Are women getting their say in politics?
How has women’s participation in politics changed in the last 20 years in the OSCE region? A new guide published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in February 2016 examines the trends and brings together a wealth of good practices on advancing women’s position in politics.
The release of publication - the Compendium of Good Practices for Advancing Women’s Political Participation in the OSCE Region - follows the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, an international forum of activists and governments, working for women’s empowerment everywhere.
The Beijing Conference made clear that “women’s rights are human rights.” It also catalyzed a global movement that over the last 20 years has contributed significantly to economic, political and social progress. Much, however, remains to be done. The Platform for Action remains a blueprint against which we continue to measure our progress to this day. The 20th anniversary of Beijing should serve to encourage us to continue our work for gender equality around the globe.
Melanne Verveer, the Special Representative for Gender for the OSCE Chairpersonship
Ensuring equal rights and opportunities between women and men is not only the right thing to do, it is also smart policy. Women and men are better off when they work together as equals whether in politics or business. The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action recognized the vital role men can play in promoting and achieving gender equality. As chair of the OSCE MenEngage network I am proud to be a part of a rapidly growing movement of men who stand up for gender equality and reject stereotypical ideas of masculinities and manhood.
Auðunn Atlason, Iceland’s Ambassador to the OSCE and the Chair of the OSCE MenEngage Network
Learn more about the challenges facing women in politics in our infographic, which is based on statistical data in the compendium.
Click the image below to access the high resolution version of the visual.
Download the PNG version (1.48 MB).
