Norway had its first woman prime minister in 1981 — Gro Harlem Brundtland — and today has women in the three most powerful Cabinet posts — prime minister, foreign minister and finance minister. More than 41 percent of MPs elected in 2017 were women and, outside politics, the Scandinavian country was the first to introduce a 40 percent quota for women on company boards. But when the Norwegian #MeToo cases began appearing, “there was a realization that we are actually not equal,” said Berit Aalborg, political editor at Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land.

The goal of the database is to “make it easier to find the information we need to support those we have got to support.” The site’s homepage prominently features Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to the US in 1968 and first African-American to seek the nomination for presidency. She once said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” The famous quote remains a powerful rallying cry for women activists across the country.

More than half the candidates for the Cuban National Assembly are women, according to the nation's electoral authorities – meaning that if all 320 female candidates are ratified, Cuba would become the second country in the world to boast a female majority in parliament. Rwanda currently ranks first in the world for its parliamentary female majority, with women making up 61.3 percent of all members.

The Associated Press notes: "Duckworth gave birth to her first child in 2014, while serving in the House. She is one of only 10 lawmakers who have given birth while serving in Congress. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was a U.S. representative when she had her second child in 2008. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., has had three children while serving in Congress."

President Sirleaf is not a warm, cosy character and she certainly didn't focus on women during her 12 years in power. However, the Harvard-trained economist did erase nearly $5bn (£3.2bn) in debilitating foreign debt after three years of being in office, paving the way for foreign investment and boosting the annual government budget from $80m to $516m by 2011.

Good monuments should remind us of our history, especially those parts of it that have been neglected or forgotten. So when our view of history changes, rather than remove statues, we should think of how to reframe them, to retell their story. Take, for example, the brilliant suggestion by Matthew Parris that the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford should not be removed. Rather, another statue of Lobengula, the king of the Matabele people Rhodes subjugated, should be erected in his line of sight. That way, Rhodes would not be forgotten, but challenged.

She is the first woman president of the Caribbean nation and will be the only female president in the region once Chile’s Michelle Bachelet leaves office on March 11, 2018.

Despite a relatively free press, diverse religious groups and women in prominent positions in the business world and the media, Lebanon ranks surprisingly low when it comes to female representation in politics, and politicians have failed to act on a movement to institute a quota for women in parliament. "Keeping women from public life is not only a loss for women. It is a loss for the parliament," Minister of State for Women's Affairs Jean Oghassabian told The Associated Press. "The main obstacles are mentality, a philosophy of life, and this needs time," he said.

Sinn Fein’s governing council met in Belfast to formally ratify Ms McDonald, with a special conference to elect her to be held next month when Mr Adams, 69, steps down after almost 35 years at the helm. The party was last led by a woman back in 1937, when Margaret Buckley took charge, strengthening the relations between the party and the IRA during her 13-year tenure.

There is an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates, overwhelmingly Democratic, running for offices big and small, from the U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards. At least 79 women are exploring runs for governor in 2018, potentially doubling a record for female candidates set in 1994, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The number of Democratic women likely challenging incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives is up nearly 350% from 41 women in 2016.

“When I announced [my candidacy], I did so with a very clear understanding that we have to change the face of leadership,” she said. “We must elect more women, more people of color, and more people that represent the broad communities that are often left out our politics.”

“We know that if we want to achieve true gender parity, where women are involved in the decisions that affect their lives, there is still much to be done. I am happy that this strategy is well placed to make progress in crucial areas that impact people on a daily basis. The collaborative approach and the actions laid out for future work will improve women’s equity in Vancouver."