Women This Week: PM Sheikh Hasina Flees Bangladesh Amid Protests

Longest-Serving Prime Minister Resigns  

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh fled the country for India, ending over fifteen years of rule. Hasina’s departure followed weeks of anti-government protests that began after she announced a quota system for government employees that many feared would benefit her own party. More than four hundred people are estimated to have been killed. Hasina, Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, had also faced criticism for the country’s failing economy, stagnant job growth, and disregard for the democratic process and human rights. “Personally, I feel that she should not have been given a safe passage,” said retired soldier Brig. Gen. Mohammad Shahedul Anam Khan. “That was a folly.” Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, a staunch critic of Hasina, has agreed to lead the interim government.  

First Female Confirmed to Lead Welsh Parliament  

This week, Eluned Morgan made history by becoming the first woman to be confirmed as the first minister of Wales. The first minister leads the Welsh parliament, known as the Senedd Cymru. Morgan recently became leader of the Welsh Labour Party in an unopposed election and previously served as health minister. The former first minister, Vaughan Gething—also a member of the Labour party—recently resigned after four months of office over controversy after accepting donations from a man convicted of environmental offenses. Recognizing the political turmoil, Morgan pledged to unify the Welsh Labour party. She later told members of the Senedd that she looked forward to the day when a “woman becoming first minister is no longer extraordinary but a normal part of our Welsh political life.”  

Fortune Reports Decrease in Number of Females Leading International Fortune 500 Companies; Rate is Flat for U.S.-Based Companies. 

According to Fortune, the percentage of women leading international companies this year has decreased, with women making up only twenty-eight of five hundred CEO’s. This year’s Global 500 report, which makes these determinations based on revenue, shows that women only run 5.6 percent of the largest global businesses—a decrease from 5.8 percent last year. The Fortune Global report is based on data from thirty-five countries and over two hundred cities around the world. The percentage of women running U.S.-based businesses remained flat; women currently hold the top leadership role in 10.4 percent of American businesses.