Parliaments & Representatives
A member of the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) Parliament has called for the full implementation of the 30% women representation at the regional body as enacted in the Supplementary Act on Enhancement of the Powers
The call is coming ahead of the symposium of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) on Wednesday, October 2.
The Nigerian parliamentarian, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo made the call on the sidelines of the ongoing Third Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament (Sixth Legislature) in Lome, Togo.
Harry-Banigo stressed the need for the regional body to mount pressure or sanction member states that failed to comply with the Act.
The Act requires each Member State to ensure that at least 30% of its parliamentary delegation is composed of women.
She said: “Each of the countries sends a list of representatives from their various parliaments to the ECOWAS Parliament and it is mandatory that 30% of the nominations from the national parliaments must be women,” adding that the list from member states must include the youth and people with disabilities.
Read here the full article published by The Nation on 1 October 2024.
Image by The Nation
Women MPs in London have made history after the region became the first to have a majority female representation in Parliament.
A new analysis by the Commons Library highlighted this regional milestone in making Parliament more representative of the country at large.
It states “Over half (51 per cent) London MPs are women, the only UK country or region where this is the case.”
This is the first time that this gender balance has happened.
Florence Eshalomi, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on London, told The Standard: “At a time when so many people are sceptical about politics, it is crucial that politicians reflect the society we represent.
“I’m proud to be part of this history and to inspire the next generation of young women and girls to see themselves as leaders.”
The Vauxhall and Camberwell Green Labour MP added: “Diversity is our greatest strength in politics, and as a Londoner I’m proud that our city is leading the way on this.”
At the General Election, Labour gained seven seats in London to increase its tally to 59, the Liberal Democrats were up three to six, Jeremy Corbyn won in Islington North as an Independent, beating Labour, and the Tories lost 11 to go down to nine.
Read here the full article published by The Standard on 14 October 2024.
Image by The Standard
Women are leaving Quebec politics not because of sexism or double standards or a lack of work-family balance, but because they feel underused in the process of government, according to a survey of 21 women who served in public life.
The study, titled Pourquoi les femmes quittent-elles la politique? (Why do women leave politics?) was conducted by author and historian Alexandre Dumas for the women’s committee of the Cercle des ex-parlementaires de l’Assemblée nationale after a wave of departures of women from politics in 2022.
The most common message conveyed by the interviews was that women feel they are no more than “potted plants” (plante verte) in the political process, a description that echoes a complaint made by former CAQ-turned-Conservative MNA Claire Samson.
In her final press conference in June 2022, Samson raised eyebrows when she said MNAs were no more than “potted plants” and she had worked harder when she was a 17-year-old waitress at the Da Giovanni restaurant.
Read here the full article published by The Gazette on 11 October 2024.
Image credits: The Gazette
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
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Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
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The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
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Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
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Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
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Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
The event featured insightful discussions on gender equality and the importance of diverse representation in parliaments.
-
Opening Remarks: Ulrike Bahr and Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized the global landscape of gender and democracy, highlighting the need for diverse voices in representation and law-making to hold governments accountable.
-
The INTER PARES Handbook, "Beyond Numbers: Stories of Gender Equality in and through Parliaments," was launched to explore the landscape of gender-sensitive parliaments. It highlights real stories of change, emphasizing that small actions can lead to broader impacts. Key contributors include Leena Rikkila Tamang from International IDEA, Silvia Erzeel, and Petra Ahrens
-
Panel 1: Putting Gender on the Agenda: This panel focused on the role of critical actors in driving change and ensuring that gender issues are included in political debates. Speakers included Ulrike Bahr, Keiba Jacob Mottley, and Mihail Onea, who shared inspiring stories of advocating for women's interests and public engagement.
-
Panel 2: Revealing Invisible Gender Inequalities: Panelists discussed how data and gender-sensitive scrutiny can uncover hidden inequalities. Fuziah Salleh, Mariadele Cucinotta, and Phuntshok Chhoden highlighted the necessity of using rules and procedures to advance gender equality.
-
Panel 3: Diversity and Inclusion - Towards Impactful Youth Participation: This session explored how parliaments can better incorporate young people's views and ideas. Speakers Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Nicole Tepasse, Elaf AI-Najdafi, and Utaara Mootu discussed creating pathways for meaningful youth participation.
Overall, the event highlighted the vital role of gender-sensitive approaches in fostering inclusive and representative governance, demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant impacts over time.
Read here more about the event on 10 October 2024 by the Inter Pares Parliaments In Partnerships.
Abstract
This study draws together theories of women’s substantive representation and research on politicians’ knowledge of constituent preferences. We ask whether politicians are better at predicting their constituents’ policy preferences when they share the same gender. In doing so, we contribute to knowledge about the mechanisms underlying substantive representation. Using original surveys of 3,750 Canadians and 867 elected politicians, we test whether politicians correctly perceive gender gaps in their constituents’ policy preferences and whether women politicians are better at correctly identifying the policy preferences of women constituents. Contrary to expectations from previous research, we do not find elected women to be better at predicting the preferences of women constituents. Instead, we find that all politicians — regardless of their gender — perform better when predicting women’s policy preferences and worse when predicting men’s preferences. The gender of the constituent matters more than the gender of the politician.
Read here the full article published by the Cambridge University Press on 25 March 2024.
Image by Cambridge University Press
Women’s participation in politics is essential to advancing women’s rights and contributes to countries’ overall stability and economic prosperity. According to a 2023 report by UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, one-fourth of parliamentary positions worldwide are held by women. Although current representation is still far from equal, it represents a significant increase over the last 20 years.
However, a new paper from Washington University in St. Louis — published in the journal International Organization — shows that the progress women have made in politics is threatened when conflict strikes.
A team of WashU researchers led by Margit Tavits, the Dr. William Taussig Professor in Arts & Sciences, conducted an analysis of Ukrainian politicians’ engagement on social media in the months leading up to and after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine — a rare opportunity to observe the effect conflict has on politicians’ behavior in real time.
Their research provides evidence that violent conflict pushes politicians to conform more strongly with traditional gender stereotypes, so that men become more politically engaged than women, and politicians gravitate toward their respective gendered communication styles and issue spaces. They also show that gender biases among the public are magnified during war.
“Our findings suggest that women leaders’ voices may be drowned out by their male counterparts during conflict, which is troubling,” Tavits said. “We know that who engages, and how, in response to conflict can have significant consequences for how the conflict unfolds, how long it lasts, whose concerns are heard and represented and so on.”
Read here the full article published by the Washington University in St. Louis on 29 May 2024.
Image by Washington University in St. Louis
The IPU grew in 2023 with the accession of the parliaments of Liberia and the Bahamas, its 179th and 180th Members respectively, as well as many observers and partners signing up to join or rejoin our global parliamentary community.
Read here more highlights of the year in the Impact Report 2023 published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on March 2024.
It’s no secret that women have made unprecedented strides in seeking and attaining elected office over the last decade. Twenty-eight percent of elected officials in Congress are women (compared to 19 percent 10 years ago), nearly one-third of our state legislature seats are held by women, and we have our first-ever woman vice president.
But while more women are winning elected positions, the looming gender bias within our political system persists. And according to a number of women elected throughout various levels of government — it’s one hurdle to win an election, but quite another to thrive in office.
That was the consensus among more than 60 women across the political spectrum — including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego — who were interviewed for a year-long reporting project by Cosmopolitan, “How to Succeed in Office.” The report was produced in partnership with Melinda French Gates-founded Pivotal Ventures.
Read here the full article published by MSNBC News on 16 May 2024.
Image by MSNBC News
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Gendered disinformation is being used across Africa as a tactic to silence critics and exclude women from online civic discourses, new research shows.
A new book ‘Digital Disinformation in Africa: Hashtag Politics, Power and Propaganda’ explores this further. It is written by Nkem Agunwa, a digital campaigner focusing on human rights activism based in Nigeria and member of the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN), hosted by IDS.
In an unprecedented year for elections in Africa – with 17 countries heading to the polls, the fear is that digital disinformation poses a rising threat to women’s political participation.
The book references the 2016 study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union of female lawmakers globally which revealed that 41.8 per cent of participants said they have been subjected to degrading or sexual images of themselves being circulate on social media. While gendered disinformation is not new, digital technology allows for collective and coordinated anonymous targeting of people with disinformation. As a result, digital spaces across Africa are increasingly being used to manipulate the public and spread disinformation, or to harass and intimidate individuals, creating an atmosphere of fear and distrust.
Not only does gendered disinformation keep women from participating in democratic processes, but as the book details, it directly threatens the fight for gender equality and inclusivity across Africa.
Read here the full article published by the Institute of Development Studies on 10 May 2024.
Image by Skorzewiak via Shutterstock
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In recent years, the share of women in public office has surged.
*In 2000, just 65 women served in Congress. Today, the number is 151, more than a quarter of the total 535 voting members.
*Likewise at the state level, women now make up about a third of elected officials.
Yet despite these historic gains, women—who make up roughly half of the population—remain starkly underrepresented in government. And for women of color, the disparity is even greater.
No single factor created this gap, and no single change will fix it. But part of the problem is how campaigns are funded—and changing that will make a significant difference.
It’s expensive to run for office: Political ad spending in the 2024 election cycle is expected to exceed $16 billion. And the price of campaigning is a greater barrier for women, who typically have less access than men to the wealthy donors who provide most of this money.
Enter: public financing, a simple but powerful reform that uses public funds to boost small donations to candidates. It’s a policy that can help any candidate willing to engage with a broad base of voters—but some of its biggest beneficiaries are women, particularly women of color, who make up 25 percent of the country’s population but less than 10 percent of state and federal elected offices.
Read here the full article published by Ms. Magazine on 25 April 2024.
Image by Ms. Magazine
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