The president of Somaliland has said that despite its international reputation, the country has undergone vast public sector improvements over the past twenty years. He promises higher standards of healthcare, education, infrastructure and democracy. The number of infant deaths has fallen, for example, and the country has made great headway in the battle against malaria. Malaria is responsible for over 2% of worldwide deaths, but Somaliland has become virtually free from Malaria over the past couple of years. This is a significant improvement and one which can be regarded as a model for other nations to aspire to. Improvements in healthcare have been made in both the public and the private sector since 1991 which has made healthcare more available to the public of Somaliland.

While around one fifth of the inhabitants of Somalialand were actually literate in 1991 and a quarter literate in 1999, that figure shot up to 45% in 2010. In the next few years, literacy rates will soar well above fifty percent. Marked improvements in education are part of the reason behind this. There were only 219 primary, middle and secondary schools in Somalialand back in 1991. There are now more than five hundred primary schools alone throughout the nation. The importance of literacy and education cannot be overstated when it comes to securing a future for a fledgling country like Somalialand – the government and the teachers of Somalialand have proved to the world that they are more than equipped to get that message across.

As the government focuses on improving the reputation of the country in the eyes of the rest of the world it is necessary for it to look forward and prepare for a time when Somaliland will be trading on a greater scale with the developed world. In order to do so, an improvement in education is required. The government has therefore been working on improving the literacy of the nation, boasting impressive increases in the number of schools and in the level of literacy. Competing in the global market requires employees who are able to use computers and subsequently read and right in order to communicate with clients and investors, and of course who have strong literacy skills. It is therefore vital that the government of Somaliland improves education in the country and it has so far demonstrated that it is capable of doing so.

Of more immediate concern is the improvement of the political state of the country, for without a stable government to provide public services, the state of education, for example, is of little relevance. The government is beginning to feel confident that the nation as a whole is capable of practicing democracy and that as the government is prepared to listen to what the people want, the people are prepared to peacefully express what it is that they do want. If this peace continues, Somaliland may be able to act as a model for other African to demonstrate the encouraging progress that can be made over time.

Sierra Leone is one of the latest countries to welcome more women into its political ranks, and is likely to establish a legal quotient of women in decision-making positions.

This progressive attitude is not only going to empower women in politics and other walks of life, but also ensure that the nation of Sierra Leone develops healthily. Women in politics are seen as a stabilising factor without which governments and organisations cannot function.

The draft bill is going to be voted on in October, in time for next year’s presidential elections. The proposed legislation will stipulate that women hold fourteen seats in parliament, as well as occupying four of the dozen paramount chief positions. Paramount chiefs are decision-making leaders in traditional roles. Females will also need to make up one fifth of candidates put forward by any political party in Sierra Leone.

According to experts, women in African politics tend to focus on building the nation and ensuring infrastructure, health projects and education systems are up to scratch. The provision of safe drinking water is one of the other issues which women are very keen on. There are other humanitarian, development and home affairs issues which women seem to be more focussed on. A higher ratio of women in leadership assemblies would ensure that these issues were not neglected at all.

Empowerment of women has taken place internationally over the last century. Many non-governmental organisations and charities are working hard in Africa and all over the world to ensure that strong female candidates are put forward in the democratic processes of nations. Women in Sierra Leone are very enthusiastic about the developments and are hoping that their interests will be represented more in politics. Campaigners are also saying that a higher number of women in politics could foster a greater female interest in the workings of this country, leading to heightened awareness of national and global affairs and a drop in female disenfranchisement.

It remains to be seen whether the proposed bill will make it through the various stages of legislature. But whether it actually passes or not, there is a positive attitude to female politicians demonstrated by the people and administration of Sierra Leone. Progress has already been made on many fronts.

In 2004, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published a report which suggested women needed to play a bigger role in the politics of Sierra Leone. It said that “The institutions and processes of peace, security and development, as well as societies at large, are made stronger and more effective by the full and equal participation of women.”  Its recommendation was that thirty percent of all candidates fielded for all public elections in Sierra Leone would be female.

What the country is working on at the moment is another recommendation, that Sierra Leone should have a completely gender balanced democracy where there is a fifty-fifty ratio of women to men in politics. Whether they achieve this goal remains to be seen, but with recent developments it would not be surprising if this goal was attained by the target of 2014.

It’s been announced that Vice President, the Honourable Atiku Abubakar has been invited by the National Peace Corps Association to an event called ‘Conversations: the Future of the Peace Corps’. Attached is a PDF outlining the details of the invitation.

Download: The Honorable Atiku Abubakar Letter of Invitation

Out of all the countries in the world, the African nation of Rwanda has the highest percentage of female members of parliament.

A staggering proportion of 56.3% of all the seats in the Rwandan parliament are occupied by female politicians. Not only is this the highest in Africa, it’s also the highest in the world. The next highest is the Catalan country of Andorra, with 53.6% of parliament being female, and the third highest proportion is that of Sweden with 45%. Of the fifty countries worldwide which have the highest representation of women in parliament, thirteen of those are in the African continent.

In most African countries, more than half the population is female. This is true globally, too. The African Union has stipulated that there should be “gender parity” in every one if its member states – it’s no surprise, then, that African politics are among the world’s most inclusive and gender-empowering.

More than half the electorate in most African countries is going to be female, so it is important to reflect that with quotas and appointments of female candidates in government. Without the diligent encouragement of female voters and female candidates, a democracy cannot grow. Africa’s percentage of women in government and politics is very high and continues to rise, which demonstrates a progressive attitude and a level of relative success when compared to the rest of the world.

Odette Nyiramilimo is one example of a female politician in Rwanda, whose strength and determination won her a place in the Rwandan Senate. She has been a minister – Minister of State for Social Affairs – under Paul Kagame. That was from 2000 until 2003. She featured heavily in a book by Philip Gourevitch.

Agathe Uwilingiyimana, elected Prime Minister of Rwanda in 1993, was one of the world’s first female national leaders. Paul Kagame’s wife, Jeannette Nyiramongi Kagame, is more than just Rwanda’s first lady – she hosted the first African First Ladies’ Summit on Children and HIV/AIDS Prevention, co-founded the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS, and is on the board of directors for many organizations including Friends of the Global Fund Africa and the Global Coalition of Women Against HIV/AIDS. She is a patron of many charities, helping widows and orphans in particular.

The gains made by women in the Rwandan government are due to some well thought-out and innovative electoral structures, alongside a quota system. In the Chamber of Deputies, for example, most of the candidates are elected using a PR system while twenty four contenders are on an all-woman shortlist and can only be voted for by women. A structure of Women’s Councils is in place nationwide. These are “grass roots” organisations elected at the lowest possible level by women, and field women at many levels of local and national government. There are other methods at work in Rwanda which ensure women get a fair say in political issues.

It is through this sort of action that Rwanda is at the forefront of equality in Africa and around the world.