Bahraini women's success highlighted
HM the King's wife and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Women, Her Highness Shaikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, yesterday received at Rowdha Palace the delegation of the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU), led by its President, Sergio Páez. Shaikha Sabika wished the delegation a fruitful visit to widen cooperation between the IPU and the Council. She highlighted the IPU's project that related to supporting the political participation of Bahraini women. The Council had accredited a programme prepared in cooperation with UNDP with the participation of official and public bodies and religious scholars, and she underscored the efforts made by the Council to implement the project to enable Bahraini women to take part in the political process by allowing them to contest parliamentary and municipal elections.
Bahrain Tribune – 13 June 2005

Women fill most of PQ's leading posts
When Louise Harel was appointed interim leader of the Quebec opposition this week to replace Bernard Landry, the Parti Québécois (PQ), without fanfare, became a party ruled by women. The PQ has become the only major political party in the country where women hold almost all of the influential positions... "The numbers show that the Quebec National Assembly has the largest percentage of female elected members in Canada", Ms. Harel said. She quoted statistics published in 2004 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, showing that women made up 25 per cent of elected members in only 24 out of 180 countries or jurisdictions. Quebec's share of eleted women in 32 per cent.
www.theglobeandmail.com (Canada) – 8 june 2005

IPU President says visit to Kuwait very important
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez, noted that his visit to Kuwait that starts Monday is very important in the wake of the Kuwaiti parliaments' resolution to grant women the right to vote and to stand for elections. Páez stressed that he has requested to meet with the women of Kuwait who have brought about this important victory.
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) – 22 may 2005

Sitting on a well of gold
Finding women with veiled faces is not at all uncommon in the streets of Kuwait City. But do not be misled; they now have nearly the same rights as men. Getting there was not easy. In fact, just this month women were granted the right to vote and to stand for election to the parliament. This was one of the things that the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez Verdugo found out about during a recent visit to the country. As one of its main objectives, the IPU, based in Geneva, Switzerland, has sought to ensure the full inclusion of women in society. Its directors were thus quite pleased with this development.
El Llanquihue (Chili) – 29 may 2005