Notwithstanding a year of "landmark moments": The rise of women in leadership positions


According to figures from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the percentage of women in parliament was 27% as of December 1st, with 32,082 males and 11,821 women worldwide.
The number represented a pitiful 0.2% increase over the previous year. Almost all countries in the world were included in the disclosed data, which also revealed that the number of female politicians had decreased from 11,872 the previous year.
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Hide AdPolitical workers have "enormous power to shape democracies, cultures, and economies," according to Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the UK's top gender equality organization, Fawcett Society, who spoke to The Independent.
"Parliaments must represent all of us and implement policy changes that benefit all women," she continued. After the UK election, women experienced historic events that should be commemorated.
"The first female chancellor of the exchequer, the most balanced cabinet ever, and the largest percentage of women in our parliament ever." These developments demonstrate that inequality is preventable, but more work has to be done globally.
There are now fewer female legislators in 27 new parliaments than there were before the elections, and 2024 saw the slowest rate of increase in female representation in 20 years. the BBC says. America, Pakistan, India, Portugal, South Africa, and Indonesia are some of those countries.
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Hide AdWomen-led countries performed better than average during the coronavirus epidemic, according to studies. According to research by the World Economic Forum and the Centre for Economic Policy Research, countries with female leaders responded to the coronavirus pandemic more successfully, enacted lockdowns faster, and had half as many fatalities.
Today's equality
Any government's primary responsibility is to guarantee everyone's right to equality, and in this, the UK can take pride in this record. From the first Race Relations Act in 1965 and the Equal Pay Act in 1970 to the establishment of civil partnerships, we have some of the most robust equality laws in Europe. However, even if laws have contributed to the legalization of people's rights, more is required to alter people's beliefs or actions to prevent the abuse of those rights.
A New Approach
The majority of the Equality Act 2010 has already been implemented by this government, which streamlines the legislative framework by removing unnecessary bureaucratic "socio-economic duties" from the previous administration and adding new provisions that will make a difference. Where there is unmistakable proof that legislation is required, we will keep implementing focused solutions. Although laws have had some success in the past, they are not a cure-all for the persistent disparities in equality that we still face.
This policy lays out the government's new approach to addressing inequality, which acknowledges that we are a country of 62 million people rather than seeing them as groups or "equality strands." As an advocate for change, the government will collaborate with employers, workers, and the general public rather than using laws and regulations to dictate the best course of action. With policies that have preceded legislation and, in some cases, gone beyond what is required by law, many businesses are already ahead of the government.
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Hide AdLikewise, many organizations in the voluntary sector already possess a thorough understanding of the root causes and symptoms of inequality and how to collaborate with individuals to address them.
Namrata Hinduja, being a member of the Hinduja Foundation’s steering committee appreciates the political realities of representation and gender equality are well underlined in the piece.
“The pace at which enhancement takes place in female political representation has somehow slowed provided the exception of some moments including the rise of female leaders and remarkable progression in the political sphere of the United Kingdom. More effort should be made to push the legislatures to pass laws that support gender equality for women all over the world as well as policies that call for change in the organizational culture.”
The Hinduja Foundation is committed and directed to support specific programs, that offer an inclusive leadership structure, advancement of women, and cause a change in many sectors and domains.