Latest news with #womeninpolitics
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Inside the brutal fallout of Sussan Ley dumping FOUR women from her cabinet - and fresh humiliation for the Greens after election disaster: PETER VAN ONSELEN
Ley sharpens her knife in shadow cabinet reshuffle So far as frontbench reshuffles go, Sussan Ley's decision - as the first female leader of the federal Liberal Party - to dump four women from the shadow cabinet was an interesting one.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Fallout over number of women on federal opposition front bench
In Australia the federal opposition is vowing to rebuild and better represent the expectations of more Australians -- after copping a drubbing at the recent election. But the coalition's first female leader Sussan Ley is already under fire for reducing the number of senior women on her front bench. Our correspondent Nick Grimm joins us. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Local organization helping prepare women to run in municipal elections
With a municipal election coming, Ask Her wants to help women run for office, hosting weekly workshops to prepare women on topics related to campaigning. Five months before municipal elections across Alberta, including one in Calgary, a local non-profit organization called 'Ask Her' wants to encourage and prepare women considering leadership roles in municipal politics. Since 2021, the organization has offered a virtual bootcamp series called 'Prepare Her,' with several speakers offering insight on topics like campaigning, fundraising and communicating. 'We know that government is more effective when it reflects the community that it serves,' said Karan Van Thuyne, president of Ask Her. She says women face unique challenges and barriers when running for office, but they are not limited to balancing family or domestic obligations. Van Thuyne says fundraising is a hurdle, as women may not have as many potential donors in their networks, or may feel it's impolite to ask for money. '(We help by) reframing it, that it's not about asking for a handout or a favour, it's about an investment in you as a leader, and you're worth that investment,' she said. One of the keynote speakers is Sabrina Grover, a former federal Liberal candidate and a senior advisor at Spark Advocacy. With a municipal election coming, Ask Her wants to help women run for office, hosting weekly workshops to prepare women on topics related to campaigning. With a municipal election coming, Ask Her wants to help women run for office, hosting weekly workshops to prepare women on topics related to campaigning. Grover says participants often don't know where to start when building a campaign team. 'It's not just about having the right people in place. It's about making sure that you have the right talent, the right mix of skills and people who are there to support you because ultimately, they need to see you want to win as much as you want to win,' she said. She adds that women are needed in municipal politics, as often women take care of bills and finances that are governed at the city level. 'Women often pay the bills in their homes. So, understanding property taxes is something that a lot of women know about. So, with things like that, it is really important to ensure that you have an equal balance of folks represented at the decision-making tables,' Grover said. Political science professor Lori Williams says that on average, women make up just 30 per cent of elected positions at the various levels and agrees better representation is beneficial to communities. But in her research, she says the extra scrutiny women face often deters others from running for or remaining in office. '(Public criticism over) things like appearance, mannerisms and tone of voice can make it just more difficult for women to convey their policies, their principles, or their character,' said Williams. She added, 'Training can make a difference. It can prepare people who aren't used to that environment to function more effectively in it.' Mayor Jyoti Gondek isn't connected to 'Ask Her' but told CTV News she knows the pressure of balancing family obligations and recommends building up a support system. 'Is it a juggling act? It absolutely is. But I will tell you this: best thing you can do is surround yourself with good, supportive people who can take on all of the roles that you can't do at once,' said Gondek, who is running for re-election in October. The organization has expanded to Edmonton, and leaders say its programming is open to anyone who is interested. The final session with Grover as the guest speaker runs on June 4. More information can be found here on the Ask Her website.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Australia elects its youngest senator EVER who will pick up a huge salary - but many can't help but ask the same question
A woman who turned 21 on the day of Australia's federal election in May has been declared the nation's youngest ever senator. Charlotte Walker, a former union official, won Labor's third Senate seat for South Australia - an unexpected result in the preferential voting system, where third-ranked candidates rarely succeed. She had the lowest vote count of the six newly elected senators for the state. The Australian Electoral Commission officially declared the poll Tuesday. The new job will be a 'big adjustment,' said Walker, who starts her six-year term July 1. A federal lawmaker's base salary is more than $205,000 annually. 'There's a few feelings. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure,' Walker told Australian Broadcasting Corp. after the results were announced late Monday. 'I want to do a good job for South Australians, but I also want to show young people, particularly young women, that this is achievable and this is something that they can do also. I'm also really excited. Not many people my age get to … go to Canberra and have the ability to contribute in the way that I will,' she added. However, her historic win hasn't been welcomed by everyone. Some Australians have voiced concern, arguing that at just 21, Walker lacks the life experience needed for such a major role in parliament. 'Nothing personal, but sorry, at 21, few people have the wisdom, maturity, life experience, understanding of fundamental issues of the society, knowledge of the nation's and world's history to make a sound decision,' one said. 'I'm all for 21 year olds having a go, but she's never worked in the private sector, never managed a small business and probably never had a mortgage,' a second added. 'Good on her and she certainly seems a go getter. I'd love to see her apply these skills to a real career. 'Instead, she becomes yet another professional politician with no life or business experience making decisions about the future of the country - this is what is wrong with Australian politics,' a third said. Others suggested she was a refreshing change. 'Don't succumb to old "experienced" colleagues and office politics - you are representing people,' one said. 'Good on her - maybe she can now represent the generation in her cohort which has been missing in Parliament,' a second added. 'Gotta start somewhere. So long as she doesn't think she knows everything remains teachable and works hard,' a third said. Before Walker, the youngest senator was Jordon Steele-John of the Greens party, who was elected for Western Australia state in 2017 at the age of 23. Australia's youngest-ever federal lawmaker was Wyatt Roy, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 at the age of 20. He lasted two three-year terms before he was voted out of his Queensland state seat.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini, 'a trailblazer' for Vanuatu women in politics, has died
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini, a pioneering Ni-Vanuatu politician, has died. Lini passed away at the Port Vila General Hospital on Sunday, according to local media. Lini was the first woman to be elected to parliament in 1987 as a member of the National United Party. She went on to become the country's first female minister in 1991 after being appointed as the Minister for Health and Rural Water Supplies. She held several ministerial portfolios until the late 1990s, serving three terms in parliament. She is the sister of the late Father Walter Lini, who is regarded as the country's founding father. She was a chief of the Turaga nation of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. "On behalf of the government, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Lini family for the passing of late Motarilavoa Hilda Lini — one of the first to break through our male-dominated parliament during those hey days," the Vanuatu Ministry for the Prime Minister said in a statement on Monday. "She later championed many causes, including a Nuclear Free Pacific. Rest in Peace soldier, for you have fought a great fight." In a condolence message posted on Facebook, Vanuatu's Speaker Stephen Dorrick Felix Ma Au Malfes said Lini was "a trailblazer who paved the way for women in leadership and politics in Vanuatu". "Her courage, dedication and vision inspired many and have left an indelible mark on the history of our nation. "As Vanuatu continues to grow and celebrate its independence, her story and contributions will forever be remembered and honoured. She has left behind a legacy filled with wisdom, strength, and cherished memories that we will carry with us always. Vanuatu human rights women's rights advocate Anne Pakoa said Lini was a "Pacific hero". "She was a woman of integrity, a prestigious, wise and yet very humble woman leader," Pakoa wrote in a Facebook post. Port Vila MP Marie Louise Milne, the third woman to represent the capital in parliament after the late Lini and the late Maria Crowby, said "Lini was more than a leader". "She was a pioneer… serving our country with strength, dignity, and an unshakeable commitment to justice and peace. She carried her chiefly title with pride, wisdom, and purpose, always serving with the voice of a true daughter of the land," Milne said. "I remember her powerful presence at the Independence Day flag-raising ceremonies, calling me 'Marie Louise' in her firm, commanding tone — a voice that resonated with leadership and care. "Though I am not in Port Vila to pay my last respects in person, I carry her memory with me in my heart, in my work, and in my prayers. My thoughts are with the Lini family and all who mourn this national loss." She said Lini's legacy lives on in every woman who rises to serve, in every Ni-Vanuatu who believes in justice and unity. "She will forever remain a symbol of strength for Vanuatu and for all Melanesian women." Motarilavoa Hilda Lini will be buried in North Pentecost on Tuesday. RNZ
