Gender Equality in Politics

This project aims to increase women’s political empowerment and strengthen Parliaments’ actions in selected countries in support of poor and marginalized groups. The six targeted parliaments are Djibouti Mali Mauritania Myanmar Sierra Leone and Tanzania. This project responds to the department’s core responsibilities and priorities particularly in the Inclusive Governance Action Area of the Feminist International Assistance Policy. Building more equal and representative parliaments for all sectors of a population contributes to poverty reduction by giving a voice to women. This also opens parliaments to civil society promotes outreach and dialogue with the most vulnerable and strengthens the skills capacity and authority of parliaments and their members. Project activities include: (1) supporting parliaments to improve their capacity to address women’s rights and become more gender-sensitive; (2) facilitating women's access to parliaments by building their skills and technical capacity; (3) developing training workshops and knowledge products that reflect women's interests needs and priorities and that addresses discrimination and violence against women and girls as well as tackles harmful traditional practices; and (4) supports the compilation of research and data on women in politics. This project expects to benefit women and girls with men also targeted by some project activities approximately 500 members of Parliaments (of whom are 250 women) and an additional 250 parliamentary staff will be engaged and targeted by project activities.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) ensuring that Parliaments become gender-sensitive institutions that promote the effective contribution of women parliamentarians; and (2) developed and strengthened legal and policy frameworks that reflect women's interests needs and priorities such as addressing discrimination and violence against women and girls and harmful traditional practices.