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51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

51 women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, southern Turkey, made a joint statement calling for more gender equality in politics at workshop organized by UN Women.

Ahead of the local elections that will take place in March 2019 in Turkey, UN Women is organizing “Local Politics Workshops” that aim to empower women candidates in four different cities of Turkey. 51 women from five political parties who is running or planning to run in the local elections as well as civil society organizations participated at the first workshop in Adana, southern Turkey, between 14 and 16 December.

After the workshop, participants made a joint statement addressing all political parties, media, politicians and voters and they called for more gender equality in politics. “We want gender equality in politics. Equality empowers everyone!” declared women candidates.

The women specifically called political parties to ensure more space for women in the elections and support women’s participation at all levels of public policy-making without discrimination.

The three-day workshop aimed to improve the participants’ knowledge and skills as candidates. The participants were involved in sub workshops on gender awareness, transformative leadership, running as a woman, political parties, communication and social media, public speaking, violence against women in politics, funding and campaign management.

“I am happy that I run for candidacy. This training empowered me. I am now more determined as a politician,” said Siret Doğan, one of the participants who said that she was hesitant to run for candidacy before the workshop. Siret Doğan who participated the workshop from Gaziantep, located southeastern of Turkey, plans to run for membership of the council in Şahinbey province, Gaziantep. She has been an active member of the women branch of her party.

“I have now more knowledge about women’s political participation and feel that I gained self-confidence. I wish that men at policy-making levels should also attend these kinds of trainings with us so that they can see how they limit us,” said Türkan Pehlivan. Pehlivan who is the director of the Adana province in her party, is running for membership of council in Seyhan province, Adana,

“The presentation about transformational leadership was interesting. I see that the one who adapts to change quickly will survive, not the one who is the strongest,” said Sema Turan Yapıcı, an active member of civil society organizations and her party in Adana. She said that she would run for candidate for 2019 local elections.

Asuman Tapanyiğit, an active politician in Adana who has been in elected positions as member of provincial councils both in 2009 and 2011, said that the workshop on communications made her understand the importance of communications to reach out to voters. “After the workshop, I learned that I have to use social media more. I tweeted for the first time,” said Tapanyiğit.

“Communication with target audiences at the right place and at the right time is very important. Political parties can only reach their target audience with proper campaigns. My self-confidence is strong but now I feel that I am more empowered,” said Fatma Arguz, an active member and vice coordinator of her party in Adana. She is running for membership of provincial council in Adana in the local elections in 2019.

The workshops are organized within the "Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey" project funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

JOINT STATEMENT

We, as women from different political parties and civil society organizations in Adana, came together at the “Women Politics Workshop” organized by UN Women. We discussed and agreed on the principles of respect, diversity and cooperation for more women candidates in politics and we are empowered together.

We call upon all politicians, political parties, media and voters:

We call upon political parties to give more space to women in local elections and to support women’s participation and leadership at all level levels of public policy-making without discrimination. We believe that women politicians will also strengthen political parties.

Politics is not just men’s work. We want gender equality in politics.

We want temporary special measures in line with international conventions that we have signed in order to increase women’s representation in politics. We want Political Parties and Election Law and local government laws to be reformulated in order to contribute to gender equality.

We want media to use non-discriminatory, gender-sensitive language towards women politicians.

As women, in cities we live in, we claim to be equal partners in decision making to bring solutions to our local issues and in connection with we want local government budgets to be gender sensitive.

Equality empowers everyone! We want to work side by side with men in the field of gender equality.

We call upon all voters to support women candidates in order to transform the cities we live in with a gender equality perspective.

We believe that gender equality in politics will strengthen democracy.

Source: UN Women.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

The global proportion of MPs under 30 has increased in two years from 1.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent according to the IPU’s biannual report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments published today. Despite this increase, when compared with the half of the world’s population that is under 30, the report reveals a sizeable deficit in the political representation of youth worldwide. Europe performs best in the share of young MPs, followed by the Americas. The report will be launched at the IPU’s fifth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14-15 December.  

As a global hub of information about parliaments, the IPU has measured and analyzed youth participation in parliaments since 2014. In a bid to make parliaments more representative, the IPU has spearheaded efforts to encourage more youth participation by collecting data, providing policy guidance, and establishing foras for young parliamentarians such as the annual global conference of young MPs. The next edition of the conference, jointly organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will be under the umbrella theme of “Promoting sustainability, protecting the interests of future generations”.

Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President, said “As the youngest President of the IPU, I believe representation is not only a cornerstone of democracy, but also our biggest source of strength. By bringing more young people into decision making, we will make better decisions on the key challenges our societies face. We count on the vision, commitment and fresh ideas of young MPs to guide us on how to make policies that respond efficiently not only to today’s needs but also to those of future generations.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said “The IPU walks the talk when it comes to youth political empowerment. For example, we recently amended IPU statutes to include more young parliamentarians in IPU decision-making bodies. This not only shows the priority we place on greater youth participation, it also signals to the international parliamentary community the importance of the youth voice today.”

Based on surveys completed by over 200 parliamentary chambers in 150 countries, the IPU report finds that over 30 per cent of the world’s single or lower chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30; and that 76 per cent of upper chambers of parliament have no MPs under 30. The proportion of MPs under 40 has also increased from 14.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2018; and the number of MPs under 45 has gone up from 26 per cent in 2016 to 28.1 per cent in 2018.

Male MPs continue to outnumber their female counterparts in every age group but to varying degrees. They outnumber women nearly threefold in the 41–50 age group; more than threefold in the 51–60 age group; and nearly fivefold in the 61–70 age group. Furthermore, in the younger cohorts, there are about twice as many men as women.

The Nordic countries lead in electing younger legislators with the share of MPs under 30 exceeding 10 per cent in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their share is also around 10 per cent in the single or lower chambers of San Marino, the Gambia, Montenegro and Venezuela. The only upper chamber approaching that level is Bhutan, at 9.1 per cent. Only five African countries – the Gambia, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Equatorial Guinea – make the top 20. Yet, the African continent has the world’s youngest population, with an estimated 200 million people between 15 and 24 years old.

Several countries have held elections since the 2016 IPU report (information from 63 renewed chambers are taken into account in the new IPU report). Among single and lower chambers three countries made particularly strong progress: Montenegro, Venezuela and France. In Montenegro a new political party, made up primarily of young people, became the second largest in terms of parliamentary representation in 2016. In Venezuela, young parliamentarians play a key role in promoting democracy and defending the opposition-controlled National Assembly. In France, the country’s 2017 elections saw the emergence of a new political movement, En Marche! which won a majority of seats in the lower chamber. As a result, the average age of MPs in France dropped from 54 in 2012 to 48 in 2017.

The IPU report recommends a number of measures to help increase youth participation in parliaments. Electoral quotas established for young people in a growing number of countries worldwide are starting to have an effect. Aligning voter age with the age of eligibility for office also brings in a larger cohort of young candidates. Networks of young MPs, as well as caucuses addressing youth issues, have been established in 16.7 per cent of the parliaments covered in the IPU report, including recently in Pakistan, Tanzania and the Russian Federation. Parliamentary committees dealing with youth issues now exist in more than 40 per cent of countries; and 72 countries organize youth parliaments as a means of educating and engaging greater numbers of young people in politics.

Source: IPU.

Money is a necessary component of the democratic process, enabling the expression of political support as well as competition in elections. At the same time, if the funding of political parties and election campaigns are not effectively regulated, money could also undermine the integrity of processes and institutions of political participation and representation. While most countries have some kind of laws regulating the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, International IDEA’s recently updated Political Finance Database provides insight into global regulatory trends and reveals that several shortcomings still exist in many countries. The updated database now includes 74 political finance questions for 180 countries.

One of the main pillars of any political finance regime is whether a state provides public funding to political parties. Currently, some types of public funding exist in 68% of the countries International IDEA has surveyed. Public funding helps to sustain the institutionalisation of political parties in democracies as they benefit from necessary financial support to conduct their daily activities. Furthermore, this reduces their dependence on private donations. Public funding can be also used to address one of the most persisting problems in politics – the unequal access to financial resources. The amount of public funding a political party receives can be linked to the level of gender equality among the candidates it puts up for election or that a certain proportion of the public funding a party receives can be earmarked for gender-related activities. While only 15% of the surveyed countries have a provision for direct public funding related to gender promotion, the number of countries with such gender-targeted public funding has been steadily increasing since 2000, as highlighted by our recent report.

Likewise, private funding allows for support from society at large for a political party or candidate. Yet, it could also be exploited to unduly influence the political processes. For example, the recent news in New Zealand in which a politician received a large amount of donations from a wealthy Chinese businessman has triggered a public debate on electoral finance reform in the country. While many countries have recently tightened their regulations on private donations, over 30% of surveyed countries still have no ban on foreign donations or anonymous donations to political parties.

In addition to various regulations on income sources, setting spending limits for parties or candidates could prevent a spending race and limit the incentives for corruption stemming from high expenditures. For example, overall spending limits for political parties exist in 32% of the surveyed countries. Only 3% of them, however, have a specific spending limit on online media advertisement. Given the increasing use of digital microtargeting and social media during the electoral campaigns, countries may consider developing specific regulations in relation to online media advertisement spending by political parties.

Another cornerstone of ensuring accountability in political finance is the oversight of how political parties and candidates spend money. 77% of surveyed countries require political parties to submit their financial reports. To further support this effort, it is worth noting that transparency can be greatly increased by introducing a system where political finance reports are submitted and disclosed online.

Finally, it is important to stress that having political finance regulations on paper does not guarantee effective implementation and compliance. There is still, however, an empirical deficit in assessing and comparing the practices of political finance regulations in different country contexts. The political finance landscape is increasingly complex and continuously evolving. It is our wish that the revised Political Finance Database serves as a repository of political finance regulations and continues to be the leading global resource of comparative political finance data for those interested in money in politics.

Source: IDEA.

Money is a necessary component of the democratic process, enabling the expression of political support as well as competition in elections. At the same time, if the funding of political parties and election campaigns are not effectively regulated, money could also undermine the integrity of processes and institutions of political participation and representation. While most countries have some kind of laws regulating the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, International IDEA’s recently updated Political Finance Database provides insight into global regulatory trends and reveals that several shortcomings still exist in many countries. The updated database now includes 74 political finance questions for 180 countries.

One of the main pillars of any political finance regime is whether a state provides public funding to political parties. Currently, some types of public funding exist in 68% of the countries International IDEA has surveyed. Public funding helps to sustain the institutionalisation of political parties in democracies as they benefit from necessary financial support to conduct their daily activities. Furthermore, this reduces their dependence on private donations. Public funding can be also used to address one of the most persisting problems in politics – the unequal access to financial resources. The amount of public funding a political party receives can be linked to the level of gender equality among the candidates it puts up for election or that a certain proportion of the public funding a party receives can be earmarked for gender-related activities. While only 15% of the surveyed countries have a provision for direct public funding related to gender promotion, the number of countries with such gender-targeted public funding has been steadily increasing since 2000, as highlighted by our recent report.

Likewise, private funding allows for support from society at large for a political party or candidate. Yet, it could also be exploited to unduly influence the political processes. For example, the recent news in New Zealand in which a politician received a large amount of donations from a wealthy Chinese businessman has triggered a public debate on electoral finance reform in the country. While many countries have recently tightened their regulations on private donations, over 30% of surveyed countries still have no ban on foreign donations or anonymous donations to political parties.

In addition to various regulations on income sources, setting spending limits for parties or candidates could prevent a spending race and limit the incentives for corruption stemming from high expenditures. For example, overall spending limits for political parties exist in 32% of the surveyed countries. Only 3% of them, however, have a specific spending limit on online media advertisement. Given the increasing use of digital microtargeting and social media during the electoral campaigns, countries may consider developing specific regulations in relation to online media advertisement spending by political parties.

Another cornerstone of ensuring accountability in political finance is the oversight of how political parties and candidates spend money. 77% of surveyed countries require political parties to submit their financial reports. To further support this effort, it is worth noting that transparency can be greatly increased by introducing a system where political finance reports are submitted and disclosed online.

Finally, it is important to stress that having political finance regulations on paper does not guarantee effective implementation and compliance. There is still, however, an empirical deficit in assessing and comparing the practices of political finance regulations in different country contexts. The political finance landscape is increasingly complex and continuously evolving. It is our wish that the revised Political Finance Database serves as a repository of political finance regulations and continues to be the leading global resource of comparative political finance data for those interested in money in politics.

Source: IDEA.