Advocacy and development are effective tools for gender advocates, male champions, civil society, and other stakeholders to hold leaders accountable to their commitments on concrete, measurable actions that guarantee women can fully and equally enjoy their rights. These include the ability to exercise freedom and choices, go to school, live free from violence, earn equal pay for equal work, and meaningfully engage in decision-making and political processes. Advocacy groups can collectively put pressure their leaders for legislative reforms to protect and promote women’s rights and concerns, which may require coalition-building, fundraising, civic education, awareness-raising and consensus-building on key issue platforms. Influencing legislation itself may require convince policy makers and legislators to address specific issues relevant to gender equality and women’s empowerment, which may involve introducing or revising legislation and policy.
Where VAWP remains sensitive or overlooked, advocacy can help bring the issue to the surface. In Indonesia, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus has taken this step through a public declaration condemning violence against women in politics and calling for stronger protections.
National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik attended a gathering of female lawmakers of the 22nd National Assembly at Sarangjae Hall on Tuesday, urging them to "open the path for women politicians even wider."
It is now five years since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan – the second time they seized power in the country.
They are mocked, they are dismissed with jokes, they are humiliated online with deepfakes – they even have their very lives threatened. And still, as the poet Maya Angelou said, they rise. In this episode, Politically Aweh honours the fearless women of South African political life.
Half a decade after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has systematically dismantled the rights of half its population, making it a global outlier with no parallel in the modern world.
The event featured testimonies from young leaders, interactive discussions, and a showcase of impactful initiatives spanning mental health, arts, social inclusion and cultural heritage.
