Partner News

A group of women 12 MPs from the Réseau des femmes parlementaires mauritaniennes (Network of Mauritian Women Parliamentarians/REFPAM) organized a “caravan”, or outreach visits, to provinces in the country to reach out to local and religious leaders, and the general public. The parliamentarians aimed to raise awareness about and advocate for women’s rights and ending violence against women and girls. The caravan took place from 12 to 21 February.

REFPAM held discussions on women's land governance, women's participation in decision-making positions, and how to combat violence against women. The caravan also consulted local leaders and the general public on their needs and expectations regarding the bill on violence against women before Parliament. The visits covered the wilayas (provinces) of Brakna, Tarza, Gorgol and Guidimagha.

REFPAM was created in December 2015 to provide a forum for women MPs—and their like-minded male colleagues—in Mauritania to come together across party lines on issues of common interest, such as violence against women. In 2016, IPU and the National Assembly helped REFPAM draw up a comprehensive advocacy plan to strengthen the legal framework on all forms of violence and harmful practices against women in Mauritania, including female genital mutilation and child marriage. IPU’s support to REFPAM is part of its work on encouraging the creation of women parliamentary caucuses.

Read more about IPU’s involvement with REFPAM.

Source: IPU

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work. 

As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on average 24 per cent less than men. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time waged jobs with an employer. Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal work, often without social protection, and are under-represented in management in the corporate sector, holding only 22 per cent of senior business leadership positions.

A disproportionate load of unpaid work is a constraint on women in the workforce. Women are estimated to do as much as three times as much unpaid work as men do – from caring for children, the ill, and the elderly to growing and preparing food.

In communities lacking ready access to basic services, investments in water and sustainable energy would save women the time they currently spend gathering water and fuel. Changing gender stereotypes so that both men and women contribute to care work is also important in achieving gender equality. 

Access to new technologies is important for women in all societies – for access to information and to services, including for banking. Girls should be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering and maths, subjects which open up many opportunities, and more corporate effort is needed to promote women’s participation and advancement in the technology sectors.     

In the 173 economies covered in the World Bank’s 2016 report on Women, Business and the Law, 155 have at least one law which discriminates against women. There are still countries where women do not have the right to divorce, inherit property, own or rent land, or access credit. This is a huge constraint on women’s economic empowerment. 

The time is now to resolve to clear away the barriers to gender equality in the world of work and all other spheres. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development urges that no one be left behind. That means leaving no woman behind – anywhere.

Source: UNDP

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA

This year’s International Women’s Day’s theme, “Be Bold for Change”, is a call to forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. In particular, it calls for groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

International IDEA has been at the forefront of advancing the political participation of women. We believe that democracy is incomplete without policies, measures and practices that seek to reduce inequalities between men and women in all spheres of life. It is in this light that we are committed to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Our call to action is best expressed by our Secretary-General in his message on what can be done to tackle violence against women in politics, taken from an interview for International Women’s Day.

In 2017, we continue to produce knowledge products, as well as undertake initiatives that highlight the role of women in politics with the end view of making democracies function better. We have partnered with key institutions of democracy, Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and political parties and published A Framework for Developing Internal Gender Policies for EMBs and A Framework for Developing Gender Policies for political parties.  These standards enables EMBs and political parties to manage their internal operations and processes, allowing for equal distribution of power between men and women. Furthermore, at the country level, we help build the capacity of women government executives through training and supporting spaces for peer-to-peer exchange and learning. In the case of Haiti, for example, we supported the organization of the Federation of Women Mayors of Haiti, which is a platform to strengthen knowledge of among others democratic accountability at local level, as well as gender mainstreaming in municipal policies.

In this year’s newsletter and to commemorate International Women’s Day, we feature stories on our efforts to take action for women, starting with our work to develop more knowledge products for democratic actors. In Regional organizations coming together for political empowerment of women, we present our consultative approach, working with regional organizations to arrive at Inter-Regional Policy Guidebook on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. In Using public funding to have more women parliamentarians, we explore experiences of democracies on how public funding can support a level playing field in politics; thereby improving political participation of women.

In Empowering youth – women and men - for democracy in Tunisia, we present an innovative approach to engaging the youth for democracy. Currently, being utilized in Tunisia, the Youth Democracy Curriculum seeks to build the capacities of the young people – women and men – to lead the change that they would like to see in their democratic contexts. Following the positive feedback that we received from the participants, we are now looking at ways to apply the curriculum in other regions and countries.

In relation to our work in regions and countries, we present our activities in Latin America through a feature story on Women’s political participation in Latin America: Some progress and many challenges, where we also discuss the various actions that we undertook including building alliances in countries in the region, as well as a campaign in Bolivia. In Developing Women Leaders in Tunisia, we present our training of women local executives in Tunisia, which included in particular the recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs in the country. Finally, in Safeguarding Women Political Participation in Myanmar’s Constitution, we focus on the rule of the Constitution in safeguarding women’s political participation. Here, International IDEA’s Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality is applied to Myanmar, drawing from the experiences of applying it to Nepal – a poignant example of our work in promoting South-South cooperation.

It is clear to International IDEA that there is no single strategy that can completely address gender inequalities that span the world in all spheres of life—including in democracy building processes. We, thus, need to work together and do our part for only being bold can we indeed effect change.

Source: International IDEA