As Kyrgyzstan prepares for parliamentary elections on Oct. 10, women candidates are getting ready for what they hope will be a strong run for representation in the new legislature.

While men in Bangladesh hold the majority of powerful positions in politics and society generally, some women have been able to break into the power structure. To celebrate their achievements, as well as to inspire women seeking roles in the future, the Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) has released Who's Who: Women Leaders at a Glance, the first such reference book ever released in Bangladesh.

The number of Lebanese women elected to municipal offices more than doubled this year, increasing from the 201 elected in 2004 to 530 who were successful in this year’s polls. The increase was particularly noteworthy because it came without the help of a quota law, a technique used in a number of countries in the Middle East and elsewhere to ensure a specified number of seats for women.

Despite their 20 percent share of the population, Mayan women in Guatemala have limited political and economic power. They have the country’s highest rates of poverty and illiteracy, and, according to an NDI-supported study, are far less likely to vote than any other sector of the population.