The gender dimensions of both the evolving state of both domestic politics in countries around the world as well as the unsettled domain of interstate relations include many positive elements, like greater awareness and action relating to gender equity but also worrisome negative elements like a broad pushback against women’s rights. The program aims to supply topical insights on these issues grounded in locally-rooted research.
Globally, women remain systematically underrepresented in politics. But are current interventions to promote women’s political empowerment still fit for purpose?
A conversation on the evolution of democracy programs designed to encourage gender equality.
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.
Movements in Argentina and South Africa offer a guide for demanding government measures to curb gender-based violence.
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.
Bringing more women into national and state politics could be a significant step for women’s representation, but several factors may threaten progress.
Despite a story of overall progress, women’s rights advocates around the world are sounding the alarm.
Moreover, in its emphasis on “human fraternity,” the resolution is emblematic of a broader push among some autocratic states to reframe universal human rights frameworks in ways that place greater emphasis on state sovereignty and cultural and religious traditions.
Germany’s new Feminist Foreign Policy guidelines seek to anchor gender equality in different areas of German foreign policy. But they also raise hard questions about what it means to put these feminist principles into practice—particularly in light of security concerns raised by the war in Ukraine.
One persistent problem is that only a small share of this aid actually reaches women-led organizations.
Around the world, women’s meaningful participation in decision-making is essential to address longstanding gender inequities, as well as those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2021, thousands of gender equality advocates convened—online and offline—at the Generation Equality Forum, a global gathering organized by U.N. Women and co-hosted by Mexico and France. The forum was the biggest international conference for gender equality since the landmark 1995 Beijing Conference.
