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On International Women's Day 2022, WFD launched a 12-month-long project aimed to advance women's political participation and leadership in the Moroccan House of Representatives. One year down the line – as we celebrate International Women’s Day in 2023 – we look at the outcomes achieved through this Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) supported programme.
It is our responsibility to reimagine the political system designed around men and gendered ideas of leadership, argues WFD's Cecillia Makonyola. If we cannot imagine it, we will never have a system that values women’s labour in all its forms. Beginning on International Women’s Day, let's reimagine politics as it should be; the work of women.
Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and the American University of Armenia (AUA) Energy Transitions for Climate Solutions Initiative (Energy4Climate) recently organized a roundtable discussion on Armenia's energy security. The programme aimed at creating a dialogue to examine the potential of enhancing Armenia’s energy security through national policies and strategies.
The shrinking space for women, young people, and persons with disabilities in the political process requires continuous engagement with various stakeholders on the importance of inclusive governance. To support this engagement, WFD recently implemented activities in Nigeria reinforcing the use of the new media to promote inclusion.
Democracies need everyone to be represented in decision-making. We all lose out if women are left out. We need more women’s leadership. WFD programmes and research around the world have demonstrated what stands in the way of women’s leadership and the benefits it brings. We have also learned how we can support it.
The Scottish National Party WFD programme continued to promote women's political leadership in Southern Africa by hosting a three-day conference for Malawian women parliamentarians to share experience, knowledge, and ideas.
We will not be able to respond to every threat to democracy but acknowledging that different approaches are needed can help to make the global change we want to see.
WFD launched a new programme which aims to increase the engagement of the Armenian National Assembly and political parties in climate change and energy policy.
General elections in Sierra Leone will be held mid-2023. However, there still exists deep gender imbalances in the country’s political context. From prejudices against women’s leadership to political and traditional barriers that continue to threaten women’s political participation and inclusion.
If election management bodies do not have a plan for effective, multi-year strategic communications, credible election processes risk being undermined by disinformation.
Between 2019 and 2022, WFD implemented a programme in Lebanon that provided institutional and legal guidance and support to parliamentary committees. WFD’s role centred on supporting the Lebanese Parliament’s efforts to engage citizens in decision-making processes in the face of economic and political crises.
Think of the biggest global contest, complete with high profile sponsors, defending champions, resurgent challengers, and breakthrough countries carrying the hopes of whole regions. And we’re in extra time, praying that the match doesn’t end with a penalty shoot out. It’s not the World Cup, but that’s what the struggle between democrats and autocrats as 2022 becomes 2023 and we prepare for the year ahead.
On December 5-6, 2022, the League of Arab States (LAS) launched the Arab Declaration on Combating all Forms of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a two-day high-level event in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
No matter the analytical tools and methodologies, the evidence is clear: patriarchy, masculinity, and biased gender norms underpin violence across all times, phases or conditions. At the core are unequal relations between women and men and the concept that men should power over women and girls.
In December WFD co-hosted the 5th Bali Civil Society & Media Forum and participated in the 15th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF). During a panel discussion focused on democracyat the heart of ensuring fair and equitable access to global public goods, WFD’s Environmental Democracy Adviser Rafael Jiménez-Aybar shared his thoughts on the intersection of democracy and climate change.
