On November 12, 2015, the Malian National Assembly adopted a historic gender quota bill. The new law, which requires that at least 30 percent of elected or appointed officials be women, is a result of concerted action to reverse several years of negative trends in women’s   representation in positions of power.

Georgia witnessed a chilling bout of violence against women and domestic violence in 2014. Almost every month, at least one woman was murdered by her partner, husband or ex-boyfriend. The deaths of many of these women, often at knifepoint or by gunshot, orphaned children who had no other responsible caregivers.

Editor's Note: This op-ed written by former Secretary of State and NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright was published in CNN Opinion on International Women's Day, March 8, 2016. NDI will be launching a global campaign to stop violence against women in politics on March 17, 2016, in New York City. Click here for more information

Widespread sexual violence has characterized the conflict in Syria since its inception. The threat of rape, sexual slavery, and forced marriage impacts every aspect of the lives of Syrian women and girls, and such violence has continually worsened as the country’s civil war heads into its sixth year.

“Small things make big things happen, and this event reminded me of that.” This comment from a participant who attended NDI’s interactive weekend training session in Ohrid, Macedonia, reflected the elevated mood of her peers. Between December 11 and 13, nearly 100 women from 16 political parties participated in the first session of the Women in Politics training series, which focused on the 2016 parliamentary elections. The series is intended to prepare more women to run for and win national and local political office.