Gender, Women and Democracy

April 17, 2019

Supporting Ecuador’s Democratic Institutions in a New Political Era

A record 80,281 candidates representing 278 political parties and movements competed in Ecuador’s March 24 regional elections – over three times as many candidates as in 2014. These were the first regional elections since Lenin Moreno was elected president and adopted a reform agenda opposed by former President Rafael Correa, effectively splitting the Country Alliance (Alianza Pais, AP) which had governed Ecuador for ten years. The results suggest a reshuffling in Ecuador’s political coalitions ahead of the 2021 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Violence Against Women in Political Parties: Analysis of the Situation in Tunisia

This assessment details an analysis of women's political participation in Tunisia and sets out recommendations and action plans to address violence against women in political parties.

February 21, 2019

NDI Initiative Reinvigorates Efforts to Tackle the Discouraging Impact of Violence Against Women in Political Parties

NDI has taken a leading role in documenting and tackling the issue of Violence Against Women in Political Parties (VAW-PP). Over the past two years, through its No Party to Violence initiative, NDI conducted research with 25 political parties across Côte d’Ivoire, Honduras, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

Win With Women: Building Inclusive 21st Century Parties

The Win With Women Political Party Assessment (WWW Assessment) is an initiative designed to help political parties become more inclusive and representative through an assessment that gauges men and women's perceptions of women in leadership, the types of social norms held by members of parties, and the individual, institutional and socio-cultural barriers to gender equality.

Read more about Win With Women: Building Inclusive 21st Century Parties

Focus Group Report: Opening Up New Opportunities for Women in Iraq, December 2018

A new round of focus groups primarily in Iraq’s recently liberated and disputed areas reveals how the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), along with growing public awareness of the lack of women’s equality in Iraq, has contributed to demand for more rights and freedoms for Iraqi women. However, this drive toward a better status within society for women is far from complete and clashes with pervasive resistance to a larger role for women in household decision making, the workforce, and politics.

December 21, 2018

Iraqi Women Lead Peace and Reconciliation Campaign, Bridging Sectarian Divides

A group of Iraqi women peace activists stood together this month to urge the government of Iraq and the international community to engage in open and honest dialogue on national reconciliation. With support from NDI, they convened the Women in Peacebuilding Symposium on December 5 to share their ideas, bringing together over 200 decision makers from the government, civil society, and international organizations. The 40 women, despite coming from ethnically and geographically diverse backgrounds, joined together to present a united vision for reconciliation in Iraq and a step-by-step, research-based strategy on how to implement it. In a country where the focus remains on the challenges that led to conflict, these women are leading an effort to refocus on solutions.

Violence Against Women in Politics: Study of Political Parties in Guatemala

In 2018, NDI implemented a political party assessment tool and supported the development of action plans to increase women’s participation and gender equity in political parties in Guatemala. This assessment methodology is a new iteration of NDI’s Win with Women Global Initiative Assessment Tool for Political Parties, which has been updated to reflect the most recent best practices for promoting women’s political participation within political parties, including addressing violence against women.

NDI Launches #think10 - A Groundbreaking Safety Planning Tool Designed to Safeguard Women in Politics

Washington, DC - The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has launched #think10 (go to think10[dot]demcloud[dot]org), an innovative safety planning tool for politically-active women. #think10 was developed by the Institute’s Gender, Women and Democracy team, which initiated the #NotTheCost campaign in 2016.

National Democratic Institute Supports UN Special Rapporteur Dr. Dubravka Šimonović’s Report on Stopping Violence Against Women in Politics

Washington, DC -The National Democratic Institute (NDI) supports and endorses the United Nations' report on stopping violence against women in politics, which will be presented to the General Assembly today by UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Dr. Dubravaka Šimonović. Dr. Simonovic’s report has been strongly influenced by NDI’s Gender, Women and Democracy team’s submission which highlights the forms and impact of the violence experienced by women in politics all over the world.

#NotTheCost: Stopping Violence Against Women in Politics

In 2016, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) launched the #NotTheCost campaign to stop violence against women in politics, declaring that violence should not be the cost of women’s political participation. Since its launch, the #NotTheCost campaign and the issue have gained global recognition and momentum, leading to a series of important achievements.

Read more about #NotTheCost: Stopping Violence Against Women in Politics