REPORTS

Women in International/Comparative Politics

Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009: Who Answers to Women? Gender and Accountability.

Gender Audit Report
The European Women’s Lobby 50/50 Campaign for Democracy, running since September 2008, published on 20 May 2009 a Gender Audit Report of Electoral Lists and Political Programmes, in view of the European elections of 4-7 June 2009. The Gender Audit looks at political programmes and electoral lists for the European elections from a women’s rights perspective. It evaluates the political parties’ commitment to gender equality in view of the European Parliament elections 2009 and encourages voters to be involved in European politics.

The Global Gender Gap Report 2008

Equal Voice's Submission to the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform - January 15, 2007

A Global Analysis: What Has Worked for Women in Politics and What Has Not - 1975-1998
by Christine Pintat, Assistant Secretary General of the Inter-parliamentary Union

Women in Politics: 60 years in retrospect

Women in Politics: 1945 - 2005 Interparliamentary Union - February 1, 2006

Going for Gender Balance
July 2002, Produced by the Council of Europe
This report provides information on good practices for balanced representation in political and social decision-making, a guide to awareness-raising strategies, and provides examples of European gender-awareness campaigns.

United Nations Development Programme
2000
Women's Political Participation and Good Governance - 21st Century Challenges

Gender equality and children's wellbeing go hand in hand, says new UNICEF report
December 11, 2006
Calling for more action to counter pervasive discrimination against women, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today launched a report highlighting that "gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand," and recommending a raft of measures, from greater investment in girls' education to imposing quotas ensuring woman are better represented in politics.

The Participation of Women and Men in Decision-Making:
The Parliamentary Dimension Background Paper
This background paper was prepared by the IPU, for the Expert Group Meeting on "Equal participation of women and men in decision- making processes, with particular emphasis on political participation and leadership" 24-27 October 2005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Quotas as a "Fast Track" to Equal Political Representation for Women Why Scandinavia is no longer the model
by Drude Dahlerup and Lenita Freidenvall - July 2003

Plan of Action to correct present imbalances in the Participation of Men and Women in Political Life
Adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Council,(Paris, 26 March 1994).

The World Bank: Are Women Really the "Fairer" Sex? Corruption and Women in Government.
October 1999
This world bank report suggests that women should be particularly effective in promoting honest government. The greater the number of women elected to a national parliament, the lower the level of corruption.

Strategies for Increasing Women's Participation in Government Case Study of Rwanda
Prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Democratic Governance in Africa, December 2005

UN Commission on the Status of Women
February 5, 2006 - In 2006, one of the themes of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is "Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels."

Looking to France for Ways to Improve Canada's Representative Democracy?
May 30, 2002

World Bank Creates a Group Action Plan Entitled - "Gender Equality As Smart Economics"

What lessons can be drawn for Canada from France's new parity law
November 2001

Zambia, MMP and women, WILFRED A. DAY Equal Voice/A Voix Egale member
September 2, 2004

"Women Insight" Interparliamentary Union
January 2000
The Inter-Parliamentary Union gathered its data direct from about 200 women politicians in 65 countries who responded to a written interview on their experiences in politics.

Participation of Women in Political Life
August 1999
An assessment of developments in national parliaments, political parties, governments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, five years after the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Comparative Studies of Electoral Gender Quotas - The Implementation of Quotas: Latin American Experiences
by Drude Dahlerup, Stockholm University, Sweden
"The introduction of effective quota systems represents a change in public equality policy, from 'equal opportunities' to 'equality of results'. Quota systems thus represent a break with the widespread gradualism in equality policies...I will, however, argue that the Scandinavian experience cannot be considered a model today, because it took 80 years to get that far. Today, the women of the world are not willing to wait that long.... The Swedish principle of 'every second a women' is not even considered a quota system by the general public, even if it is in fact a radical one, demanding and, in many cases, leading to 50 percent of each sex."

"Quotas are Changing the History of Women" - The Implementation of Quotas: African Experiences
Pretoria, South Africa, 11-12 November 2003 By Drude Dahlerup,Stockholm University, Sweden
A paper presented at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)/Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA)/Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum Conference.