Advocacy & Development
THE African Academy for Women in Political Leadership was formally launched recently in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, with an inaugural cohort of 40 women from Africa and the Caribbean.
The leadership academy was inaugurated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission and the African Women Leaders Network, in partnership with the African School of Governance (ASG).
The first cohort includes ministers, legislators, mayors, and party leaders, according to the ASG, one of the event organisers.
Speaking at the ceremony, Jide Okeke, Director of the Regional Programme for Africa at UNDP, said that the inaugural cohort should recognise that true leadership is measured not only by how far individuals advance, but also by how many women they empower and bring along with them.
Former African Union special envoy on Women, Peace and Security Bineta Diop, said Africa has never lacked capable women leaders.
According to her, what has often been missing is an ecosystem that intentionally prepares mentors, accompanies, and supports women throughout their leadership journey.
She added that the academy is a continental platform to equip, mentor, and accompany Africa’s next generation of women leaders, building the partnerships, sisterhood and support systems.
This she said needed to strengthen governance, advance peace, and accelerate sustainable development across the continent.
The ASG said in a statement that participants will engage with modules, including political leadership and governance, strategic communications, coalition-building, legislative processes, campaign financing, and ethical leadership.
The academy is a four-week blended programme combining virtual learning modules with a residential convening. The learners have been selected through a merit-based, open nomination process.(Xinhua/NAN)
The European Union Ambassador to the African Union, H.E. Mr. Javier Niño Pérez, joined African leaders, youth delegates and women peacebuilders in Bujumbura, Burundi for the 5th African Union Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Held under the high patronage of H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, the Dialogue coincides with the 2026 International Youth Day celebrations (Watch the video on our X/ Facebook / Instagram / YouTube) and the 20th anniversary of the African Youth Charter—a milestone that provides an opportunity to reflect on two decades of progress and reaffirm commitments to Africa’s young people.
Officially launched in Yambio on 8 July, two new peacebuilding initiatives are bringing together the Government of South Sudan, UNESCO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Women to expand opportunities for women and young people to become leaders of peace in their communities. The projects are funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), with complementary parallel financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Over the next three years, the initiatives will invest in leadership, skills development, livelihood opportunities, digital empowerment and community dialogue, helping women and young people build resilience, counter misinformation and hate speech, and contribute to peaceful and inclusive communities.
The event is part of the project "Strengthening Democratic and Effective Governance and a More Participatory Citizenship in the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca", implemented by International IDEA with funding from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
The dialogue brought together Elena Cruz Guerra, General Chief of the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca; Roberto Archibold, member of the National Assembly; and women leaders from communities across the region. International IDEA was represented by Alicia del Águila, Programme Manager in Panama, and Susana Araúz, Project Associate.
During the session, Alicia del Águila presented findings from preliminary consultations conducted in Chiriquí Grande, Bocas del Toro. The discussions examined key barriers and challenges that continue to limit women’s full exercise of their rights and participation in political and public life in the comarca, Panama, and Latin America more broadly.
The dialogue was opened by Ngäbe-Buglé leader Toribia Venado, who emphasized the importance of achieving fair, effective, and equal representation of women in decision-making spaces. Participants then worked in groups to develop concrete recommendations aimed at promoting gender parity and increasing women’s representation in the comarca’s governance structures.
39 media professionals/journalists, 32 women and 7 men in positions such as chief editors, publishers, executive directors of media organisations, media associations leaders, political reporters, gender editors, senior reporters, news anchors, broadcasters, and communications specialists, representing both national and regional media outlets, across 23 countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in Africa and Asia participated at the Seminar convened in Kigali, Rwanda. The Media Seminar was conceptualised in recognition of the critical role of the media in challenging stereotypes and discriminatory social norms, influencing/shaping public opinion and advocating for gender equality and advancing women/youth participation and representation in politics, leadership and decision making at all levels.
Vincent Laporte, Head of Cooperation a.i. European Union Delegation to Rwanda reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to democracy, human rights, gender equality and inclusion. He highlighted the significance of the seminar as a platform not only for dialogue but also for collaboration among media professionals across Africa and Asia, emphasising the co-creation of a practical Media Guide as a key outcome of the seminar. He noted that the diversity of participants reflected a shared commitment to advancing inclusive political processes and linked the seminar’s objectives to the European Commission’s Roadmap for Women’s Rights, adopted in 2025, which seeks to address structural barriers and harmful social norms. He further stressed that political will, accountability and collaboration are essential for achieving lasting change and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment, through the WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative, to strengthening the meaningful leadership, participation and representation of women and youth.
Tikikel Tadele Alemu, Officer in Charge UN Women Rwanda highlighted that transforming discriminatory gender social norms remains a shared priority among all WYDE Women’s Leadership partners. She emphasised that inclusive democracies require the active participation of all members of society and confirmed the unique role of the media in shaping public attitudes towards leadership, participation and power. Referring to findings from the Global Media Monitoring Project, she noted that women account for only 26% of news subjects and sources globally, while only 2% of media stories actively challenge gender stereotypes. She stressed that media engagement must be intentional, as every editorial decision, interview and headline can either reinforce harmful stereotypes or contribute to more equitable and representative societies. She called on journalists to use their influence to amplify women’s voices, challenge harmful narratives and strengthen democratic participation, reiterating that gender equality is everyone’s business.
According to the WYDE | Women’s Leadership: Strategy on Social Norms Change, social norms impose universal barriers to women’s leadership and decision-making at all levels, from households and communities to local, regional, and national governments, as well as parliaments. The seminar featured an Access–Participation–Representation–Transformation (APRT) approach to examine how media narratives influence women’s and young people’s political participation and leadership opportunities at national, regional and global levels. Participants explored how media coverage can either reinforce or transform discriminatory social norms and narratives by shaping perceptions of leadership, power and decision making.
A key output of the seminar was the cocreation and validation of a Media Guide for Gender Transformative reporting. Drawing on experiences and perspectives from participants across Africa and Asia, the Guide is being developed as an adaptable resource to support journalists/ media professionals in challenging discriminatory narratives, promoting inclusive and representative reporting, amplifying diverse voices and addressing issues such as violence against women in politics, including technology facilitated gender based violence.
Discussions further recognised that transforming gender social norms requires coordinated action across the broader media ecosystem, leading participants to identify key stakeholder groups such as religious, spiritual and traditional leaders, content producers and norm influencers whose complementary roles are critical to driving and sustaining meaningful change.
Participants identified several practical measures to strengthen the Media Guide and support its application in everyday journalistic practice. Key recommendations included the development of a searchable database of women to facilitate balanced news sources; practical newsroom tools such as gender-sensitive reporting checklists, case studies and interview guidance; and resources to address emerging digital challenges, including AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes, online harassment and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Participants also highlighted the importance of monitoring and accountability mechanisms, such as media gender assessments and source-tracking tools, and emphasized that gender transformative reporting should assess how men and masculinities are portrayed, highlight men's positive role in challenging harmful gender social norms while keeping women's voices and leadership at the centre. Building on these recommendations, participants agreed to pilot and disseminate the Media Guide within their respective countries and media organisations when it is published. The Right Her Story Stories of Change will feature and document reporting on gender equality and the empowerment of women and youth participation and representation in politics, leadership and decision-making.
Electoral Quotas in Bolivia
Electoral quotas are most commonly associated with increasing women’s political participation. However, some countries have also used electoral reforms to improve the representation of Indigenous peoples. Bolivia is a prime example. Although Indigenous peoples make up around half of the population in Bolivia, they have historically faced political exclusion, discrimination and disproportionately high poverty rates.
While political representation alone cannot eliminate poverty, Bolivia’s reforms have helped create more inclusive institutions that support Indigenous communities. Alongside the efforts of organizations such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and development partners like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), these reforms have contributed to stronger land rights, expanded public services and greater opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in decisions that affect their futures.
Poverty in Bolivia
Although Indigenous peoples make up a significant share of Bolivia’s population, they have historically experienced higher levels of poverty than the national average. According to the World Bank, rural areas where Indigenous populations are disproportionately concentrated recorded a moderate poverty rate of 77.3% and an extreme poverty rate of 63.9% in 2007. These communities have also faced longstanding barriers to accessing quality education, health care and other public services.
Indigenous political representation in Bolivia can help address these disparities by giving Indigenous communities a stronger voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods. This can contribute to policies that expand public services, strengthen land rights and improve economic opportunities. More inclusive political institutions can support policies that expand access to public services, protect land rights and promote economic opportunities in historically marginalized communities.
With Victorian council elections to be held in October, the state government’s target of reaching 50-50 gender representation at the local level is under threat.
While the state achieved a record 43.8% of women elected to councils in 2020, outperforming most federal and state parliaments, and succeeded in achieving gender parity in 47 out of 76 councils, the overall 50-50 gender representation target by 2025 will still be difficult to reach.
Globally, gender quotas have been a tried and tested way of lifting women’s political representation. But research also shows quotas can divide public opinion, and they work better in some contexts than others. With this in mind, we wanted to test alternative measures to support women in politics, which also attract public support.
Click here to read the full article published by The Conversation on 8 February 2024.
Image source: The Conversation
Abstract
Violence against women politicians is increasingly recognized as an issue that undermines women's presence in politics. Latin America has been at the vanguard of this global discussion. In 2012, Bolivia became the only country in the world to criminalize “political violence and harassment against women.” Several other countries have similar legislation in the works. What explains the emergence of these bill proposals? This article argues that the creation of these bills is the result of three processes: activism at the local level used international norms to propose an innovative solution to a problem; women politicians and “femocrats” worked within the state apparatus to overcome resistance; and international actors worked to foster connections among activists and politicians across the region. In this process, international norms have been transformed, with important implications for women's political representation.
Click here to read the full article published by the Cambridge University Press on 27 July 2020.
Image by Cambridge University Press
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Today, we announced the release of our new report, The State of Women: 2023 Multiplier Report and Roadmap, a comprehensive report drawing on insights from extensive data gathered from a wide-ranging network of women nationwide. Utilizing data collected from She Should Run participants and research conducted between 2020 and 2023, we found that most women—across demographics and ideologies—need multiple points and types of encouragement over several years in order to consider running for office.
Click here to read the full report published by She Should Run on 6 November 2023.
The 2023 edition of the global Women Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) scores and ranks 177 countries in terms of women’s inclusion, justice, and security.
No country performs perfectly on the WPS Index and the results reveal wide disparities across countries, regions, and indicators. The WPS Index offers a tool for identifying where resources and accountability are needed most to advance women’s status - which benefits us all.
The WPS Index is published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Click here to read the full report published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security on 26 October 2023.
Nearly a quarter of a century after the adoption by the Security Council of its resolution 1325 (2000), women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in building peace should be the norm, not an aspiration or an afterthought, but the data show that this is far from being a reality. In peace processes, negotiating parties continue to regularly exclude women, and impunity for atrocities against women and girls is still prevalent. Women continue to face entrenched barriers to direct participation in peace and political processes, and women’s organizations struggle to find resources, while military spending continues to grow every year. This remains the case even though there is ample evidence that women’s participation contributes to more robust democracies and longer-lasting peace.
Click here to read the full report published by Relief Web on 24 October 2023.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today considered the combined seventh to tenth periodic report of Nicaragua in the absence of a delegation.
Committee Experts raised questions on the treatment of women human rights defenders in Nicaragua, and the lack of sufficient health services for women, among other issues.
Click here to read the full report published by the United Nations News on 23 October 2023.