Youth

“Let us turn these experiences into guidance, transforming barriers into bridges,” urged Ms. Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka, IPU Vice-President, in her opening address at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held on 19–23 October 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. She highlighted how women, youth, and other marginalized groups continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and structural obstacles, and emphasized that their lived experiences can inform the creation of more inclusive and effective political systems.

These themes resonated throughout the Assembly, shaping discussions across the Standing Committees on Peace and International Security, Sustainable Development, Democracy and Human Rights, and United Nations Affairs. The Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law also engaged with these issues, particularly during its open session on safeguarding humanitarian action in times of armed conflict.

The Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians advanced these conversations further through focused sessions on transforming social norms to promote and ensure the meaningful participation and representation of women in politics. The outcomes of these sessions were incorporated into the Assembly’s broader work on leadership transformation and the parity debate, featuring men and women MPs advocating for gender equality.

Together, the Vice-President’s remarks and the deliberations across these bodies set the tone for five days of dialogue centred on women’s empowerment, youth inclusion, intersectional equality[1], and the broader goal of building political systems that leave no one behind.

Ms. Morawska-Stanecka also reaffirmed the IPU’s commitment to inclusive representation and participation, recalling General Recommendation #4 on the Equity and Inclusive Representation of Women in Decision-Making and referencing the Plan of Action for Parity in Parliament, adopted earlier this year at the Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians in Mexico. She expressed hope that the IPU Governing Council would soon adopt this plan to ensure that gender equality remains central to political participation worldwide. She also introduced the new IPU campaign, “Achieving Gender Equality: Action by Action,” designed to translate high-level commitments into meaningful, measurable progress for women and girls.

As part of the Assembly’s commitment to inclusive representation, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians focused on empowerment and advocacy initiatives to strengthen the meaningful participation and representation of women in politics. The session provided an opportunity to review progress, identify persistent gaps, and share good practices from across regions. Delegates heard testimonies highlighting ongoing harassment, institutional sexism, and the rise of online gender-based violence targeting women in politics. Speakers noted that such attacks, including trolling, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and threats of physical harm, are increasingly used to silence women leaders and discourage their active participation in public life.

Special emphasis was placed on GBV in the Asia-Pacific region, where many women parliamentarians report facing higher levels of digital hate, culturally driven stigma, and limited institutional protection. Delegates also explored collaborative initiatives with UN Women and the Government of Australia on e-safety training, self-protection protocols, secure communication practices, and digital defense strategies that help women legislators respond to online abuse while maintaining their public roles.

The Assembly underscored that these tools and trainings must be tailored to the real, lived needs of women lawmakers particularly those from marginalized communities or working in polarized political environments who are often the most frequent targets of online attacks. Participants were encouraged to consult the IPU’s report on sexism and violence against women in parliaments in Asia, which documents patterns of abuse and provides concrete recommendations for institutional reform, with similar studies planned for the Americas and the Caribbean to strengthen evidence-based responses globally.

2025 marks significant milestones for the global women’s movement: the 15th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, 25 years of the UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, and the 40th anniversary of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians. Yet discussions revealed worrying trends: global progress in women’s parliamentary representation is stagnating, and in some cases, rolling back. The Plan of Action for Parity in Parliament seeks to address these trends through concrete measures, monitoring, and regional collaboration, with the next Women Parliamentarians’ Conference scheduled in Serbia.

The Assembly also featured two side-event consultations on social norms under the EU-funded WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative. These discussions centred on transforming harmful gender norms, including the pervasive belief that “men must dominate and women must serve.” Participants examined the role of technology facilitated gender-based violence and discrimination, stressing that genuine transformation requires not only legal reforms but also shifts in societal narratives and cultural practices.

A second consultation focused on women’s leadership, youth engagement, and intersectional inclusion. Discussants from Turkey and Switzerland highlighted the need to address intersectional discrimination, including barriers faced by women with disabilities, women of colour, and women navigating multiple forms of marginalization. Researchers present emphasized that inclusive parliaments are more stable, more legitimate, and better equipped to address issues that might otherwise be overlooked.

Across the sessions, several key recommendations emerged: adopting and implementing the IPU Plan of Action for Parity, institutionalizing intersectional equality including disability representation, combating online harassment with policy and training, mobilizing resources for women’s political participation, using parliamentary diplomacy to tackle gender injustices, and challenging harmful social norms through education, mentorship, and inclusion.

The 151st IPU Assembly was more than a meeting of policymakers, it was a renewed declaration of commitment. From Vice President Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka’s call to turn obstacles into bridges, to the lived experiences shared by MPs from every region, one message resounded clearly: gender equality is not merely a goal; it is the very foundation of democracy. The Assembly’s deliberations offered both inspiration and direction, charting a path toward a future in which women and youth are not only included in democratic life but shape and strengthen it as essential leaders.

INTRODUCTION

The Beijing Declaration in 1995 recognized that gender equality, inclusion and representation is essential to democracy. However, 30 years later, progress remains uneven and at risk, with a backlash against gender equality and democratic values threatening hard-won gains. The Report on Beijing30+ review meeting recognizes that the empowerment of women as leaders and decision-makers remains crucial to sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Furthermore, it affirms that Gender-balanced decision-making is integral to justice, effective governance, peace and human rights. Therefore, increasing women’s participation in leadership roles within political, public, and economic sectors is essential for inclusive societies, strengthening economies, and enriching the decision-making processes. Yet this recognition must be embedded in systems of change, legislations, social norms, and backed by a strong political will to enhance the role of women in politics. 

Building on the above context, this webinar series explored the challenges, opportunities, and future for women in politics, highlighting global trends in women's political participation over the past 30 years. The discussion was conducted in three languages (Arabic, English, and French) and was structured around the following key questions:

• History of the Beijing Platform for Action – Significance of the platform as a key moment in history that guided women’s equal representation and participation.

• How have indicators on gender equality changed over the last 30 years?

• How do we as development sector practitioners improve women’s political participation in the next decade? What steps must be taken today?

• Transforming Social Norms for sustainable change. Given the backsliding of democracy, the next decade demands a concerted effort by activists and advocates of gender equality – what steps are needed?

• Looking inwards, how can women-led movements organize better to have concrete impact in the next decade?

Speakers:

• Amanda Luz, Program Director, People Powered (Brazil)

• Anna Sande, Young Politician, Citizens Coalition for Change (Zimbabwe)

• Emma Meche, Youth Activist, Beijing+30 Youth Steering Committee (Albania)

The talk was moderated by Amna Syed, Project Coordinator, iKNOW Politics

Full report.

Full video.

When Emily Gardiner first started paying attention to politics, she was 15, just beginning high school in 2016. It was the start of the first Trump administration, a moment that politicized a lot of young Americans.

Now 23, Emily works as a library assistant in eastern Connecticut and is rewriting the second draft of her adult fantasy novel. She describes herself as “definitely leftist, not liberal”.

“I was raised by parents who were politically active,” Emily said, “but I think a lot of my views also come from being Indigenous. My community puts a lot of value in sovereignty.”

She adds: “I think for a lot of us who identify as leftist versus liberal, we feel that both the Democrats and the Republicans have kind of capitulated in a way to authoritarianism.” She believes billionaires have too much influence over the Democrats and that “liberals are a little bit less socially active, more prone toward centrism, willing to compromise their values”.

Full article here.

In her final speech as Wellington mayor, Tory Whanau spoke candidly about the relentless online abuse she faced during her term, much of it racist and sexist. None of it would have been reassuring for hopeful candidates waiting for the weekend’s results.

Whanau described how false sexual rumours and targeted harassment circulated on social media, and was then repeated by other councillors. The speech underscored the toll digital vitriol can take on those in political office.

Is this something newly elected local body politicians can expect, too? Likely so, and arguably it will be experienced differently depending on their ethnicity, sexuality and gender.

Full article here.

Reflections on the 11th IPU Global Conference for Young Parliamentarians

“Gender equality is most of all an issue of justice and democracy,” stated Nour Abu Ghosh, Member of Parliament in Jordan and the President of the IPU Bureau of Young Parliamentarians. Listening to her speech at the 11th Inter-Parliamentary Union Global Conference for Young Parliamentarians in Lima, we could not agree more: Social justice, equality, equity and sustainable development cannot be achieved without gender equality.

With this spirit under the theme of gender equality, the conference took place from 11-13 September in Peru’s capital. Over 200 participants, including 120 parliamentarians from 44 countries, gathered to reaffirm their commitment to gender equality, equity and parity, through inclusive and intergenerational collaboration. In addition to country delegations, attendees included representatives of the Government of Peru, including its former first female president, international organisations, civil society and experts, as well as Generation Equality Forum leaders, and women and youth leaders.

The outcome document celebrated that the average age of young parliamentarians at the conference was 34, and half of the participants were women, reaching parity for the first time ever. However, globally, the proportion of women in parliaments as a whole has regressed. According to IPU data, while women's representation among young parliamentarians under 30 is higher than in other age groups, only 27% of parliamentarians globally are women, and this proportion grew by only 0.3 percentage points last year. For young women, the situation is disturbingly worse: only 1.2% of the world’s parliamentarians are women aged 30 and under, a decrease of 0.2 points since 2023. This trend highlights that women’s representation remains limited, and progress is often slow and increasingly compromised by the rise of anti-rights and anti-gender movements worldwide.

Beyond limited representation, young women parliamentarians are disproportionately targeted, both online and offline. They face heightened levels of sexism, harassment, and violence. This includes coordinated online abuse, threats to their personal safety, and efforts to delegitimise their political credibility based on gender and age. These attacks are part of a broader pattern of gender-based political violence that undermines democratic processes and reinforces structural inequalities within political institutions. 

This is also confirmed by the Global Youth Participation Index (GYPI), according to which those countries with societal and systemic barriers, persistent gender inequality, and authoritarian governance tend to perform worse in overall rankings. The GYPI includes variables such as access to state jobs by gender; the Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) rates of female populations; the absence of early marriage and other indicators related to intersectionality. 

Cyber threats, misinformation, deepfakes, and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) were raised by several delegations as pressing challenges, especially in today’s context. AI is increasingly being used to manipulate public perception, with young women politicians often targeted the most. Delegations emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive responses, including regulatory frameworks, digital literacy efforts, and effective preventive mechanisms to address these evolving threats. #ShePersisted was presented as a crucial initiative that works to address gendered information attacks against women in politics and build digital resilience. Among other research projects, the “Monetizing Misogyny” series explores how digital harms are weaponised to undermine women’s political participation and to weaken democratic institutions and human rights. It also looks at the responsibilities of digital platforms and outlines the solutions needed to address this problem.

“Simply electing more women is not enough; we must also ensure parity in political leadership and influence, and apply equity criteria for access to the most influential committees, so that women and young people can overcome the structural barriers that have historically limited them.” IPU Outcome Document

Echoed in the conference report, questions of quota, parity and the distribution of power were actively discussed among delegations and the experts. Marianne Mikko, the Vice-Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (UN CEDAW Committee), emphasised the need to move beyond quotas and advocate for parity. While some delegations praised quotas as an important mechanism for ensuring women's political participation and pointed to the positive results achieved through their implementation, the need to continue advocating for full gender parity was also emphasised. In this context, reference was made to CEDAW General Recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, which calls for achieving parity, for example, through measures such as so-called “zebra lists”, which means alternating women and men on electoral lists. The outcome document also conveys the support expressed by delegations to the plan of action on gender parity in parliaments adopted at the Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians, as well as mobilisation of MPs, especially male MPs, through the “Achieving Gender Equality Action by Action” campaign. 

The attending delegations shared the progress achieved in their respective countries and reaffirmed their commitments to advancing gender equality. However, questions remain as to whether these commitments will translate into concrete actions or whether they will remain aspirational statements made in the context of the conference.

As the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Martin Chungong, mentioned in his opening remarks, we need an “all hands on deck approach.”So in order to overcome barriers, we need a multi-stakeholder, comprehensive and actionable approach. He emphasised the role of men in achieving gender equality, the importance of intergenerational dialogue and partnerships among various institutions and movements. This was further discussed at the WYDE (Women and Youth in Democratic Engagement) session on “Intergenerational Alliances for Gender Equality”, which included a moderated discussion with both senior and young MPs on how they can better collaborate to ensure intergenerational continuity and mobilisation to advance gender equality objectives.

Violence Against Women in Politics and specifically Technology-Facilitated Gender based violence, are key barriers to the advancement of gender equality. Here, the role of digital platforms that promote narratives of transformative change and inclusive democracies is critical. With a focus on fostering intergenerational dialogue, iKNOW Politicshas worked on the inclusion of women in politics and providing a one-stop shop for the critical knowledge needs of stakeholders working in the space of political inclusion and political empowerment for women since 2008. With the aim of spotlighting lived experiences, identifying joint solutions and creating a narrative of change, iKNOW politics works with networks of young women in politics to bring attention to the most pressing issues experienced by women in politics today. 

In a recent webinar on “Women’s Political Participation in the Digital Age”, experts agreed that both electoral commissions and political parties need to develop actionable policies and legal frameworks to support and protect female candidates. Furthermore, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) should raise awareness among their staff about the challenges faced by women in digital political spaces, collaborate with civil society organisations to better understand and address these challenges, and advocate for and participate in policy reforms to protect women online. 

Online abuse against women should be publicly condemned by political parties, and disciplinary action should be taken against perpetrators. Moreover, women’s rights organisations have a crucial role to play in advocating for stronger support for women in politics from political parties and electoral bodies. They should also push for digital literacy programs that incorporate a gender perspective. Digital platforms must implement and enforce gender-sensitive community guidelines to protect women in political spaces. Initiatives such as iKNOW Politics and the Global Youth Participation Index (GYPI) support developing evidence-based actions to tackle existing barriers for participation in politics, and beyond, particularly for young women. 

Authors: 

Ana Mosiashvili 

Ana Mosiashvili is a Research and Programme Manager at the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD). Ana coordinates the research pillar of the WYDE Civic Engagement project and leads the Global Youth Participation Index. 

Amna Syed 

Amna Syed is the Project Coordinator for iKNOW Politics under the WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative at International IDEA. Her work focuses on promoting inclusive political spaces and leveraging digital technology to advance gender-inclusive political participation and action.