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On the occasion of the 2014 International Women’s Day, International IDEA joins the rest of the world in awareness raising and celebrating women with the theme Empowering change and action. For International IDEA this presents an opportunity to salute all women across the world for defending the rights of women in all spheres of life and the implementation of empowering change and actions. Though yet again we celebrate women of the world in the context of unmet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - and in particular MDG 3 on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme – Equality for Women is Progress for All – states a simple truth.  No country will reach its full potential if its female citizens do not enjoy full equality.  As the 2015 end date of the Millennium Development Goals nears, and as discussion on the next global development agenda intensifies, there is strong momentum for achieving development with equity, including by eradicating gender inequality and empowering women and girls.

A one point five percentage point (1.5) increase in 2013 of the global average of women members of parliament (MPs) marks a significant and encouraging trend that could lead to gender parity within 20 years if fully capitalized upon, says the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Nepali women had much to be proud of as 172 of them were seated in the country’s newest Constituent Assembly on Jan. 22. They filled almost 30 percent of the 575 seats that were contested during parliamentary elections last fall, despite the decision by a group of party elders to reduce the assembly’s women’s quota by 66 seats to 22 percent.

In addition to traditional lawmaking, this Constituent Assembly is also tasked with drafting Nepal’s new constitution, making the presence of the women especially important.

Tunisia’s new Constitution has captured international headlines. It enshrines many rights for women and is step in the right direction, according to many Tunisians. 

Mexican MPs and experts have called on the need to push forward a gender-sensitive parliament as a key step in advancing towards equality between men and women in society at lar

The new Constitution of Tunisia was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the country’s National Constituent Assembly on Sunday evening, January 26 2014, and signed and promulgated in a ceremony at the Assembly on January 27 2014. It is a historic moment for Tunisia; the country’s first democratic constitution, and a particularly significant event for Tunisian women.