Partner News

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Theme: “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”

Women’s movements dominate today’s global conversation. From #MeToo and #TimesUp spotlighting sexual harassment and abuse, to #NiUnaMenos, the not one less movement protesting femicide, women voices demanding equality have crossed the globe, and a palpable feeling of change is in the air.

These movements and marches infuse this year’s International Women’s Day with special meaning. Today, we celebrate the activists who work tirelessly to “speak truth to patriarchy” and push all of us to achieve equal rights for women.   

The Time is Now to end sexual harassment and abuse. Preventing this behavior is our collective moral imperative, and it must be eradicated wherever it is found. We must all work together to change our cultures and create safe spaces for reporting.

The Time is Now to end violence against women. 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence, and in 37 countries perpetrators of rape are exempt from prosecution if they are married to or subsequently marry the victim.  

The Time is Now to promote women’s political participation.  Women make up only 23.5% of the world’s parliamentarians.  The world needs women to have an equal voice in decision making. 

The Time is Now to close the gender wage gap.  The global gender wage gap is 23%, and will take 100 years to close at the current rate of change.  We need to value women’s work and reduce their disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work.  This work deprives women of time to earn money and engage in public life, and deprives communities and nations of women’s full contributions.   

The Time is Now to ensure that rural women have equal opportunities. 43% of the global agricultural workers are women, and rural women comprise the majority of these workers.  They need equal access to resources, information, and decision-making. Despite their vital roles in growing food, and critically in adapting and building resilience to climate change, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women on almost every measure of development.

The Time is Now to celebrate activists working on women’s equality and rights.  

On this International Women’s Day, join me in celebrating them and honoring their work in the best way possible: by redoubling our efforts to build a world free of discrimination and exclusion and make it possible for all women and men to live lives of dignity and opportunity. 

They have created a momentum for change that builds on the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These 17 goals—which range from ending poverty, to boosting equitable growth and achieving quality education for all—are strongly interconnected, and gender equality is pivotal to achieving all of them. That means that all of us have a role to play in supporting women’s empowerment, at home, in our communities—and in the workplace.

Together, by achieving women’s equality and the 2030 Agenda, we can ensure that no woman is left behind.

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing. 

Unequal political representation of women in relation to men remains a problem all over the world.  Just 23 per cent of the world’s members of parliament are women. A major contributing factor to this is the unequal access to the resources needed to successfully seek nominations or participate in electoral campaigns. In a similar vein, political parties are often gate-keepers that promote male candidates that they believe are more likely to attract funding.

As part of the effort to close this gender gap in parliamentary politics, the last two decades have seen an increase in political finance legislation designed to promote equality within political parties. As two thirds of the world’s countries provide public funding for political parties, there is an opportunity to use these funds to promote the equal participation of women. Today, around 30 countries have regulations that tie the provision of public funding with the commitment of political parties to promote the participation of women across their ranks. More countries are now following suite. 

These regulations take different forms, following three broad categories:

• Eligibility, wherein only parties that reach some gender equality threshold may receive some or all of its party funding;
• Allocation, wherein political parties receive more public funding as they move closer to gender equality; and
• Earmarking, wherein a portion of the funds must be used for activities that promote gender equality within the party.

While tying public funding to supporting the nomination and election of women is an increasingly used policy option, it is not clear how and when these policies are effective. To this end, International IDEA conducted a series of case studies in countries that have enacted such regulations for an extended number of years. These are now published in the report “Gender-targeted public funding and women’s political participation and representation”.  The publication contains a comparative analysis of these cases and the impact of gender-targeted public funding, with the intention of unearthing the ingredients that make these systems effective. The case studies include Albania, Croatia, France, Haiti and Portugal. 

So, what do these case studies tell us? 

Albania – from 7 to 28 per cent in ten years

The proportion of women in parliament in Albania following the fall of the communist regime in 1991 remained very low, typically languishing at around five percent. Following the 2004 election, women constituted only six per cent of the elected members of parliament. 

In 2008, the country enacted regulations mandating that political parties nominate at least 30 per cent  of either gender, or otherwise the party would see its public funding reduced. Further sanctions were enacted against parties that failed to nominate women for at least one of the top three positions in the party lists. 

In the elections following the enactment of these rules in 2009, the country experienced an immediate and significant increase of women nominated within parties, growing from 9 per cent to 32 per cent between elections. However, the increase was not fully reflected in the election of women, as parties tended to put women at the bottom of party lists and the requirement to nominate at least one woman on the top three positions of the party list was not consistently enforced.

The proportion of women elected reached 16 per cent in 2009 following the enactment (an increase of 10 per cent). 

Following the introduction of these measures, the number of women nominated and elected have risen every year, reaching 40 per cent nominated and 28 per cent elected in 2017. 

When does gender-targeted public funding work?

It is very difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of gender-targeted public funding in general, as there are many intervening variables affecting the gender composition in parliament in any given society. Many countries utilizing gender targeted public funding have seen negligible increases, on the same levels as countries without such measures. With this in mind, how do we explain Albania’s relative success? International IDEA believes that the Albanian context partially fulfilled three criteria necessary for the effectiveness of these provisions:

Firstly, the share of total party income received from public sources is high. In Albania, political parties rely on public funding for upwards of 90 per cent of their total funding. Therefore, the incentive to nominate women is significant. This is not the case in other countries, decreasing the effect of the regulations.

Secondly, there was a strong connection between the gender balance achieved and the level of public funding provided. In Albania, parties risk significant financial loss for failing to follow the legislation. After the 2017 elections, the country’s second largest party, the Democratic Party, lost 57 per cent of the funding ahead of the elections due to its failure to adhere to the regulations in some districts.

Thirdly, the connection between public funding and gender equality is sufficient to overcome gender prejudices within political parties. Political parties must feel that they risk more by losing public funding than they risk losing votes by nominating women. In Albania, surveys ahead of the 2008 elections showed that people were not used to women in positions of power and that a conservative view of women was prevalent in society in general. However, in Albania—as well as in other countries—parties nominating women initially rose and soon plateaued, but the proportion of women elected continued rising, without regulatory pressure. This possibly signifies that gender prejudices in the parties are diminishing.