do so. Ley reminded journalists that her party works as a federated organisation, and power over preselection rules rests with state and territory branches. Ley's appearance at the National Press Club in Canberra was impressive. Ending Peter Dutton's three-year boycott of the club, Ley outlined two formal reviews into the dire political state of the Coalition, and said she wanted new processes for policy design. She has a compelling personal backstory and resisted any risky captain's calls on policy or symbolism – recognition of deep divisions within her party. Previous reviews, including after the 2022 loss to Labor, recommended the Liberal federal executive adopt a target of 50% female representation within 10 years or three parliamentary terms. The recommendations were all but ignored by state branches. Challenged over just how many seats the Coalition would need to win at the next election to prevent Anthony Albanese securing a third term for Labor, Ley said she was prepared to work hard and remained optimistic about the Liberal party's future. She showed a successful rebuilding effort could be part of her legacy, even if victory itself would prove too difficult in 2028. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email But Ley's unwillingness to take a position on the best mechanism to boost female representation meant the question quickly fell to other Liberals speaking in the media this week. The former prime minister Tony Abbott was quick out of the blocks. Despite finding just one woman with sufficient talent or aptitude to be appointed to his cabinet line-up in 2013, Abbott rejected quota systems because such a move would contravene 'the merit principle that should be at the heart of our party'. He described quotas as 'fundamentally illiberal'. On Friday, the senior conservative Angus Taylor spoke out against quotas, arguing they 'subvert democratic processes'. After promising to 'crusade' to get more Liberal women elected, Taylor's prescription was mentoring, recruitment and support of potential candidates and staff. He correctly said the Liberals also needed to do better at other measures of diversity, including recruiting more multicultural candidates. Taylor pointed to branch level plebiscites in the New South Wales Liberal party, but neglected to mention the feral factionalism and branch stacking which often helps push men to the top of candidate selection lists, especially in winnable seats. Not all Liberals are opposed, however. The former finance minister Simon Birmingham called for 'hard, fast and ambitious' quotas after the election drubbing and Maria Kovacic, the NSW senator, has acknowledged current settings aren't working. She has called for quotas as a short-term circuit breaker. Reynolds used an opinion piece in the Australian on Friday to warn the Liberals were becoming increasingly irrelevant due to declining voter support, suggesting the prospects of the party surviving to its 90th anniversary in 2034 were slim without action on gender. One Liberal MP rubbished Taylor and Abbott's contributions, accusing them of 'white anting' Ley. 'Ultimately their attempts to destabilise Sussan have come very early,' they told Guardian Australia. 'They want to rule over the rubble. It's sad.' A frontbencher warned against quotas becoming an 'all consuming' fight for the party, like the civil war under way in the Victorian state opposition. 'We don't want it to be the defining issue of this term,' they said. Perhaps the post-election review being led by party elders Nick Minchin and Pru Goward, or a separate structural assessment by the Queensland senator and experienced strategist James McGrath, will recommend quotas, but the usual rearguard action against them is already under way. The problem for those opposing a new system is that quotas are the only method shown to have worked. Labor stuck to its original rules until 2012, when it moved to a '40:40:20' quota system, designed to ensure at least 40% of Labor's seats were filled by women, and not fewer than 40% were filled by men. The remaining 20% were open to any candidate. New goals adopted in 2015 required the party to hit gender equity by 2025, a milestone it achieved early, hitting 53% after the 2022 election. The former party strategist turned pollster Tony Barry said it best this week, when he observed drastic changes in approach usually come when opposition MPs reach a point 'where they just cannot stand losing any more'. There is apparently some way to go in Canberra. Bronwyn Bishop, Amanda Vanstone and their colleagues were wrong in 1994 when they belittled action to give more women a seat at the decision-making table. How much longer ideological opposition to smart strategies persists might just determine how long Labor stays in power.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Incoming States 'refreshing', say voters
Voters have told the BBC they are "pleased" with the number of women elected to Guernsey's voter in last week's general election, Rosie De Carteret, said she focused on candidates with environmental policies and was "very happy" to see some of her picks elected."I was looking for deputies who were interested in climate action, so tidal energy, wind energy and things like that, and I quite liked the Forward Guernsey people because of that and lots of them got Vaudin wanted to see more younger candidates and women elected because she believed "it would be good for government". "Not all of them, because some of them I didn't agree with their policies, but if they were younger and a woman and they had the policies I wanted, I wanted them," she Rod Ferbrache was happy that 75% of the candidates he voted for were successful, and said the next government would "be an interesting States"."I'm looking for somebody that's actually going to do what they said on their manifesto and carry it through." Another man said he was pleased most of his 30 choices had been elected, and that more women had got in."I think it's quite refreshing, we've got some good new people and I think it's great we got lots of ladies doing well, so I'm very pleased about that," he said. Environmental campaigner Rosie Dorey was "very pleased" four out of the top 10 candidates were women: "That's just a real endorsement of women and the strong policies that they tend to follow. "I think it's indicative of the fact that people really want to see a States that is cohesive and collaborative in the way that they work, and those four women are all known for working together." 'Seems broken' Another man at Guernsey's Bathing Pools said he was encouraged, with "rational minds" being chosen, but he criticised the number of candidates voters had to consider and the "low number" of people who had signed up to vote."It's a lot for people to read. "Finishing a busy day, people are going to be tired, they're not going to have time, people with families especially, to get through that many manifestos," he said."I was also shocked with the amount of people who registered to vote, it seems broken in a way with only 19,000 people voting. "Something seems to be missing here."
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Guernsey Election 2025: Eleven women elected to States
The number of female deputies in the States of Guernsey is rising by three, from eight in the current assembly to Lindsay de Sausmarez and Yvonne Burford topped the polls, with Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Tina Bury coming in the top Andrea Dudley-Owen, Sue Aldwell and Victoria Oliver lost their made up 33% of candidates this year, compared to 24% in 2020. Outside the top 10, first-time candidate Sally Rochester came in was followed by Jennifer Strachan, Munazza Malik, Jayne Ozanne and Haley Camp, who are all new to the Humphreys, another new candidate and member of the Forward Guernsey party, and former deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel were the last two candidates over the line. Deputy Tina Bury was re-elected for a second term, coming eighth."It's great to see so many women at the top and more in the list as a whole. I think it has the potential to change the dynamic of the States."Tom Rylatt, a member of the Forward Guernsey party, was the youngest candidate successful in this said: "I think a States that more broadly reflects our community is one that's better placed to serve our community as well."So I think it's fantastic that we have this diverse melting pot of an assembly now." In 2020, eight women were elected, but the number was higher in 2016, with Green is the Chair of Women in Public Life, who's been credited by some candidates as a driving force behind more women standing for said: "We're heading in the right direction, but we've lost three current female deputies I wasn't expecting."Mr Rylatt said, "Almost no-one has worked harder than Shelaine to increase female representation in the States.""She has made a concerted effort over the last five years."
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tough, whip-smart and selfless: Melissa Hortman, ‘singular force for democracy', remembered
A group of white male lawmakers were playing cards in a back room while their female colleagues gave speeches on the Minnesota house floor. They weren't paying attention, and Melissa Hortman had had enough. 'I hate to break up the 100 percent white male card game in the retiring room,' Hortman said in 2017. 'But I think this is an important debate.' The comment upset some Republicans, who said it was racist for her to call them white men and wanted her to apologize. Her response: 'I'm really tired of watching women of color, in particular, being ignored. So I'm not sorry.' The moment went viral - people made shirts and rallied in support of her comments. The Republican men knew that they had lost, Minnesota senator Tina Smith said about the incident. 'Melissa won the day.' 'I think you have to call bullshit when you see bullshit,' Hortman said at the time. 'And we see plenty of it.' It was one of many moments Hortman's friends and colleagues have shared since the 55-year-old longtime legislator and her husband were murdered in what appears to be a politically motivated shooting spree in suburban Minnesota on Saturday. Her friends and colleagues have remembered her legislative accomplishments – an ability to bring people together, stay organized, find common ground and, perhaps most of all, actually get things done. She injected humor and levity into her work. She was whip-smart. She raised two kids and had a beloved rescue dog, Gilbert. 'She demonstrates how being a steely negotiator and showing toughness isn't in tension with being human and warm and likable,' said Steve Simon, the Democratic secretary of state who knew Hortman for three decades, since the two were in law school together. Governor Tim Walz, an ally and friend of Hortman's, called her 'the most consequential speaker in state history'. Democrats held a trifecta in 2023 – controlling both chambers of the legislature and the governor's mansion – which allowed the left to achieve a host of its longstanding priorities, including protecting abortion access, universal school meals, childcare assistance and paid family leave, and felony voting rights restoration. The list was long, and Hortman held together her caucus through it all, gaining national attention for the 'Minnesota miracle'. Those gains are Hortman's legacy, the result of many years of laying the groundwork so that when Democrats had power, they could move quickly, Smith said. Walz, in an interview after her assassination with Minnesota Public Radio, said Hortman understood procedure, policy and people, and she had an incredible work ethic. He puts Hortman high on the list of consequential politicians in Minnesota history and counts her as one of the people who have impacted him most. She didn't seek credit, but if things got done, it was because of her, he said. 'Melissa was a singular force of understanding how democracy worked in getting things done,' Walz said. 'You didn't have to agree with her politics to know that she was effective. She was decent when it came time, and if her point did not win out, she accepted it, shook hands and signed it.' The 2025 legislative session started acrimoniously. The House was tied at 67-67, but Republicans tried to press a temporary advantage into leadership power, leading Hortman and Democrats to boycott the session until Republicans would agree to a power-sharing agreement. Hortman gave up the speaker title, becoming speaker emerita, and got to work governing the tied chamber. The session proved difficult – Hortman described, with emotion, how hard it was to be the lone Democratic vote to repeal healthcare coverage for undocumented adults, but that she had agreed to it so the state could have a bipartisan budget and prevent a shutdown. Her Republican colleagues said they liked and respected her, despite their political differences. Lisa Demuth, the Republican house speaker, said she looked at Hortman as a mentor. They could disagree politically without being cruel, in public or in private, she said. 'I think that is really an important thing to recognize that you don't have to align exactly politically to learn from another leader,' Demuth told Minnesota Public Radio. 'And I am grateful for that.' Hortman grew up in Minnesota. She told MinnPost she decided when she was 10 years old she would be the first female president, while watching the 1980 presidential campaign. She left for college at Boston University, but returned home for law school at the University of Minnesota, then began work as a lawyer. Along the way, she interned for Al Gore and John Kerry. Keith Ellison, the Democratic attorney general, shared at a rally the day she was killed that she was a 'beautiful human being'. He met her before she was a lawmaker, when she was a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society, a nonprofit that provides legal services for people who can't afford it, when she fiercely defended tenants, he said. In a statement after her passing, legal aid noted that Hortman had secured what was then the largest jury verdict for housing discrimination in Minnesota history. 'If you did things that she did, you'd be on the right track in your life,' Ellison told the crowd. 'She fought for people, she stood with people. She was a powerful political leader, but she also was a compassionate and kind person. Melissa proved that you could be a politician and a good person, and I know some people wonder about that sometimes, but she really was both.' Her swing district was not an easy win. She ran twice, losing both times, before winning on the third attempt by a few hundred votes in 2004. She kept her seat through 11 elections, rising up the ranks in her caucus, ultimately becoming speaker in 2018. She considered a run for Congress, previously one of her childhood dreams, but decided she could make more happen as a state lawmaker, she told MinnPost. The 2017 moment when she called out white male lawmakers brought her legislative career more attention and solidified her as a voice for her caucus, but she was always tough, Smith said. When Smith was lieutenant governor and Hortman was minority leader, the men in leadership roles once met without Smith and Hortman to try to strike a deal. Hortman called Smith early in the morning and told her they were being shut out, and they raced over to the Capitol. She was determined and made clear she wouldn't be dismissed, Smith said. 'She was just so strong, like, what is going on here? This deal isn't done until we say it's done,' Smith said. 'And it was a classic moment of her not being afraid to lean in and using her power and and after it was over, we were like, can you believe those guys? I can't believe they tried that.' Hollies Winston, the mayor of Brooklyn Park, where Hortman lived and represented, said she had to balance delivering for the local community and delivering for the whole state, and she did so 'from a place of wisdom and empathy'. 'She really moved the ball in terms of education and childcare, workers rights, public safety, criminal justice,' he said. But it's the quieter moments he saw from her that truly showed her character – her willingness to serve as a mentor to youth in the area, who came to her home to learn about politics, her support for emerging voices at the statehouse. She was more interested in the work than the publicity, Simon said. She wasn't seeking to promote herself, but to deliver results that would help the most people in Minnesota. Even her opponents knew she was 'fundamentally selfless,', and it went a long way to helping her negotiate during tough moments, Simon said. 'She went into politics to do something, not to be something,' Simon said. Sophie and Colin Hortman, her two children, released a statement after her death, saying their parents' love for them was 'boundless'. Their statement was a testament to their parents, whose 'legacy of dedication to their community will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them'. They called on people to honor their parents with a list of Hortman-approved acts of kindness: 'Plant a tree. Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. Bake something – bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.'
Zawya
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Central Africa at a crossroads amid rising tensions and instability
With violence worsening in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes, the Security Council met on Monday to examine the threats confronting the wider region. 'Central Africa remains rich in potential, but the challenges are still significant,' said Abdou Abarry, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). Some progress While countries such as Chad and Gabon have made progress in terms of political development, newly elected authorities must capitalise on this momentum to implement key democratic reforms, said Mr Abarry. In Chad and Gabon, recent elections and reforms have promoted greater participation of women in the democratic process. Today, women represent 34 per cent of Chad's National Assembly, while Gabon's new electoral code mandates that women must account for at least 30 per cent of electoral lists provided to voters. Political challenges In recent months, online disinformation and hate speech have been on the rise in Cameroon, said Mr Abarry. UNOCA reported that 65 per cent of political content shared on social media between January and April this year was either false or previously manipulated. At the same time, Cameroon has seen a surge in intercommunal violence in the southern and central regions of the country. This trend underscores the importance of UNOCA's work in supporting development strategies aimed at preventing conflict related to electoral processes. Insecurity hotbeds Two major centres of insecurity persist, with violence escalating in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region. Around Lake Chad, groups affiliated with Boko Haram extremists and other armed insurgencies have demonstrated 'their resilience and their ability to adapt and respond to the coordinated operations of the defence and security forces' of the region, said Mr Abarry. Notably, on the night of 24 March, drones carrying explosives killed at least 19 Cameroonian soldiers in southern Nigeria. Meanwhile, growing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have led to large-scale displacement in eastern DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is further compounded by conflict in neighbouring Sudan. As budget cuts exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, there is growing concern that 'the inaction of the international community could lead to a worsening of the humanitarian situation,' the head of UNOCA told ambassadors. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
