Gender News Archive

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Commonwealth celebrates achievements but recognises challenges ahead at UN meeting on AIDS: Released: 11 June 2011; “The Commonwealth fully supports the drive towards zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths” – Commonwealth Secretariat
Enhancing the role of Ghana’s Queen Mothers in good governance: Released: 13 May 2011; Tapping the influence these indigenous female chiefs have on their communities
Secretariat to hold trade policy workshop for MPs from Southern Africa: Released: 27 April 2011; Manual on trade policy with specific reference to region’s issues will also be launched
Sharma ends Lesotho visit with pledge to support youth employment creation: Released: 26 April 2011; “The Commonwealth must work in areas of comparative advantage in ways that can be felt progressively”
Secretary-General holds talks with Mozambican Prime Minister: Released: 19 April 2011; Kamalesh Sharma meets Mozambique's Prime Minister Aires Bonifacio Ali and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Oldemiro Julio Baloi
Sharma meets the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago: Released: 21 March 2011; Commonwealth Secretary-General discusses Commonwealth priorities with Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
Sonia Gandhi urges Commonwealth to spearhead inclusion of women in global climate change debate: Released: 17 March 2011; “Most of the climate debate so far has been gender-blind”
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago addresses 'Educating Women – Transforming Society': Released: 15 March 2011; Commonwealth Chair-in-Office Kamla Persad-Bissessar talks about the transformative power of women’s education at conference to mark Commonwealth Day
Commonwealth women celebrated on Commonwealth Day: Released: 15 March 2011; Women agents of change are presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II at reception to mark Commonwealth Day
'Women as Agents of Change' commemorated at Commonwealth Day Observance: Released: 15 March 2011; "There’s so much to be done, but with willpower, vision, and commitment, I believe that positive changes can, and absolutely must be achieved” - Annie Lennox

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International Women’s Day is held each year on 8 March. It was first observed worldwide in 1909.

There are 20 women Presidents and Prime Ministers in the world; seven from Commonwealth countries: Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, India's President Pratibha Patil, Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Malawi's President Joyce Banda, Mauritius' President Monique Ohsan Bellepeau and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar.

Currently, 13 Commonwealth countries are in the top 40 for mainstreaming women into Parliaments: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda. Rwanda ranks first with 56 per cent.

A third of African countries have over 30 per cent representation of women in governance.

Following constitutional amendments to reserve a third of all local government seats for women in India, over one million have been elected to the Panchayat Raj (local government)

Each year, more than 500,000 women – at least one every minute – die from pregnancy-related causes. The vast majority of these deaths occur in developing countries. An African woman's lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes is one in 16; in Asia, it's one in 65. In Europe, it's one in 1,400.

Women produce half the world's food, but own only 1 per cent of its farmland.

Past mortality rates for females in child-bearing age groups were higher than males at the same age. This is no longer the case. Female human life expectancy is considerably higher than men.

The first computer programmer was a woman in 1842: Ada Lovelace (1815–1852), analyst of Charles Babbage‘s analytical engine.

The first country to grant women the right to vote was New Zealand in 1893.

700,000 people will experience domestic violence in the UK. 90 per cent are white British females

Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disabilities among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war.

More than one billion people live in extreme poverty, 75 per cent are women and girls.

7 of the top 9 Fortune list of the most powerful businesswomen are from Commonwealth countries.

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Enquiries on our gender work:

Ms Linda Kalindi
gender@commonwealth.int

Media enquiries:

Victoria Holdsworth
+44(0)20 7747 6383
v.holdsworth@commonwealth.int

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