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International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

International Women’s Day
40th Anniversary of CEDAW

Women’s leadership and the equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making are matters of human rights which are key elements of democracy and lasting peace, and prerequisites for achieving sustainable development.

Our societies will not enjoy human rights, peace, sustainable and inclusive development, if they are not grounded in effective gender parity, if they do not benefit from women’s leadership and the empowerment of women and girls as expressly recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Member States have demonstrated their political commitment to equal participation of women and men in public affairs and decision-making including by endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

Women’s participation and equal opportunities for leadership are at the center of the Member States commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 5. The Member States committed to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” They also agreed to “adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

In its landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the United Nations Security Council stressed the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement at all levels and in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union states that “the achievement of democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society”.

Significant progress has been made in terms of women’s political participation and leadership despite many difficulties and some setbacks. In 1995 the global proportion of women parliamentarians was 11.3 per cent and today, in a time of sweeping change and great challenges, it is 24.3 percent (plus 13 percentage points).

However, globally only 7.2 per cent of Heads of State and 5.7 per cent of Heads of Government are women, only 19.1 per cent of Speakers of parliament are women, and only 18.3 per cent of government ministers are women[1]. Various obstacles continue to hinder women’s equal participation and leadership in politics, including the lack of empowerment policies for women and girls, stereotyping, persistent discrimination against women in law and practice, harassment, intimidation and violence.

The 40th anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW is a unique occasion to draw the world’s attention to this stark reality. No time to waste. We need to garner our collective strength and efforts to reach parity in political leadership by 2030.

Recommendations

As consistently repeated by the CEDAW Committee, Member States must as a matter of priority and in line with Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implement strategies that will truly advance parity in politics in close cooperation with civil society organizations. Such strategies would include:

• Accelerating full compliance by States of their laws, rules and practices with international human rights obligations particularly in relation to the empowerment of women and young women.
• Embedding gender parity in constitutions and legal frameworks, and setting out in the legal framework a 50 per cent women’s representation in parliament and government as an objective to be reached by 2030.
• Adopting, reinforcing, implementing, and monitoring the necessary measures that have proved to be useful and successful in facilitating women’s access to elected office and to leadership positions, including electoral gender quotas.
• Ensuring an equal number of women and men in leadership positions in all governance bodies, through transparent and fair processes, such as dual leadership and gender rotation in leadership positions.
• Adopting legislation and policies to eliminate all forms of violence against women in politics and implementing capacity-building programmes for women activists, candidates, politicians and parliamentarians.
• Promoting new media strategies, including through social media, that promote women’s leadership and gender equality and that eliminate gender stereotypes.
• Having or reinforcing a gender equality perspective in education policies and all civic education activities for women and girls, and working towards closing the gender gap in educational opportunities, and bridging the digital divide.

Source: IPU.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

Women and girls are impatient for change, and it’s easy to understand why.
 
Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work.
 
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
 
Women account for just 24 percent of parliamentarians.
 
35 percent of women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
 
Clearly, we still have a long way to go, and we must be innovative in exploring new ways of working and thinking.
 
Transformative innovations don’t have to be costly or flashy. Simple technologies, local innovations, and new practices that shift social attitudes, norms or biases can also make a difference. Just consider the financial independence that mobile banking has given to countless women.
 
Yet, there is a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design.
 
We need women’s ideas, insights, and experiences to inform the design and implementation of these innovations so they meet women’s needs and truly leave no one behind. 
 
When women are left out of the conversation, they’re excluded from creating the innovations shaping our future.
 
The United Nations has a vital role to play, and at UNDP we have multiple initiatives to aid in this work.
 
The UNDP Innovation Facility has invested in over 140 groundbreaking experiments across 87 countries and territories. We have recently launched a new network of Accelerator Labs in 60 countries, to explore new partnerships and unconventional ideas to inspire change and create new opportunities that will benefit both women and men.
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, let us join forces in calling on industry leaders, game-changing start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and activists to help bridge the gender digital divide – to work together, to share their innovations and to remove barriers to women in order to accelerate progress towards true and universal gender equality.
 
Recognizing that innovation has played a key part in advancing gender equality, I urge the global community -  and commit UNDP - to further harness technology to improve the lives of women and girls by listening to them, by including them, by expanding their choices, and increasing investment in them.

Source: UNDP.

According to the IPU’s yearly analysis, the share of women in national parliaments increased by nearly one percentage point last year, from 23.4 per cent in 2017 to 24.3 per cent in 2018. This 0.9 percentage point increase confirms the continuing rise of women in parliament, at a slightly faster rate of change compared to previous years. Countries with well-designed gender quotas elected significantly more women to parliament than those without, respectively, 7 points more in single or lower chambers, and 17 points more in upper chambers.

The IPU has been tracking women’s participation in parliament for decades, allowing it to monitor progress, setbacks and trends. This year’s report is based on 50 countries that held elections in 2018. IPU data confirms that the global share of women in parliament continues to rise, albeit slowly, when compared with 18.3 per cent of MPs who were women in 2008, and 11.3 per cent in 1995.

IPU President and Mexican MP, Gabriela Cuevas Barron said “More women in parliament mean better, stronger and more representative democracies that work for all the people. The one per cent increase we saw in 2018 represents a small improvement on women's parliamentary representation. This means we are still a long way to achieving global gender parity. For that reason, we urge for greater political will in adopting well-designed quotas and electoral systems that eliminate any legal barrier that might be hindering the opportunities for women to enter parliament.”

IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong said “It’s encouraging to see that the tools that the IPU has been advocating for many years, such as well-designed and well-implemented gender quotas, are beginning to bear their fruit. The IPU, with our many years of experience in empowering women in parliament, is at the disposal of any parliament that wishes to achieve gender equality.”

Overall trends

The IPU report shows that electoral quotas for women have now spread to all regions of the world with more than 130 countries adopting quota policies. Evidence from elections held in 2018 demonstrates that well-designed quotas can pave the way to greater gender parity. In Latin America, many 30-per-cent policies originally adopted in the 1990s are being revised upwards to stipulate that party candidates should include equal numbers of women and men. The impact of these policies was seen clearly in 2018 in Costa Rica where the share of women MPs rose by 12.3 points; and in Mexico where the lower chamber gained 5.8 points and the upper chamber increased by 16.4 points. This brings both countries close to gender parity.

Country-level experiences with quotas, however, have shown that not all quotas are equally effective. In most cases, simply mandating quotas, without including placement mechanisms or sanctions, has failed to result in major breakthroughs in women’s parliamentary representation.

The IPU analysis also underlines that electoral systems have an impact on women’s representation, with the average share of women elected notably higher in proportional and mixed systems (26.5 per cent) compared with majoritarian systems (20 per cent).

In some countries, diversity in women’s representation was particularly remarkable in 2018, with younger and more ethnically diverse cohorts of women entering parliament for the first time. For example, the elections in the United States were historic in terms of the inclusion of new groups of legislators. Both the lower (23.5 per cent) and upper houses (25 per cent) included more women than ever before. Of these, 37 per cent were women of colour, including the first two Muslim women and the first two Native American women. The 2018 election also yielded the two youngest women ever to be elected to the U.S. Congress, both aged 29, as well as five new lesbian, gay, and bisexual parliamentarians (4 women).

In addition, elections in 2018 gave greater prominence to the problem of violence against women in politics. In 2018, the IPU published its second report on the subject, Sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in Europe, in partnership with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The study confirmed the high prevalence of sexism in European parliaments with 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed saying they had experienced some form of gender-based violence. 

Regional trends

The Americas continued to lead all regions in terms of the average share of women in parliament (30.6 per cent), the first region to surpass the threshold of 30 per cent. The biggest growth seen was in Antigua-and-Barbuda’s upper chamber (+19.6 points) partly explained by the small size of parliament.

In Asia, women won 22.7 per cent of the seats in 2018 elections increasing the overall share of women in parliament to 19.6 per cent, but still below the global average. The most notable progress occurred in Bhutan’s lower chamber (+ 8.5 points) where seven out of the ten women standing were elected.

Countries in Europe made incremental progress in 2018 with the share of women in parliament rising to 28.5 per cent overall. One of the most impressive gains in women’s representation occurred in Latvia which jumped from 19 per cent to 31 per cent (+ 12 points). Despite a decrease in the number of women candidates in Latvia, more women were elected mainly due to being placed higher on party lists.

Sub-Saharan African parliaments witnessed relatively modest progress in 2018, with a regional average share of women parliamentarians at 23.7 per cent. Djibouti saw the most dramatic gains regionally and globally, among lower and single chambers, as the share of women in parliament rose from 10.8 per cent to 26.2 per cent (+ 15.4 points). In 2017, a self-assessment exercise on gender sensitivity was carried out in partnership with the IPU, leading to a new electoral law in early 2018 requiring that at least 25 per cent of parliamentary seats be held by women.

Rwanda also held elections in 2018. Despite a decrease in the proportion of women, the country has maintained its top position in the global ranking, held since 2003, with 61.3 per cent of women parliamentarians.

The Middle East and North Africa region experienced limited progress in women’s representation in 2018 with an overall share of 18.1 per cent of female parliamentarians, the lowest regional average. However, Bahrain made history with its first woman speaker and the third ever in the region, and an increase of 7.5 percentage points of women elected to its lower house.

On March 12, the IPU will issue its biennial map of women’s participation in politics, in partnership with UN Women, during the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York. The map will complement the IPU analysis of women parliamentarians with data on women heads of state, heads of government, presiding officers, and ministers.

Source: IPU.

According to the IPU’s yearly analysis, the share of women in national parliaments increased by nearly one percentage point last year, from 23.4 per cent in 2017 to 24.3 per cent in 2018. This 0.9 percentage point increase confirms the continuing rise of women in parliament, at a slightly faster rate of change compared to previous years. Countries with well-designed gender quotas elected significantly more women to parliament than those without, respectively, 7 points more in single or lower chambers, and 17 points more in upper chambers.

The IPU has been tracking women’s participation in parliament for decades, allowing it to monitor progress, setbacks and trends. This year’s report is based on 50 countries that held elections in 2018. IPU data confirms that the global share of women in parliament continues to rise, albeit slowly, when compared with 18.3 per cent of MPs who were women in 2008, and 11.3 per cent in 1995.

IPU President and Mexican MP, Gabriela Cuevas Barron said “More women in parliament mean better, stronger and more representative democracies that work for all the people. The one per cent increase we saw in 2018 represents a small improvement on women's parliamentary representation. This means we are still a long way to achieving global gender parity. For that reason, we urge for greater political will in adopting well-designed quotas and electoral systems that eliminate any legal barrier that might be hindering the opportunities for women to enter parliament.”

IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong said “It’s encouraging to see that the tools that the IPU has been advocating for many years, such as well-designed and well-implemented gender quotas, are beginning to bear their fruit. The IPU, with our many years of experience in empowering women in parliament, is at the disposal of any parliament that wishes to achieve gender equality.”

Overall trends

The IPU report shows that electoral quotas for women have now spread to all regions of the world with more than 130 countries adopting quota policies. Evidence from elections held in 2018 demonstrates that well-designed quotas can pave the way to greater gender parity. In Latin America, many 30-per-cent policies originally adopted in the 1990s are being revised upwards to stipulate that party candidates should include equal numbers of women and men. The impact of these policies was seen clearly in 2018 in Costa Rica where the share of women MPs rose by 12.3 points; and in Mexico where the lower chamber gained 5.8 points and the upper chamber increased by 16.4 points. This brings both countries close to gender parity.

Country-level experiences with quotas, however, have shown that not all quotas are equally effective. In most cases, simply mandating quotas, without including placement mechanisms or sanctions, has failed to result in major breakthroughs in women’s parliamentary representation.

The IPU analysis also underlines that electoral systems have an impact on women’s representation, with the average share of women elected notably higher in proportional and mixed systems (26.5 per cent) compared with majoritarian systems (20 per cent).

In some countries, diversity in women’s representation was particularly remarkable in 2018, with younger and more ethnically diverse cohorts of women entering parliament for the first time. For example, the elections in the United States were historic in terms of the inclusion of new groups of legislators. Both the lower (23.5 per cent) and upper houses (25 per cent) included more women than ever before. Of these, 37 per cent were women of colour, including the first two Muslim women and the first two Native American women. The 2018 election also yielded the two youngest women ever to be elected to the U.S. Congress, both aged 29, as well as five new lesbian, gay, and bisexual parliamentarians (4 women).

In addition, elections in 2018 gave greater prominence to the problem of violence against women in politics. In 2018, the IPU published its second report on the subject, Sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in Europe, in partnership with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The study confirmed the high prevalence of sexism in European parliaments with 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed saying they had experienced some form of gender-based violence. 

Regional trends

The Americas continued to lead all regions in terms of the average share of women in parliament (30.6 per cent), the first region to surpass the threshold of 30 per cent. The biggest growth seen was in Antigua-and-Barbuda’s upper chamber (+19.6 points) partly explained by the small size of parliament.

In Asia, women won 22.7 per cent of the seats in 2018 elections increasing the overall share of women in parliament to 19.6 per cent, but still below the global average. The most notable progress occurred in Bhutan’s lower chamber (+ 8.5 points) where seven out of the ten women standing were elected.

Countries in Europe made incremental progress in 2018 with the share of women in parliament rising to 28.5 per cent overall. One of the most impressive gains in women’s representation occurred in Latvia which jumped from 19 per cent to 31 per cent (+ 12 points). Despite a decrease in the number of women candidates in Latvia, more women were elected mainly due to being placed higher on party lists.

Sub-Saharan African parliaments witnessed relatively modest progress in 2018, with a regional average share of women parliamentarians at 23.7 per cent. Djibouti saw the most dramatic gains regionally and globally, among lower and single chambers, as the share of women in parliament rose from 10.8 per cent to 26.2 per cent (+ 15.4 points). In 2017, a self-assessment exercise on gender sensitivity was carried out in partnership with the IPU, leading to a new electoral law in early 2018 requiring that at least 25 per cent of parliamentary seats be held by women.

Rwanda also held elections in 2018. Despite a decrease in the proportion of women, the country has maintained its top position in the global ranking, held since 2003, with 61.3 per cent of women parliamentarians.

The Middle East and North Africa region experienced limited progress in women’s representation in 2018 with an overall share of 18.1 per cent of female parliamentarians, the lowest regional average. However, Bahrain made history with its first woman speaker and the third ever in the region, and an increase of 7.5 percentage points of women elected to its lower house.

On March 12, the IPU will issue its biennial map of women’s participation in politics, in partnership with UN Women, during the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York. The map will complement the IPU analysis of women parliamentarians with data on women heads of state, heads of government, presiding officers, and ministers.

Source: IPU.