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Women's Leadership

It’s the final day at The Campaign School at Yale (TCS), and in Room 127 at Yale Law School, students are presenting their case studies on a simulated race for attorney general in Pennsylvania. The case studies are the culmination of a week of intensive training, and a panel of veteran political advisers are judging the students’ presentations.

The judges left no element overlooked. They grilled one team on the details of their advertising plan, which included weekend radio ads in the Erie market to reach people driving to outdoor activities like fishing.

Click here to read the full article published by Yale Law School on 12 July 2023.

Marion Kamara stepped out of the black gates of her compound, high on a hill in the Devil Hole area southwest of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.

With friends and supporters behind her, she carefully made her way down the rocky and muddy slope towards the secondary school she used to work in.

Kamara had made this journey many times before, but now she was a candidate for parliament. In her white skirt and matching peplum-style top dotted with sequins, along with bright red glasses and lipstick, she was immediately noticeable. Neighbours and wellwishers greeted her as she passed. Some asked for photographs.

Click here to read the full article published by The Irish Times on 10 July 2023.

The Provincial Assembly of Sindh, in collaboration with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), organised a roundtable discussion on electoral reforms in Karachi on Wednesday. The event was held with the support of UN-Women Pakistan and UNDP.

Distinguished guests, including Ms. Rehana Laghari, deputy speaker of the provincial assembly, Dr Shahida Rehmani, secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Ms. Mahnaz Akbar Aziz, parliamentary secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Dr Nafisa Shah, former secretary Caucus, and Senator Rubina Khalid, among other dignitaries, graced the occasion with their presence, said a statement.

Click here to read the full article published by The News on 6 July 2023.

Despite efforts to mobilise and encourage women to participate in politics, particularly during this year’s forthcoming election, there are concerns tat the ratio of females taking part in political processes remains low when compared to men.

Zimbabwe is set to hold its harmonsied election on August 23, and the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) chief executive officer, Ms Samukeliso Khumalo, says it is worrying that the number of women who are participating is not equal to their male counterparts.

Click here to read the full article published by Chronicle on 6 July 2023.

At the opening ceremony, Madi Jobarteh, country director of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, extended hearty congratulation to all the mayors, chairpersons and councilors on their election.

“Your election into office comes with huge expectation from your people and a tremendous responsibility from your positions that you would serve effectively, diligently, and conscientiously to significantly change the lives of your people for the better. At Westminster Foundation for Democracy, we firmly believe that only strong democracies can deliver prosperity, guarantee human security and durable peace, and ensure people live in dignity and are free from fear and want.”

Click here to read the full article published by The Point on 6 July 2023.



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I have been at UNDP for one year as part of the African Young Women Leaders (AfYWL) Fellowship. The AfYWL is a partnership between the African Union Commission and UNDP and works to enhance women’s representation in public and private institutions. The fellowship equips young African women leaders with the skills and experience required to advance the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the blueprint for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse of the future. Unfortunately, this critical ambition makes little impact if the challenges to women’s political participation around the world are not addressed.

Click here to read the full article published by UNDP on 5 July 2023.

Women are often dynamic leaders of change, galvanizing women and men to get involved, claim their rights, strengthen their communities and protect their planet. Their participation is fundamental to democratic governance. Yet women still have far to go towards equal representation in positions of power and leadership, whether in corporate boardrooms or presidential cabinets.

Discriminatory laws and practices hold women back, as do limits on education, income and time away from caregiving. Just over 21 per cent of parliamentarians are women, up from around 11 per cent when the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women took place in 1995. While women have made inroads in many areas, at the current pace of change, we won’t see gender parity in governments, parliaments or peace tables until the next century.

The Beijing conference agreement, known as the Platform for Action, dubbed women in power and decision-making one of 12 critical areas of concern. It made two essential commitments to change. First, it called for measures ensuring women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making. Political quotas or positive measures are examples of these. By reserving seats or candidacies for women, they have driven dramatic increases in the number of women leaders in some countries. Second, the Platform urged steps to increase women’s ability to participate. Training on leadership, public speaking and political campaigning, for instance, grooms women to compete, win and be good leaders who can inspire others.

Women have a right to equal participation. Once in leadership roles, they can make a difference that benefits whole societies. The Inter-Parliamentary Union has found that women politicians give more attention to social welfare and legal protections, and improve trust. Taking up the Beijing commitments and rallying around women’s leadership could accelerate progress towards equal participation—right now. We can’t wait until the next century!  

Upcoming Event:

Regional Dialogue on Advancing Transformative Gender Social Norms to Enhance Women and Youth Participation

The main purpose of the Regional Dialogue is to promote transformative gender norms by addressing the root causes of inequality and transforming the underlying social, legal, and economic structures…

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National Intergenerational Dialogue on Advancing Youth Participation and Representation in Leadership and Decision-Making
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