Partner News

UNDP and Sweden support awareness-raising among first-time voters.

The upcoming parliamentary elections offer Georgia a chance to vote more women into office, overcoming a long-standing gender disparity in political representation. In support of greater openness to women in politics, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Sweden are assisting civil society activists in Georgia’s regions to educate first-time voters about democratic elections and gender equality.

Women's rights groups, prominent businesswomen and female politicians in Somalia are urging the country's male-dominated parliament to pass a bill reserving 30 per cent of seats for women in next year's general election.

Women hold 24 per cent of the 329 seats in Somalia's lower and upper houses of parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), up from 14 per cent in the previous election.

On 12 August, International Youth Day 2020, the IPU celebrates the 10th anniversary of its resolution, Youth participation in the democratic process.

Identifying obstacles and focusing on long-term solutions to propose strategies for equal representation

Former minister Dasho Dorji Choden, the first female minister, addresses the challenges Bhutanese women politicians face before her fellow participants during the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus orientation workshop held in Paro in November 2019.

Creating women’s wings within political parties allows women greater influence over policymaking

Nang Tin Shwe Oo is a member of the Pa’O National Organization (PNO), an ethnic political party from the Pa’O region in Myanmar’s Shan State. The PNO is one of 41 political parties in the country that has created a women’s wing with support and training through the European Union-funded ‘Support to Electoral Processes and Democracy (STEP Democracy)’ programme in Myanmar.

Pushing gender parity and youth participation to the forefront of the political agenda

Removing the remaining barriers to women’s political participation through trainings in media relations, electoral management and strategic planning.

At 36 per cent, Tunisia has the highest proportion of female representatives in parliament in the Arab world and ranks 30th among the world’s democracies. Despite great success in achieving greater representation for Tunisian women in politics, many women report challenges associated with taking part in all aspects of political life.

New York — UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors American actor Connie Britton, Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Nigerian musician Yemi Alade participated this week in thought-provoking conversations organized by the SDG Action Zone - an innovative space held during the United Nations General Assembly. The three advocates shared personal experiences and perspectives on the pandemic, focusing on the environment, women’s empowerment and the need to rebuild an economy that is green and equitable.

A quarter of a century after the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the overall percentage of women in parliaments has reached 24.9 per cent in 2020, up from 11.3 per cent in 1995. In four countries (Rwanda, Cuba, Bolivia and the United Arab Emirates) women now account for 50 per cent or more MPs in their lower or single chambers compared with 1995 when no parliament had reached gender parity. Gender quotas remain critical success factors for women to be better represented in parliament, especially young women.