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WOMEN IN POLITICS OVERVIEW Gender, Women and Politics

WOMEN IN POLITICS OVERVIEW Gender, Women and Politics. The National Democratic Institute. Introductions/ Ground rules. Introductions Ground Rules Ice Breaker Exercise. Women in Politics Overview Objectives.

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WOMEN IN POLITICS OVERVIEW Gender, Women and Politics

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  1. WOMEN IN POLITICS OVERVIEWGender, Women and Politics The National Democratic Institute

  2. Introductions/Ground rules • Introductions • Ground Rules • Ice Breaker Exercise

  3. Women in Politics Overview Objectives • Understand the need for women’s political participation and the related legal framework within global, regional and country-specific contexts Photo: AFP/Getty Images

  4. Women in Politics Topics • Women’s political participation: history and trends • Benefits • Obstacles • Minimum conditions • International/regional/national frameworks • Impact of women's participation • Resources

  5. Key Terms • Empowerment • Gender equality • Critical mass • Quota • First past the post (FPTP) • Proportional representation (PR) • Transparency • Caucus Photo: Katie Croake, NDI

  6. OVERALL GLOBAL TRENDS Reaching parity in primary education but… • 2/3 of illiterate adults are women • Women’s wages are 70-90% those of men • Women spend at least twice as much time as men on domestic work

  7. OVERALL GLOBAL TRENDS • Rates of physical violence vary from several percent to over 59% • Gender digital divide • Women more likely to live in poverty

  8. EXERCISE Women in Politics Quiz Photo: www.suffrage-centenniel.org

  9. HISTORY OF WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION • Right to stand for election • US (1788) • Right to vote • New Zealand (1893) • First parliamentarians • Finland (1907) • First head of state • Mongolia (1953)

  10. WOMEN IN POLITICS: GLOBAL TRENDS • Women in parliament: 20.3% • Rwanda: 56.3% • 33 parliamentary lower chambers with 30% or more women • Presiding officers: 15.1% • 7 countries: no women • 16.7% of ministerial posts • 17 heads of government Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images

  11. REGIONAL TRENDS Rank Lower Upper • Kosovo 24 31.8% • Macedonia 26 30.9% • Serbia 56 22% • Bulgaria 61 20.8% • Slovakia 80 16% • Romania 103 11.2% 5.9%

  12. REGIONAL QUOTAS CountryQuotaSystem Kosovo 30%-N Open PR, every 3rd Macedonia 30%-N,L Closed PR, every 3rd Serbia 30%-N, L PR, every 4th Bulgaria FPTP/PR Slovakia PR Romania MMP

  13. LOCAL TRENDS • 1935: women’s political rights recognized • Advances in parliament: from • 9% to 14% • 1 parliamentary committee • chair • 1 of 26 ministries headed by a woman • Men hold 82% of executive positions

  14. EXERCISE Brainstorm: Why women? Photo: NDI

  15. WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: BENEFITS • Higher standards of living • Concerns of marginalized voters represented • Collaborative leadership styles • Work across party lines • Peace building • Better decisions

  16. BENEFITS “Success without democracy is improbable. Democracy without women is impossible.” “The political participation of women results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace.” - Madeleine K. Albright

  17. WOMEN IN POLITICS: VOTERS • Fundamental right • Barriers • Voter and civic education • When women vote, women win Photo: NDI

  18. WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES • Importance of women as party members and leaders • Benefits to the party • Women’s wings Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI

  19. WOMEN IN CIVIL SOCIETY • Women as agents of change Photo: NDI

  20. EXERCISE Women’s political participation: identifying helping and hindering forces Image: Inter-parliamentary Union

  21. OBSTACLES TO WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION • Structural • Legal • Economic • Educational • Social/cultural/religious • Time and space • Physical security • Lack of confidence

  22. MINIMUM CONDITIONS FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION • Access to positions of power • Transparency • Changing cultural norms • Women’s economic empowerment • Political will Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI

  23. MINIMUM CONDITIONS • Voice • Empowerment • Critical mass • Access • Representative resources • Material and economic resources • Democratic/cultural space • Information – gender-disaggregated • Capacity

  24. GOALS We want MORE: • (informed) women voters • women party leaders • elected women at all levels • effective women leaders • inclusive party platforms • inclusive public policy Photo: Washington Post

  25. GLOBAL FRAMEWORKS • CEDAW (1979) • International bill of rights for women • Defines discrimination • States commit to end discrimination • Beijing Platform for Action (1995) • Agenda for women's empowerment • Aims to remove obstacles to women's active participation

  26. GLOBAL FRAMEWORKS • Millennium Development Goals (2001) • promote gender equality and empower women • UN Security Council Resolutions • 1325: Women’s participation in peace negotiations and reconstruction • Subsequent Resolutions: 1820,1888, 1889 and 1960

  27. REGIONAL AND NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS • Regional • Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development (2008) • African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women (2003) • National • National Policy Framework for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality

  28. DONOR POLICIES • US Agency for International Development (USAID) • SIDA, CIDA, DIFD • European Union • World Bank

  29. MOBILIZING WOMEN FOR CHANGE: MECHANISMS • Women’s parliamentary caucuses • Women’s wings within political parties • Civil society organizations • Cross-sector groups Photo: NDI

  30. WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER • Albania: Equality in Decision Making • Multi-partisan network • Awareness raising campaign on domestic violence • Lobbying campaign on women’s economic empowerment Photo: NDI

  31. WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER • Burkina Faso: CEDAW Coalition • 17 women’s NGOs • First CEDAW shadow report produced by coalition Photo: NDI

  32. WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER • Iraq National Women’s Platform • Multi-partisan and multi-sector • Identified critical issues and policy solutions • Used platform to coordinate advocacy and legislative initiatives

  33. WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER • Macedonia: Women’s Parliamentary Club • Advocated for establishment of quota • Lobbied for adoption of Protocol on Human Trafficking • Proposed amendment on funding for domestic violence

  34. NDI RESOURCES • iKNOW Politics: www.iknowpolitics.org • Win with Women Global Action Plan • Political Party Assessment Tool • Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties • Democracy and the Challenge of Change

  35. WOMEN AND POLITICS REVIEW • Women’s participation • Recent development • Numbers growing but not quickly • Brings benefits • Faces obstacles • International/regional/national frameworks • Women working together make a difference

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