Policy Brief
Women’s Preparatory Conference Conclusions
Progress in meeting the Oslo priorities for women identified in the 2005 Oslo Donors Consortium has been slow. We would like to reaffirm the urgency and continued relevance of each of those priorities. We are particularly concerned about the persistence of extremely poor human development indicators in relation to women and girls’ literacy, maternal mortality, […]
Research
Demonstrating Legislative Leadership: The Introduction of Rwanda’s Gender-Based Violence Bill
In August 2006, members of Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies debated the landmark “Draft Law on Prevention, Protection and Punishment of Any Gender Based Violence.” Importantly, the bill—developed by Rwanda’s Forum of Rwandan Women Parliamentarians (FFRP) over a two-year process of public involvement—was the first substantive piece of legislation developed by the legislature since its election […]
Research
Defending Children’s Rights: The Legislative Priorities of Rwandan Women Parliamentarians
Inclusion of women in national legislatures has had positive policy outcomes for children and families. Global analyses, and the Rwanda case in particular, indicate that female legislators are more likely to prioritize issues such as family health and welfare, and the defense of children’s rights. This publication draws on extensive interviews with parliamentarians and others, […]
Research
Engendering Rwanda’s Decentralization: Supporting Women Candidates for Local Office
In May 2003 Rwanda ratified a constitution that established a 30 percent quota for women’s participation in all “decision-making organs.” Quotas like this are of critical importance for increasing women’s representation in local government. The interpretation of those quotas, however, is equally important. This publication presents a review of the literature on women and local […]
Policy Brief
Strengthening Post-Conflict Legislatures
Productive, strong legislatures are central to healthy democracies in post-conflict countries, fostering political pluralism and acting as a check on the executive branch. Yet too often, following a conflict, parliaments are weakened by internal divisiveness, the limited experience and skill of members, staffing shortages, and an overwhelming legislative agenda. Increasing women’s representation in government can […]
Policy Brief
Combating Gender-Based Violence
Widespread gender-based violence is common during and after armed conflict. Often, this pattern corresponds to a deficiency in the institutional mechanisms and rule of law meant to prevent and punish such crimes. Because women legislators frequently spearhead efforts to address gender-based violence, increasing their roles in government can be instrumental to combating the problem. Part […]
Policy Brief
Increasing Women’s Participation in Local Government
Devolving authority from central to local authorities can enhance government’s legitimacy and increase its accountability to citizens. Moreover, the process of decentralization can facilitate the democratic participation of groups that are frequently marginalized within formal governing structures. Women are one such group, and their policy priorities often include the issues that affect their families’ daily […]
Policy Brief
Promoting Male-Female Collaboration in Legislatures
Women are capturing an increasing share of seats in post-conflict legislatures around the world. Evidence indicates that they are vital to ensuring that countries make necessary social investments in children’s and women’s rights, health care, and education; however, these lawmakers are more likely to succeed when they collaborate with male counterparts and when issues are […]
Policy Brief
Designing Programs to Increase Women’s Participation in Local Government
Devolving authority from central to local government offers a critical opportunity to ensure wider representation and improve post-conflict democracy. When elected, female officials in particular can enhance the legitimacy of local government, improve service delivery, and facilitate communication with the local population. Yet too often women are not given the information, training, and support necessary […]
Policy Brief
Fostering Citizen Participation in the Development of Legislation
Participatory processes are critical to improving governance in post-conflict countries. Involving the public in creating legislation increases a government’s legitimacy and the likelihood that nascent democracies remain stable and continue to develop. Yet post-conflict societies, especially those unaccustomed to democracy, require extra support to open legislative and other policymaking processes. Part of a series that […]
