WOMEN IN POLITICS OVERVIEW 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 Understand the need for women’s political participation and the related legal framework within global, regional and country-specific contexts Photo: AFP/Getty Images

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

KEY TERMS Empowerment Gender equality Critical mass Quota First past the post (FPTP) Proportional representation (PR) Transparency Caucus Photo: Katie Croake, NDI

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

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

EXERCISE Women in Politics Quiz Photo:

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)

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

REGIONAL TRENDS Rank Lower Upper Kosovo % Macedonia % Serbia56 22% Bulgaria % Slovakia80 16% Romania % 5.9%

REGIONAL QUOTAS Country Quota System 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

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

EXERCISE Brainstorm: Why women? Photo: NDI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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