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I

n the African region 41% thought an increase in

female politicians would create a better world,

30% saying it would be worse, and 26% believe itwould stay the same. In South Africa there was ma-

 jority support for this idea, with 55% feeling it could

have a positive impact.

 Ask Afrika, as a mem-

ber of Win/Gallup Inter-

national shared these

insights and con-

ducted the South

African poll for the 37th

annual Win/Gallup In-

ternational End of Year 

Survey. WIN/Gallup In-

ternational is the lead-

ing global market

research association

and  Ask Afrika CEO,

Andrea Rademeyer, is

the Africa Chair. 66,806 people were polled across

the globe representing the views of 65 countries with

a total population of 84,857,489. The number sur-veyed has increased by over 10,000 since 2012 when

55,817 participated in the survey.

The Middle East and North African countries

responded to the idea of more women politicians

with more negativity, 34% of participants in thesecountries thought that the world would be a worse

place, in contrast to the 32% who felt more women

in politics would have a positive impact. In Morocco

37% thought that the world would be a better place

with more female politicians, however in Kenya a

majority of citizens (44%) thought the increase would

have a negative impact, a belief supported by

Algeria at 49% and Iraq at 41%.

Western Europe also saw no difference – the only

region to do so – with 52% of recipients feeling the

world would remain the same. However, the split is

much closer in the USA with 41% thinking the world

would be a better place with more women in politics

and 42% believing there would be no change.

The US is considered to be the greatest threat to

world peace according to 24% of respondents

globally, in South Africa 18% held this perception. The

US was followed by Pakistan (8%), China (6%), North

Korea, Israel and Iran (5%). Respondents in Russia

(54%), China (49%) and Bosnia (49%) were the most

fearful of the US as a threat. Morocco (45%) and Iraq

 A third of the world wants more female

 politicians

Over 33.3% of those surveyed globally believe the world would be a better place if there

were more female politicians. Ask Afrika reveals the results of the WIN/Gallup Interna-tional’s annual global End of Year survey, which explores the outlook, expectations, hopes

and fears of people from 65 countries around the world. The global poll addressed the

topic of politics, with one specific question asking respondents whether the world would

be a better place if politicians were predominantly women. On a global scale, 34% think 

the world would indeed be a better place while 41% think there would be no difference,

and only 17% believe it would be worse.

www.askafrika.co.zaSmart Data for Smarter DecisionsTM

OFF THE PRESS - 29 January 2014

55% of South Africans thinkfemale politicians will have

a positive impact 

 Andrea Rademeyer,CEO & Founder, Ask Afrika

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www.askafrika.co.za

OFF THE PRESS

(24%) classed Israel as the biggest threat. Kenya

feared Somalia the most (43%). US respondents are

most fearful of Iran (20%), while in Canada the

biggest threat is also perceived to be Iran (17%).

Paradoxically, even though the US is considered to

be the greatest threat to world peace it is still the

most desired country to live in. This could show that

for many of the people surveyed across the globe it

appears that the notion of the ‘American Dream’ is

still alive. After the US, Canada and Australia are the

countries where most people would like to live if they

could.

The results of this year’s survey show that the majority

of people (38%) are happy to live where they cur-

rently reside. This figure is matched by those in the

Western Europe region where 38% would choose to

live where they currently live, with 36% of the UK pop-

ulation opting to stay in the country and a substan-

tial 66% of Australia respondents answering that they

would not consider relocating. Overall, those in the

MENA (47%) and Americas (46%) regions are mostlikely to stay where they currently live.

For those who would like to move, the survey high-

lights that the USA (9% of respondents) is the most

desirable destination, with Canada and Australia

 jointly being second choice (7%) and Switzerland

third (6%). Only 4% of the world’s population would

like to live in the UK, a figure common to other Euro-

pean countries including Spain, France and Italy.

Since the WIN/Gallup International End of Year Sur-

vey began in 1977, people’s outlook on economic

prosperity for the coming year can be divided into

two camps. Between 1977 and 1988, people were

generally pessimistic about the coming year with the

net response (percentage of those who thought the

following year would be better minus those who

thought it would be worse) being negative. How-

ever, in the subsequent period when the question

was asked the outlook has been more positive,

peaking in 2005 at +21%, and in recent years being

+7% in 2012 and +2% in 2013.

The global barometer of hope and despair is an an-

nual tradition initiated by and designed under the

chairmanship of Dr George Gallup in 1977. It is con-

ducted every year since then. This year it was carried

out by associates of WIN-Gallup International in

65 countries around the world.

The US is considered to

be the greatest threat toworld peace according

to 24% of respondents

globally, in South Africa

18% held this perception.