Parliaments and political parties
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 exacerbated and brought to the fore pre-existing inequalities disproportionately affecting women, girls and vulnerable groups in all socio-economic areas, reducing them to greater exclusion and poverty.
Support to political parties is perhaps the most difficult, and most criticized, form of democracy promotion. Despite this, there is relatively little research identifying how it might be made more effective. This policy paper draws on the body of practice accumulated by UK political parties, through programmes funded via the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, to help fill that gap. It examines what their distinctive approach to political party strengthening contributes to democracy promotion and identifies where these approaches work best.