But closer to home, 2018 also saw women taking up political offices previously held exclusively by men: from Ethiopia’s new president Sahle-Work Zewde to Cosatu’s president Zingiswa Losi. Women still make up only 23% of the House of Representatives and 24% of the Senate, while the Democratic Party nominated far more women than the Republican Party and Democratic voters elected women in greater numbers. This year saw another African country appoint its first female president, in the form of Ethiopia’s veteran diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde. On the note of legislation, UN Women reports that 52 countries worldwide have strengthened legislation to address violence against women and girls since 2014. September 2018 saw Zingiswa Losi elected unopposed as the president of Cosatu – the first woman to occupy this position in the federation’s 38-year history.

Source: Ethiopian News December 20, 2018 23:32 UTC