Political parties in India, even those vociferously supporting reservation for women in parliament, have failed to put up, on average, even one woman for every 10 males contesting India’s 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.

India votes for a new parliament. Nepalese women are campaigning against harassment on the streets of Kathmandu. Indonesian women are well-represented in politics, but power does not mean that they get enough respect from society. Read more for women’s stories that made it to the headlines.

Afghan women wait outside a voter registration center in Ghazni, Afghanistan.

What do Afghan women think about the elections and how do women in India rate their representation in their country’s politics? Twitter trolls in India use sexist methods to silence women. Read on for more on women’s news.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has created history. She is not only the first woman to hold the office since 2005, she is now also the first woman to be elected back into the office for a third time consecutively. British Paper, the Guardian, pointed out that Merkel is on her way to overtake Margaret Thatcher as the longest-serving female leader.

This campaign poster of Germany’s ruling party CDU says “Women for the CDU”

Women in Germany are quite enthusiastic about voting in the upcoming elections and believe that participating in elections can bring a change in their lives. Beenish Javed spoke to some women from different educational and professional backgrounds about what they expected from the leading candidates.

Angela Merkel speaking at a political rally in Bonn

A pragmatic persona and a confident, unswerving approach towards the people of her nation is an important element of her success. She is counted among the most influential women of the world and is serving her second term as Germany’s chancellor. Angela Merkel is known for her confident speeches and the power to defend herself. She wears a broad smile on her face and half of her job to motivate her people is done.