| Activist:
someone who does things to bring about political or social changes |
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| ANC:
African National Congress, an African liberation movement which
focused on the interests of Black and minority peoples in South
Africa |
|
| Aggressive:
behave in a forceful or angry way which can make others feel
threatened |
|
| Apartheid:
a political system in which people of different races are kept
apart by Law |
|
| Articulate:
able to express yourself well and clearly |
|
| Assassinate:
to murder someone as a political act |
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| Brutalised:
if someone is brutalised by an experience, it can make them
cruel or violent |
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| Cabinet:
group of the most senior ministers in a government |
|
| Campaign:
a set of activities planned to achieve something like social
or political change |
|
| Candidate:
someone being considered for a job or post |
|
| Categorise:
to divide people into sets according to your view of them |
|
| Cliché:
an idea or phrase which has been over-used so it no longer has
any effect |
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| Coalition:
a group consisting of people from different political or social
groups who are co-operating |
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| Commissioner:
important official in the Commission or organisation |
|
| Common
touch: able to relate well to ordinary people |
|
| Compromise:
an agreement in which people agree to accept less than they
originally wanted |
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| Consensus:
general agreement amongst a group of people |
|
| Constituency:
an area for which someone is elected as a representative in
parliament |
|
| Delegation:
group of people chosen to represent a larger group of people |
|
| Destiny:
the force which some people believe controls the things that
happen to you |
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| Discrimination:
the practice of treating one person/group of people less well
or fairly than other people or groups |
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| Dynasty:
series of rulers of a country who are all part of the same family |
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| Elite:
group of the most powerful, rich or talented people in society |
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| Empowerment:
to have the power or authority to do something |
|
| Fumble:
here: to try to find your way when you're inexperienced- if
you fumble with something, you handle it clumsily |
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| Gender:
characteristic of being male or female |
|
| Glass
ceiling: the invisible "roof" which prevents women from
gaining higher or more powerful positions |
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| grassroots:
the ordinary people, rather than the leaders |
|
| House
arrest: if someone is under house arrest, they are not
allowed to leave their home - a kind of punishment |
|
| Humanitarian:
someone or something which tries to avoid making people suffer |
|
| Legalise:
if something is legalised, a law is passed that makes it legal |
|
| Martial
law: law administered by military forces in an emergency |
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| Mná
na hÉireann: the women of Ireland (Gaelic) |
|
| Networking:
the practice of meeting other people involved in the same kind
of work, to share information and support each other |
|
| Outspoken:
to give opinions openly, not concerned if those views shock
people |
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| Pacesetters:
people who set the pace - the first to achieve something |
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| Parameters:
factors or limits which affect the way something is done or
made |
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| Participate:
take part in something, in an activity |
|
| Patriarchal:
society or system in which men have all or most of the power
and importanc |
|
| Queen
Bee syndrome: women who try to keep all the power to
themselves and don't help other |
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| Quotas:
a fixed proportion of people from certain groups (ie women)
who are permitted to do something (such as enter government) |
|
| Resistance:
the act of fighting for what you believe in |
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| Role
Model: a person whose behaviour you admire and may copy
or use as inspiration, who sets an example for others through
their achievement |
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| Reshuffle:
reorganisation of people and their roles especially in government
|
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| Senate:
the smaller and more important of two councils in the government
of some countries |
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| solitary
confinement: when you are held in prison separately from
other prisoners |
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| Stereotype:
if you stereotype someone you form a fixed idea of them and
assume they will behave in that way |
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| Streetfighter:
literally someone who fights on the streets, meaning someone
who is not afraid to take their political battles "to the streets" |
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| Suffrage:
the right to vote for a government or national leader |
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| throw
your hat in the ring: indicate your willingness to take
up a particular challenge |
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| Usurp:
if you usurp someone's title or position, you take it from them
when you have no right to do so |
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| Vindicate:
when someone is vindicated, their ideas or actions are proved
right or worthwhile |
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| wheeler
dealing: a kind of networking associated with men trying
to get what they want (for example meeting up in a bar after
work to make deals) |
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