Boosting women's role in politics, Dutch-style

"Fatuma Muhumed's election as a local councilor in Apeldoorn was made possible through strategic preferential voting, which encourages voters to support women candidates ranked lower on party lists."

"In the Netherlands, women's representation in parliament stands at 43.3%, significantly higher than the EU average, yet local representation lags at 36.9%."

"The campaign Stem op een Vrouw has successfully helped 503 women get elected in the latest elections, showcasing the effectiveness of strategic voting in enhancing women's political presence."

"Without the strategic preferential voting approach, women's representation in local politics would have been only 32.7%, highlighting the importance of targeted voting strategies."

Fatuma Muhumed, a newly elected local councilor in Apeldoorn, secured her position through strategic preferential voting, despite being ranked 15th on her party's candidate list. This voting method encourages support for women candidates lower on the list, significantly boosting their representation. In the Netherlands, women's representation in parliament is 43.3%, but only 36.9% at the local level. Without strategic voting, this figure would drop to 32.7%. Muhumed's election is part of a broader trend, with 503 women elected in recent elections.

Read at www.dw.com