experts
Saskia Brechenmacher
Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
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about

Saskia Brechenmacher is a PhD candidate and Gates Cambridge scholar at the University of Cambridge and a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, where her research focuses on gender, civil society, and democratic governance.

Prior to joining Carnegie, Brechenmacher worked as a graduate researcher at the World Peace Foundation in Boston and co-led a research project on corruption and state legitimacy in Uganda for the Henry J. Leir Institute for Migration and Human Security at Tufts University.

She has advised major governmental and private funders on strategies to advance women’s political participation and defend civic space in countries experiencing democratic backsliding. Her writing has been published in Foreign Policy, Just Security, National Interest, the Hill, World Politics Review, Open Democracy, and elsewhere. She is the co-author (with Katherine Mann) of Aiding Empowerment: Democracy Promotion and Gender Equality in Politics, published with Oxford University Press in 2024.

Brechenmacher currently serves on the board of directors of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and as a member of the Advisory Group of the OECD’s Civic Space Observatory. She is a 2017 Atlantik-Brücke Young Leader and a Humanity in Action Senior Fellow and previously gained experience at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in London, and the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in Prague.

affiliations
areas of expertise
Civil SocietySouthern, Eastern, and Western AfricaPolitical ReformDemocracy
education
BA, Brown University, MALD, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, PhD candidate, University of Cambridge
languages
English, French, German, Russian

All work from Saskia Brechenmacher

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63 Results
event
Launch of Women LEAD: Women Leading Effective and Accountable Democracy in the Digital Age
July 8, 2024

On the margins of the seventy-fifth NATO summit, please join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the National Democratic Institute for an event marking the launch of Women Leading Effective and Accountable Democracy in the Digital Age (Women LEAD), a new initiative from the Biden-Harris administration focused on advancing women’s political participation globally and addressing barriers to women’s leadership, both online and offline.

  • +7
event
What Strategies Work to Advance Women’s Political Power?
June 13, 2024

Globally, women remain systematically underrepresented in politics. But are current interventions to promote women’s political empowerment still fit for purpose?

  • +2
article
Defending Civic Space in the United States: Lessons Learned Around the World

In a context of democratic erosion, U.S. civil society organizations face a widening array of legal, political, and security threats. They can learn from the experiences of civic activists in backsliding democracies around the world.

· May 9, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Saskia Brechenmacher on Promoting Gender Equality Through Democracy Assistance Aid

A conversation on the evolution of democracy programs designed to encourage gender equality.

· April 16, 2024
Democracy Paradox
research
On the Front Lines: Women’s Mobilization for Democracy in an Era of Backsliding

Women play diverse roles in and exert major influence on popular movements against democratic erosion around the world, from Brazil to Hungary to India.

· March 21, 2024
book
Aiding Empowerment: Democracy Promotion and Gender Equality in Politics

International assistance for women’s political empowerment has evolved significantly over the last three decades, from a first generation of aid programs aimed at integrating women into nascent democratic institutions to a second generation focused on transforming the broader political ecosystem.

· March 20, 2024
Oxford University Press
In The Media
in the media
Women’s Roles in Anti-Authoritarian Resistance

Many autocratic leaders have understood the power of women’s political action and are taking steps to co-opt or undermine it. Those looking to support democracy should take note.

· March 5, 2024
Loop
commentary
Emissary
Kenyan Women Are Pushing for Action on Femicide. They Have a Road Map.

Movements in Argentina and South Africa offer a guide for demanding government measures to curb gender-based violence.

· February 12, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Gender Equality at the 78th UN General Assembly: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead

It is noteworthy that at a time of global fragmentation, geopolitical tension, and pushback against some gender equality goals, new coalitions are emerging that are seeking to model an alternative path forward.

· October 12, 2023
Just Security
commentary
India’s New Gender Quota Law Is a Win for Women—Mostly

Bringing more women into national and state politics could be a significant step for women’s representation, but several factors may threaten progress.

· September 26, 2023