Young women activists from around the world have been leaders in the movement to combat climate change — organizing protests, rallies, strikes, sit-ins and lawsuits to fight for political and social change. As Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate said in NDI’s Changing the Face of Politics podcast series, "It is a surprise to them to see young women coming up, and demanding for climate action.

Countries in the Pacific Islands have some of the lowest rates of women’s political participation and highest levels of gender-based violence in the world. Historically, women have been excluded from political structures and processes, which are dominated by patriarchal and traditional tribal norms.

For years, Georgia has held an election nearly every October, whether for local, parliamentary or presidential offices. The faces of political leaders are thus often plastered across walls, billboards and TV broadcasts. Yet, these images have one clear common characteristic: they’re almost uniformly men. Women face multiple barriers to enter into politics, including prevailing gender stereotypes and institutional obstacles, and often face harassment, threats and violence.

Legislatures are the representative body of a nation’s people. To be effective, they must incorporate and represent all citizens, including equal representation of women. Ensuring gender balance in parliament reflects an important commitment to women’s human rights and responsive policymaking. 

Barriers to women’s political participation have long existed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Conflict, gender-based violence, disempowerment, and restrictive laws all represent continued challenges that women face throughout the region. Pro-democracy protests have been sweeping across MENA for over a decade, leaving the countries of the region with no choice but to re-evaluate the place of women in their societies. Women who were at the forefront of demonstrations also deserved to be at the forefront of politics.