Voices
There are many challenges for Afghani women- they are held back by patriarchal structures and are under represented in the government and policy-making ranks, due to lack of sufficient economic resources and attacks and threats.
-Roya Aziz, Journalist,
Afghanistan
Politics is an area which is tightly controlled by men. Women have to have many challenges to participate actively in politics
-Sultana Kamal
Former Advisor to Interim Government,
Bangladesh
The mass media can play a major role in shaping public opinion, i.e. by shifting public attitudes and establishing the credibility or lack of credibility of women political activists as figures of credible authority by privileging them as newsmakers; bringing to light violations and taking seriously violence against women and pursuing perpetrators
-Rita Manchanda
Journalist
India
Arguments on women participation and representation also tend to be lopsided and miss out the hidden factors at play in restraining meaningful participation of women across diverse characteristics of class, caste, and ethnic, religious, linguistic or age groups
-Manju Tuladhar
Researcher,
Nepal
Women’s contribution to the social; and economic development of societies is more than half as compared to that of men by the virtue of their dual roles in the productive and reproductive spheres. Yet their participation in formal political structures and processes, where decisions regarding the use of societal resources generated both men and women are made, remains insignificant
-Rubina Jamil
Lawyer,
Pakistan
In Sri Lanka, 60% of the female population is victims of various forms of domestic and gender violence, which prevents able women from entering politics, as violence and politics, go hand in hand in least developed countries
-Ms. Kumari Balasuriya
Governor, Southern Province,
Sri Lanka
