home

Women@Work to End Violence: Voices in Cyberspace
This publication offers excerpts taken from the "end-violence" online Working Group in which thousands of members shared their ideas, best practices and lessons learned to eradicate the gender-based violence. The Working Group has been sponsored by UNIFEM in collaboration with the Education Development Center, Inc., the World Bank and the Global Knowledge Partnership. TOP | HOME

Toolkit to end violence against women
To provide concrete guidance to communities, policy leaders, and individuals engaged in activities to end violence against women, the National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women developed the Toolkit To End Violence Against Women (USA). The recommendations contained in the Toolkit were reviewed by numerous experts in the fields of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. Each Toolkit chapter focuses on a particular audience or environment and includes recommendations for strengthening prevention efforts and improving services and advocacy for victims. We encourage you to consult all chapters of the Toolkit for instruction, guidance, and inspiration. TOP | HOME

Fact sheet: violence against women
One in every three women worldwide has been beaten, raped, coerced into sex or physically abused in some way -- usually by someone she knows. On the street, in the workplace and at home, personal violence kills or incapacitates as many women ages 15-40 as cancer, and causes more ill-health than malaria and accidents combined. It devastates lives, fractures communities and cripples development. Where women are considered property, such violence is often an indirect attack by one man upon another, with the woman caught in the middle.
TOP | HOME

VAW online resources (USA)
Up-to-date information on interventions to stop violence against women for criminal justice practitioners, advocates, and social service professionals with the latest in research and promising practices regarding issues of domestic violence, stalking, batterer intervention programs, child custody & protection, sexual assault, and welfare reform.
TOP | HOME

Protection of women in armed conflicts
Under international humanitarian law, which primarily protects the most vulnerable, women are consequently entitled to special protection which the States have the duty to respect and ensure. Here is the extract from "Protection of the civilian population in periods of armed conflict, formulated during the 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
TOP | HOME

---

Women and the Economy
What does the collapse of the Cancun Ministerial
mean for women's rights in development?
Woith the collapse of the Cancun talks gender advocates must maintain their vigilance of the World Trade Organization and continue working to transform the system of global governance into a democratic, transparent, accountable system that facilitates, not impedes, the attainment of human rights by all. This system is in crisis and the failure in Cancun may have dealt a crippling blow. Monitoring negotiations in Geneva is more difficult for most gender advocates however, so building coalitions and effectively sharing information throughout our networks becomes more important than ever. Download the document from our server. TOP | HOME

Promoting gender equality: a resource kit for trade unions
A resource kit targeted to trade unions and other types of organizations has been produced to help raise awareness about gender issues and promote gender equality within unions. Promoting Gender Equality: Resource Kit for Trade Unions, published by the ILO Gender Promotion Programme (GENPROM), was developed through collaboration with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) as well as various national trade unions. The kit addresses issues including: promoting gender equality through collective bargaining; guidelines for gender equality bargaining; organizing the unorganized; the informal economy and other unprotected workers; organizing in diversity; and promoting women workers' rights through alliances and solidarity. TOP | HOME

Women and men in the informal economy
On the occasion of the 90th Session of the International Labour Conference, held in June 2002 in Geneva, the ILO issued a report on Women and Men in the Informal Economy. The report includes an up-to-date statistical summary and analyses of the situations and characteristics of employment of women and men in the informal economy in selected countries, based on available data. It also features recommendations on measures to improve statistics and data on the informal economy for policy making. The statistics in the report were analyzed and presented according to the new conceptual framework for the informal economy; this framework was proposed in the ILO report on Decent Work and the Informal Economy, which was discussed at the International Labour Conference. TOP | HOME

Gender Inequality, Income, and Growth: Are Good Times Good for Women?
The relative status of women is poor in the developing world, compared to developed countries. Increases in per capita income lead to improvements in different measures of gender equality, suggesting that there may be market failures hindering investment in girls in developing countries, and that these are typically overcome as development proceeds. Gender inequality in education and health can also be explained to a considerable extent by religious preference, regional factors, and civil freedom. These systematic patterns in gender differentials suggest that low investment in women is not an efficient economic choice, and we can show that gender inequality in education is bad for economic growth. Thus, societies that have a preference for not investing in girls pay a price for it in terms of slower growth and reduced income.
TOP | HOME

Progress of the world's women 2000
This report examines the progress of the world's women from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s. It concentrates on the economic dimensions of gender equality and women's empowerment in the context of globalization. It assesses women's progress using a variety of indicators and examines the issue of accountability, focusing in particular on government accountability for the gender impact of their policies and programmes, including national budgets, and on corporate accountability for the social impact of their operations. Finally, it explores ways in which globalization can be reshaped to promote the progress of poor women. TOP | HOME

Women in Business and Globalization
If women are to successfully meet the challenges of globalization and liberalization they must deal with the following realizations such as the need to practice what we preach: Our businesses have to be women-friendly. Likewise, we have to be in the forefront of espousing fair trade practices as well as transparency and accountability among private businesses. More from this paper presented by Isabelita Sy-Palanca, President of the Women's Business Council of the Philippines and Deputy Chair of the Confederation of Women's Business Councils - APEC.
TOP | HOME

Fact sheet: improving women's economic status
Major gaps continue between the economic opportunities and status afforded to women and those offered to men -- in training, credit, employment opportunities, workplace roles and wages. Yet women's economic integration is a powerful impetus for economic, social and environmental progress. Improving women's economic status clearly helps to save lives by promoting health, encouraging economic progress, and enhancing the social status of women.
TOP | HOME

---

Human Rights of Women
Second class: The legal status of Iranian women (2000)
In many ways, the Iranian revolution has brought to the fore the discrepancy between reality and mental perceptions. But in no other respect has the inconsistency been more apparent than in the private and social lives of women. Soon after the revolution, Iranian women came to discover the gap between the reality before them and the expectations that had prompted them to take an active role in the course of the revolution. They also realized the challenge that this gap was to pose before them. It is because of the impact of the events resulting from this historical challenge that many believe that the revolution has given birth to a kind of paradox in the life of the Iranian women. TOP | HOME

1998: A wonderful year for women's human rights? (1998)
This paper looks at some aspects of the UN's human rights standards and machinery and how they might become more relevant to the human rights of women at both the national and the international levels. Amnesty International promotes awareness of and adherence to all the rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally recognized human rights instruments, the values enshrined in them, and the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights and freedoms. TOP | HOME

Connecting the global and the local: Women’s human rights movements and the critique of globalization
In this interview by WHRNet, Josefa Francisco talks about WAGI’s work, the importance of international women’s human rights advocacy in national/local struggles, and the need for strong linkages between global and national/local struggles. She explains why feminists in the South should counter neo-liberalist globalization, discusses some problems with the women’s movement at global and national/local levels, gives a critique of the Northern rights language discourse, and offers advice to younger feminists. TOP | HOME

Bringing equality home
From the Foreword: "This booklet does not attempt to provide an exhaustive listing of all of the work that has been done with CEDAW to date, and many of the initiatives it describes are still very much in progress. What it provides is a collection of 'snapshots' of a dynamic process currently taking place around the world as societies explore ways of using the Convention to bring concrete improvements to women's daily lives." TOP | HOME

State Policies and Women’s Autonomy in China, The Republic of Korea, and India 1950-2000: Lessons From Contrasting Experiences
We compare changes in gender roles and women’s empowerment in China, the Republic of Korea, and India. Around 1950, when all these countries had new governments following revolution or the end of colonial rule, they were largely poor and agrarian, with many cultural commonalities which placed similar severe constraints on women’s autonomy. They adopted very different paths of development, which are known to have profoundly affected development outcomes in these countries. However, these choices have also had tremendous impact on gender outcomes, and today these countries show striking differences in the extent of gender equity achieved: China has achieved the most, and the Republic of Korea the least. We conclude that: (a) States can exert enormous influence over gender equity. They can mitigate cultural influences on women’s autonomy (as in China and India), or slow down the pace of change in gender equity despite rapid integration of women in education, formal employment and urbanization (as in the Republic of Korea). (b) The impact of policies to provide opportunities for women’s empowerment can be greatly enhanced if accompanied by communication efforts to alter cultural values which place heavy constraints to women’s accessing these opportunities. TOP | HOME

Engendering development: Through gender equality in rights, resources and voice.
Gender discrimination remains pervasive in many dimensions of life—worldwide. This is so despite considerable advances in gender equality in recent decades. The nature and extent of the discrimination vary considerably across countries and regions. But the patterns are striking. In no region of the developing world are women equal to men in legal, social, and economic rights. Gender gaps are widespread in access to and control of resources, in economic opportunities, in power, and political voice. Women and girls bear the largest and most direct costs of these inequalities—but the costs cut more broadly across society, ultimately harming everyone. Gender equality is a core development issue—a development objective in its own right.
TOP | HOME

Fact sheet: advancing women's human rights
The concept of empowerment for women saves their lives not only physically but in a qualitative sense. Advancing women's human rights gives them options beyond childbearing and the autonomy to make those choices free of coercion. This enriches the women's families and communities as well.
TOP | HOME

Women 2000: An Investigation into the Status of Women’s Rights in Central and South-Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States
This is the result of the first investigation ever conducted to compare and contrast the status of women across the broad expanse of the former Soviet Union. The final report details the status of women’s rights in twenty-nine countries, examining aspects such as the legal framework and national machinery addressing discrimination against women; educational opportunities; women’s participation in public life, politics, media, the business sector, academia and civil society; violence against women, including sexual violence; women’s de facto exploitation by way of prostitution and trafficking in women; the situation of women within distinctive and vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, sexual minorities and prisoners or the situation of women and armed conflict and as refugees. Download this document in PDF format.
TOP | HOME

The human rights of women
This is a reference guide to official United Nations documents on the human rights of women.
TOP | HOME

Background paper on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia
This is a UNIFEM background paper integrating gender into the Third World Conference against Racism, Racila Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
TOP | HOME

---

Women and Media
Women and media: Progress and issues (2003)
According to the results of an online discussion intiated by WomenWatch there have been few improvements in media portrayal of women both in advertising and news coverage. Women still scarcely occupy decision-making positions in media organizations. Technological developments have made women's images in media more complex and contributed to unattainable social expectations surrounding women's beauty and abilities. However, it also noted that women and media monitoring groups have made some contributions in promoting positive images and role of women in media. Download the document. TOP | HOME

Overcoming the gender digital divide: Understanding ICTs and their potential for the empowerment of women (2003)
This research paper offers research findings on the potential of ICTs and how they can empower and transform women's lives. This burgeoning potential will not be realised, the authors assert, until women of all nations compound efforts to better inform policy-makers of the needs of women in relation to the access and use of ICTs, and the need to shape policy formation accordingly. Download the document. TOP | HOME

Gender, information technology, and developing countries: An analytic study (1998)
Information technology (IT) has become a potent force in transforming social, economic, and political life globally. Without its incorporation into the information age, there is little chance for countries or regions to develop. More and more concern is being shown about the impact of those left on the other side of the digital divide - the division between the information "haves" and "have nots." Most women within developing countries are in the deepest part of the divide - further removed from the information age than the men whose poverty they share. If access to and use of these technologies is directly linked to social and economic development, then it is imperative to ensure that women in developing countries understand the significance of these technologies and use them. If not, they will become further marginalized from the mainstream of their countries and of the world. It is essential that gender issues be considered early in the process of the introduction of information technology in developing countries so that gender concerns can be incorporated from the beginning and not as a corrective afterwards. Many people dismiss the concern for gender and IT in developing countries on the basis that development should deal with basic needs first. However, it is not a choice between one and the other. IT can be an important tool in meeting women's basic needs and can provide the access to resources to lead women out of poverty. TOP | HOME

ICTs as an instrument in advancing girls’ and women’s capabilities in school education in Africa
Any interrogation into the use ICTs as a tool for the advancement of African girls
and women in education has to confront three major contextual areas:
educational and development issues, ICT issues and gender issues and the
confluence between these. This paper contends that a clear conceptual
framework in problematising the education crisis from a developmental,
gendered and ICT perspective is lacking and is critical in providing conceptual
clarity on appropriate strategies for using ICTs as a tool for women’s
empowerment particularly in Africa. TOP | HOME

Gender Issues in Information Technology Communication
In a women's list group, one member (tagged CP) jumped in and suggested that one of the discussants (tagged DH) had to be a male despite the obviously female name used. According to CP, who acknowledged herself as female, because DH was always critical in her/his messages regarding the issues discussed and was aggressive in asserting his/her ideas, DH had to be a man. CP also attributed her suspicion that DH was a man to the language DH used. While the sexual identity of a member of a list-group may be concealed, apparently, some can still detect this through the language the person uses. This is a report published by Isis International - Manila. TOP | HOME

Telecentres for universal access: Engendered policy options
The concept of community-based telecentres recently gained widespread attention as a vital response to the perpetual lack of access to information and communication technologies and services in the developing world. While telecentres are not an entirely new idea, the strong emphasis on this new policy option offers an intriguing and encouraging approach to overcoming the wide disparities of access in the global information society, and as such, provide opportunities for developing societies and historically disadvantaged regions and populations to participate in the newly emerging social and economic orders. This is a report published by Isis International - Manila. TOP | HOME

Women Connect! Case study of an alternative communication model
For women’s organisations engaged in outreach—whether to community members or to politicians, legislators and the media, communication skills are crucial. Today the communication strategies of women’s non-government organisations (NGOs) span a broad range—from posters, folk drama, and slogan-bearing t-shirts to the Internet and Websites. However, many, if not most, women’s organisations, in both developed and developing countries, know they still have much to learn about communication—be it traditional media, mass media or modern information technology. This is a report published by Isis International - Manila. TOP | HOME

Get in and Get in early: Ensuring women’s access to and participation in ICT Projects
Recent research on Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based projects shows that the majority of these projects developed and funded by major donors do not consider gender an important component of project design and, consequently, fail to address the demands of women in the targeted communities and provide them access to ICT. This is a report published by Isis International - Manila. TOP | HOME

Transforming infomation and communications technologies (ICTs) for gender equality
This monograph examines how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can contribute to sustainable human development (SHD), and specifically its gender equality and women’s empowerment goals. It shows that this outcome is neither automatic nor inevitable. On the contrary, factors inherent in the manner in which ICTs have been developed and used threaten the achievement of SHD and its gender equality objectives. It is therefore important for development thinkers and practitioners to understand the technological and institutional changes that are shaping the production, use and rapid diffusion of ICTS, whether they are working on specific gender or more general development issues. The monograph is intended to contribute to that understanding. TOP | HOME


Partnership with media for transformative leadership
The concept of transformative leadership still has to acquire a wide following in the mainline media - not because of opposition or sceptism to the idea but simply due to lack of its wide dissemination. This is the paper presented by Angana Parekh of Women's Feature Service-India during the Asia-Pacific Congress and Training of Women and Men in Media, and Women in Politics, Governance and Decision-making on Transformative Leadership held in Manila, Philippines on 8-10 November 2001.
TOP | HOME

Gender analysis of telecenter evaluation methodology
This document sets out to address the question of how gender can be meaningfully integrated into telecentre evaluation methodologies. It is animated by African experiences and examples and specifically by South African experiences and examples. Specifically in terms of primary research with women and men working as telecentre operators and managers, with women and men in communities serviced by telecentres and an investigation of similarities of these experiences across countries and continents in the developing world.
TOP | HOME

Gender and Information and Communications Technology (ICT): Towards an analyticalk framework
This paper presents a range of perspectives on gender and information and communication technology (ICT) drawn from a review of the literature. The aim is to present some of the major debates and critiques of ICT to highlight some important issues of concern for women. It also provides an analytical framework from which to view women’s global participation in, need for and critique of computer networking. The framework builds on an initial one developed for our second research study: Women Working in ICT.
TOP | HOME

Access to media: Best practices, obstacles and challenges
Over the last five years, women have made significant advances in gaining access to media. They have also become aware of important hurdles. This document, included in the CSW Media Caucus Information Pack, attempts to unpack these experiences.
TOP | HOME

Women meeting the challenge: A handbook for media leadership
This is filled with practical solutions to the barriers that hold women back from reaching their leadership potential. It draws upon the discussions at CSLI and other AWMC programs to create a guide for women aspiring to leadership in the news media. It uses recent studies to demonstrate where African women stand as leaders in the media.
TOP | HOME

Directory of women's media
This is a directory of women's media organizations in print periodicals, internet and other women's media compiled by the Women Institute for Press Freedom.
TOP | HOME

Women working with media for development and democracy
This is a directory of women's organizations working with media.
TOP | HOME

---

Women and Environment
Women's action agenda for a healthy planet (2002)
This is the preliminary draft as of October 23, 2001. It has the following ten themes: Governance and Sustainable Development; Globalisation and the claim for transparency and accountability in the institutions of the Global System; Socio-environmental Dimensions of Conflicts and the Arms Race; Role Of Women In Peace Building; Tensions between the Free Market Ideology and Sustainable Production and Consumption Goals; Women's Right to Access and Control Over Global Public Goods; Women's Sexual And Reproductive Health and Rights and the Environment; Environmental Security: Protecting The Health of Present and Future Generations; Protection of Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge and Resources; Gender Dimension of Sustainable Cities; Gaps and Opportunities in Education, Communication and Information Technologies
TOP | HOME

 

---

Women and Health
Women's reproductive health in the Middle East and North Africa (2003)
About half of the 10 million women who give birth each year in the Middle East and North Africa have some kind of complication, with more then 1 million of them suffering serious injuries that lead to long-term illness.

Translating Reproductive Rights Into Reality (2002)
There is a global call for reproductive health and rights, but the reality of getting the care and supplies to the people who need them is a challenge. TOP | HOME

Women's health
This is a links page of organizations and online resources on women's health.
TOP | HOME

Gender and HIV/AIDS
The document offers an overview of gender and HIV/AIDS. The author discusses current infection rates and trends of HIV in women. She states that the traditional health based approach is not sufficient in tackling the epidemic, that it is necessary to look at gender inequality, sexual politics and what is called the third epidemic, which moves beyond the medical to the social and refers to the denial, blame, stigmatisation, prejudice and discrimination which is present in every country dealing with HIV/AIDS. The paper argues for HIV/AIDS to be addressed with a gendered, rights based approach. A number of research papers and agreements are discussed in support of the argument that HIV/AIDS is a human rights issue. TOP | HOME

Gender and HIV/AIDS: Supporting Resources Collection
This document collates key resources on gender and HIV/AIDS. These are divided into:
* Key texts in the subject
* case studies of good practice
* tools and guides
* courses
* web resources
* networking and contact details

TOP | HOME

---

Women in Power and Decision-Making
Women and Politics in Asia (2004)
This is the March 2004 issue of NIASnytt, a publication of the Nordic Institute on Asian Studies. Included in this issue are the following articles: Fresh insights and perspectives on women and politics in Asia; Sons and daughters: Benevolent patriarchy in Singapore; Under-representation of women in Thai politics; Women, citizenship and the politics of dress in Twentieth Century Philippines; When competitive elections in China let the women down; and Quota systems in Pakistan under the Musharraf regime. Download the document from our server. TOP | HOME

Women and politics in Asia (2004)
This bibliography provides a source for further reading to the NIASnytt: Asia Insights 2004:1Theme: Women and politics in Asia and is compiled by Anja Moller Rasmussen and Per Hansen, NIAS Library and Information Center, NIAS. It contains references to books, chapters in books and journal and newspaper articles. The references are selected from the databases Bibliography of Asian studie, databases on social sciences. Download the document from our server. TOP | HOME

Women elected in 2003
In January 2004, a new world record has been reached, with women comprising 15.2 % in both upper and lower houses. Only 14 countries have reached the 30% threshold, commonly considered necessary for women to have an impact on parliament. Download the document from our server. TOP | HOME

Women and political participation (2003)
Political participation strategies include mechanisms that enhance women's political participation. Examples of these are gender quotas that allot 30 to 50 percent of decision-making positions for women; gender mainstreaming strategies that promote a culture of gender sensitivity in government; national machineries for women, which have the primary role of leading and monitoring gender mainstreaming strategies of governments; gender or women's budgets that allot a percentage of national budget for gender mainstreaming and affirmative action for women's advancement. In legislatures of some democratic countries, women's sectoral representatives have been appointed on terms and capacities at par with elected representatives. A more recent mechanism that provides a leeway for women's political participation is the party list system where women's groups can bid for seats in the legislature. A WHRnet publication. Download the document from our server. TOP | HOME

European women and power (2002)
Speech by MEP Maj Britt Theorin at the National Labor Women's conference in Canberra, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April, 2002. Download the word document.
TOP | HOME

View from Islam: The role of women in politics (2002)
Unlike many other ideologies or civilisations, Islam, from its very beginning, recognised the political rights and duties of women. Politics in Islam is not the taking of man-made systems such as freedom and democracy and giving them an ‘Islamic flavour’. The view of Islam, for both sexes in politics, is one of total submission to the will of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala), not of the subjugation of women to the will of men. Unlike many other ideologies or civilisations, Islam, from its very beginning, recognised the political rights and duties of women. Politics in Islam is not the taking of man-made systems such as freedom and democracy and giving them an ‘Islamic flavour’. The view of Islam, for both sexes in politics, is one of total submission to the will of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala), not of the subjugation of women to the will of men. TOP | HOME

Moving into power: Changing the rules of the game (2002)
The purpose of this paper is to provide background for consideration of strategies to promote women’s leadership. It analyzes the state of women’s leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), identifies the central obstacles to women accessing greater power, and concludes with a discussion of pertinent policy issues. The study is based on bibliographic research performed in the United States and was conducted within a short period of time, which has imposed regrettable, yet inevitable, limitations on the study’s scope and depth. Information on some countries or time periods is missing because data were not readily available. TOP | HOME

Obstacles to women's participation in Parliament (2002)
Women around the world at every socio-political level find themselves underrepresented in parliament and far removed from decision-making levels. While the political playing field in each country has its own particular characteristics, one feature remains common to all: it is uneven and not conducive to women's participation. Women who want to enter politics find that the political, public, cultural and social environment are often unfriendly or even hostile to them. Even a quick glance at the current composition of political decision-makers in any region provides evidence that women still face numerous obstacles in articulating and shaping their own interests. What are the obstacles women face in entering parliament? How can women better cope with these hindrances? In this chapter we take the first step towards increasing women's parliamentary representation and effectiveness by identifying the common problems that women face. We categorize the problems into three areas: political, socio-economic and ideological and psychological (or socio- cultural). TOP | HOME

Enhancing women’s political participation:
Legislative recruitment and electoral Systems (2002)
In this chapter, we focus our attention on two issues. First, we examine the principle steps involved in the legislative recruitment process in order to elucidate how women can increase their chances of getting nominated and elected. Second, we look at one particular mechanism proven effective in increasing women's representation: a country's electoral system. Which electoral systems are best suited to elect women and why? How have electoral systems affected women's representation in different countries? What specific factors should women be concerned about in the actual design of electoral systems? By addressing these questions, we hope to provide some insight on one effective and practical strategy that women can use to increase their parliamentary representation. TOP | HOME

Using quota’s to increase women’s political representation (2002)
Given the slow speed by which the number of women in politics is growing, women everywhere are calling for more efficient methods to increase their representation. Quotas present one such mechanism. The introduction of quota systems for women represents a qualitative jump into a policy of exact goals and means. Because of its relative efficiency, the hope for dramatic increase in women's representation by using this system is strong. At the same time quotas raise serious questions and, in some cases, strong resistance. What are the arguments for and against the use of quotas? What are the best ways to implement quotas? What lessons can be learned from countries' experiences with quota systems? In the discussion that follows we hope to shed some light on this frequently debated mechanism for raising women's representation. TOP | HOME

Women in parliament: Making a difference (2002)
Although women remain significantly under-represented in today's parliaments, women are now looking beyond the numbers to focus on what they can actually do while in parliament – how they can make an impact, whatever their numbers may be. They are learning the rules of the game and using this knowledge and understanding to promote women's issues and concerns from inside the world's legislatures. In so doing, they are not only increasing the chances of their own success, but are also paving the way for a new generation of women to enter the legislative process. How can women maximize their impact on the political process through parliament? What strategies are most useful in increasing their effectiveness? What lessons can women MPs share with those aspiring to enter the field? In what ways have women impacted on political processes? This is our focus in this chapter, as we move from the road to parliament to making inroads in parliament. TOP | HOME

Going for gender balance: A guide for balancing decision-making (2002)
This booklet look at efforts to improve gender balance in highest levels of organisation in political parties, public administration, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations in Europe. How are organisations in these sectors addressing their own internal organisational questions? Achieving balance at the top of these sectors often requires changes in public attitudes. We have therefore, where relevant or illuminating, also considered the activities of actors such as political parties, national governments, and non-governmental and voluntary associations in attempting to influence the general societal context to be more supportive of gender balance.
TOP | HOME

Women in politics in the Council of Europe Member States (2002)
This document contains information concerning the Council of Europe member States in the following areas: number of women holding government posts; percentage of women in elected positions at national, regional and local level; measures designed to facilitate women's participation in political life; and type of electoral system. Information and data have been provided by the authorities of the different member States as of 10 May 2002 and selected from relevant documents of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. TOP | HOME

Norway imposes quota for top women in business (Aug. 2002)
Norway is about to become the first country in the world to insist on female quotas for companyboardrooms. In a revolutionary move that has delighted unions and outraged big business, the Norwegian government ordered companies to ensure that at least 40 per cent of their board members are women. State-owned firms have been given one year to comply while the country's 650 major private companies have three years. The government plans to back up their decree with legislation. TOP | HOME


Breaking through the Glass Ceiling (Feb. 2002)
The study "Woman and Power" published at a conference in Berlin takes a look at the obstacles in women's careers, and at what motivates