ABOUT THE WOMEN MAYORS PROJECT Women mayors show resolve and determination The Women Mayors Project, launched in late 2021 by the City Mayors Foundation, is dedicated to women in local government. The Project features the achievements of women mayors from across the world and campaigns for women to play a stronger political role in towns and cities. Female mayors have demonstrated their determination to succeed and service to their communities. Many have become role models for young women and, indeed, men. In local government, particularly in politics, women are under-represented. While a number of prominent cities, like Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago, Paris and Sydney, have elected female mayors, according to research by the City Mayors Foundation, less than twenty per cent of the world’s mayors are women. IN GREATER DETAIL NORTH AMERICA  Women mayors in AmericaOf the 125 American cities with more than 200,000 residents, 43 (34%) are governed by women mayors. Cities with female leaders include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston. Of the 43 cities, only ten have Republican mayors. Some 29 cities are led by Democrats, while four mayors are independents. Acquanetta Warren of Fontana (CA), who assumed office in 2010, is the longest-serving female mayor among cities with more than 200,000 people. Carolyn Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas, followed her husband as mayor in 2011, while Nancy Vaughn became Mayor of Greensboro (NC) in 2013. Hillary Schieve, Reno (NV), joined the list one year later. LIST OF US WOMEN MAYORS RELATED PAGES: Capital cities with women mayors ||| Women mayors in America ||| Women mayors in Europe ||| Europe's most powerful female mayors ||| South America's women mayors ||| Freedom Mayors SOUTH AMERICA  South America hasfew women mayors Women are grossly underrepresented at the top of local government in the majority of South American cities. The latest research by City Mayors reveals that, across the continent, only just over eleven per cent of large cities have female mayors. Earlier research covering Latin America, including Mexico, Central America and the Caribbeans, identifies some 15 per cent of towns and cities with women mayors. In 2022, City Mayors Research visited 80 cities with populations of more than 500,000 and found that only nine (11.25%) had female mayors. Brazil is represented with three mayors, while Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay and Bolivia have one ‘big-city’ female mayor each. Capital cities with women leaders include Bogotá, Santiago de Chile and Montevideo. Five mayors belong to political parties on the left, while the politics of two mayors are centrist. Parties on the right and the Greens are represented by one mayor each. IN GREATER DETAIL RELATED PAGES: Capital cities with women mayors ||| Women mayors in America ||| Women mayors in Europe ||| Europe's most powerful female mayors ||| South America's women mayors ||| Freedom Mayors AMERICAN SOCIETY  American mayors defendwomen’s right to abortion American mayors reacted with dismay to the US Supreme Court’s decision to curtail women’s rights to safe and legal abortions. The US Conference of Mayors (USCM), which represents the majority of mayors of larger cities, said that in the morning of 25 June 2022, American women woke up with one less constitutional right. The consequences of this decision will be felt in cities nationwide, where women will suffer from the loss of access to critical healthcare services, where they face state abortion bans that do not include exemptions for rape or incest. Madison (Wisconsin) Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said: “The US Supreme Court has taken away away the right to abortion for millions. In doing so, they are now allowing state governments to force people, including minors and victims of rape and incest, to give birth.” IN GREATER DETAIL RELATED PAGES: Mass killings in American cities ||| American mayors push for stricter gun laws ||| US mayors ||| Freedom Mayors EUROPE  Europe lacks women mayorsThere are very few female mayors in cities across Europe. Just under 17 per cent of the continent’s largest cities have women - elected or appointed - as their leaders. In Northern Europe almost one third of mayors are female, while in Southern Europe the percentage of women as leaders of local government is below nine per cent. Norway is the only country in Europe where most of the mayors of larger towns and cities are women. In Italy and Greece, no women have been elected as heads of large cities. In addition to Norway, individual countries with an above average number of female mayors include Finland, France and Switzerland. IN GREATER DETAIL Europe's most powerful female mayors While the total number of women mayors across Europe is deplorably low, some of the continent’s politically, economically and culturally most important cities have female leaders. Paris and Berlin are now governed by women. Women are also in charge in a number of smaller capital cities as well as in municipalities of national and international importance including Barcelona, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Lodz, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Cologne and Sofia. Europe’s longest-serving female mayors include Martine Aubry, Lille, since 2001; Aino-Maija Luukkonen, Pori, since 2004; Corine Mauch, Zurich, since 2009 and Hanna Zdanowska, Lodz, since 2010. IN GREATER DETAIL RELATED PAGES: Capital cities with women mayors ||| Women mayors in America ||| Women mayors in Europe ||| Europe's most powerful female mayors ||| South America's women mayors ||| Freedom Mayors CAPITAL CITIES 2022  A quarter of capital citiesare led by women mayors While it is estimated that internationally less than 15 per cent of mayors are women – some research studies put the figure even lower – a quarter of the world’s capital cities are led by women. In Europe, capitals like Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Oslo and Stockholm have female mayors, while in Africa, Dakar, Freetown, Tunis, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Rabat are led by women. In Latin America, some of the largest capital cities, such as Mexico City, Caracas, Bogota and Montevideo have women mayors. Asian capitals with women leaders include Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. In 2021, women assumed the post of mayors in Accra, Addis Ababa, Berlin, Dublin, Luanda, Nairobi, Rabat, Santiago de Chile, Sarajevo, and Skopje. (Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome from 2016 to 2021, failed to be re-elected in October.) The list of longest-serving female leaders includes the mayors of Sydney (since 2004), Zurich (since 2009), Sofia (since 2011) and Paris (since 2014). IN GREATER DETAIL RELATED PAGES: Capital cities with women mayors ||| Women mayors in America ||| Women mayors in Europe ||| Europe's most powerful female mayors ||| South America's women mayors ||| Freedom Mayors |
MIDDLE EAST  An ancient city, destroyedby war, is being rebuilt To understand Leila Mustapha’s achievements it is necessary to remember the context of Raqqa. An ancient city with Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Turkish, Islamic and Catholic histories, the capital of ISIS captured territories from 2014- 2017. A city virtually destroyed and devastated by ISIS, the US bombing and the war to evict ISIS . Leila, a civil engineer in her 30’s has been joint president of the Raqqa Civil Council (RCC), an assembly since its creation in 2017 just before Isis was defeated to re-build and restore the life of the City. IN GREATER DETAIL |
AFRICA  Reliable water suppliesare a priority for Freetown Mayor Aki-Sawyerr attended the London School of Economics where she achieved a Masters degree in International Relations and Politics of the World Economy. After completing her Masters degree Mayor Aki-Sawyerr remained in the UK to commence her career at Arthur Anderson and completed her Professional Accountancy studies and achieved her certification in 1993. Settled in London, Yvonne worked in the private and third sectors for the next 20 years becoming a specialist in risk management, regulatory and corporate governance. In 2009 she became Investment Director of IDEA (International Development Enterprise Associates (UK) Ltd. Whilst pursuing her professional career Mayor Aki-Sawyerr also campaigned against the blood diamonds trade during the civil war in Sierra Leone and decided to try to help children orphaned or damaged by the conflict by forming a charity. Sierra Leone War Trust was co-founded by Ms Aki-Sawyerr in 1999 to campaign for an end to the war and to support young people affected by it. IN GREATER DETAIL |
ETHICS Code of Ethics for Mayors The City Mayors Foundation was established in 2003 to promote, encourage and facilitate good local government. To strengthen local government further, City Mayors has instituted a Code of Ethics for city leaders who wish to perform their duties beyond all reproach. Preamble Good and honest local government is the foundation of any nation that strives to provide its citizens with happiness, security and prosperity. Incompetence, corruption and misconduct in local government threaten fundamental decency in a society. IN GREATER DETAIL |
