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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Women as ministers and the issue of gender equality in the Republic of Cape Verde
Author:Coutinho, Ângela Sofia Benoliel
Year:2010
Periodical:Afrika Zamani: revue annuelle d'histoire africaine = Annual Journal of African History (ISSN 0850-3079)
Issue:18-19
Pages:151-160
Language:English
Geographic term:Cape Verde
Subjects:gender inequality
women
government
Abstract:In the year 2008, the Republic of Cape Verde was considered the nation with the second most gender-equal government in the world, as its governmental index was composed of eight female ministers, seven male ministers, a male prime minister, and four male secretaries of State. This article investigates gender equality in Cape Verdean government by analysing the proportion of women that occupy leadership positions in the ministries, the judiciary, diplomatic service and those in the legislative assembly and local governments. The objective is to discover the degree in which the governmental gender equality statistics mirror the reality of contemporary Cape Verdean society as a whole. It is demonstrated that while the presence of women in positions of political power at the highest level has evolved in a positive way, women represented only 18 percent of Parliament members and at the level of local power, less than 10 percent of the mayors. In light of this data, is it legitimate to conclude that this is an egalitarian society? What trajectory did the Cape Verdean society undergo that led to this situation? Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]
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