Advocacy & Lobbying

In a significant development, representatives from major political parties have unequivocally expressed their commitment to advancing women’s political participation.

Globally, approximately 736 million women — almost one in three — endure violence at least once in their life. The most prevalent form of violence against women globally is intimate partner violence (affecting around 641 million). However, this problem goes beyond interpersonal relationships and reaches into diverse environments, including online platforms.

Since 2005 UBCM has participated in international projects that support local government development through missions in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. With direction from UBCM Executive, UBCM is currently partnered with the Cambodian National League of Councils on a project to support women in local leadership. The program aims to support more women to get involved in local governance, as well as local governments' capacity to deliver inclusive, gender-responsive services.

There is increase in politically motivated violence against women in Zimbabwe, manifesting as rape and sexual assault, direct violence and hate speech, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (The Forum) has said.

The United Nations Women (UN Women) has called for an increase in women’s political participation in Nigeria.

Beatrice Eyong, UN Women representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), spoke on Tuesday at the national conference on women’s political participation in Nigeria.

The conference was organised in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) to assess women’s participation in the 2023 general election.

In any country, the political empowerment of women is generally possible with two routes — the first is to reserve seats for women in legislature by means of legislation and the second is to have provision for quotas for women candidates within political parties while nominating candidates. There are examples for both that have been adopted in various countries, in turn helping women’s political empowerment.

Suyen Barahona, as president of the Nicaraguan Unión Democrática Renovadora (UNAMOS), was kidnapped and sent to the country’s infamously grim El Chipote prison for 606 days. She was jailed solely for her political involvement and human rights activism, a victim of the crackdown carried out by President Daniel Ortega’s government prior to national elections. […]

KAMPALA – Activists have decried underlying factors that still pose a threat to the attained efforts in the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women in political, economic and social spheres.

During a media briefing on the state of women’s rights and gender equality in Uganda convened by the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), the Women’s Movement said that Uganda has enacted progressive legislation promoting gender equity and equality but women and girls are yet to achieve their full potential.