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Ending Harmful Practices: Voices from the Field
On July 18, IFES and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) co-hosted a briefing to discuss harmful practices endured by women and girls globally, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Sustainable development goal 5 has identified the need to end practices that are considered harmful by international human rights standards because they violate the rights of women and girls.
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News & Updates
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Bangladeshi Advocate Promotes Inclusion of Women with Disabilities
IFES is working to support disability rights advocates’ efforts toward the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in public life. One such advocate is Nazma Ara Begum Popy, general secretary of the Bangladesh Visually Impaired People’s Society.
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Publication
Report/Paper
New Assessment of Violence Against Women in Elections in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold general elections on July 30, which may be the foundation for a new political era. Violence Against Women in Elections in Zimbabwe: An IFES Assessment demonstrates that deep-seated inequality and targeted violence against women in elections inhibit Zimbabwean women from taking full and equal part in this transformative moment. Setbacks at this critical juncture could echo for years or generations, entrenching political gender inequality in the “new Zimbabwe.”
July 24, 2018
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News & Updates
Feature
IFES Signs Global Disability Summit Charter for Change
On July 24, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, the International Disability Alliance and the Government of Kenya will host the first-ever Global Disability Summit. IFES, represented by IFES President Bill Sweeney, will participate and has signed the Charter for Change, the summit’s principal legacy document outlining actions that must be taken to ensure the rights, freedoms, dignity and inclusion for all persons with disabilities.
Publication
Electoral Assessment
Violence Against Women in Elections and the Representation of Women in Haitian Politics
The reasons for women's weak representation in Haitian politics are deeply rooted in social norms and the widespread incidence of violence against women in elections (VAWE), which the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) defines as "any harm or threat of harm committed against women with the intent and/or impact of interfering with their free and equal participation in the electoral process during the electoral period." Oftentimes, VAWE is subtle and more indirect than physical attacks against voters and candidates, but it nonetheless impacts women's interest and willingness to get involved in political processes and structures of governance. The threats and social stigmas they face are associated not only with the act of voting, but with many other activities that are a common part of a free and fair democratic experience. To document the nature and impact of VAWE in Haiti, IFES has produced Violence Against Women in Elections in Haiti: An IFES Assessment.
July 05, 2018
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News & Updates
Feature
She Leads Program: Q&A with Katie Ryan
She Leads, a flagship program of IFES, works to empower women with the skills and knowledge to participate and take on leadership roles in political and electoral processes through a series of beginner, intermediate and advanced trainings. In this Q&A, Katie Ryan, lead author of She Leads, discusses the origins and impact of the program, which has trained over 2,600 women in four countries and continues to expand.
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News & Updates
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Kosovo Taking Steps Toward Gender Equality in Election Administration
The issue of low representation of women among Kosovo's election staff was raised for the first time in March 2014 in IFES' report on gender breakdown of election staff in the 2013 municipal elections. A series of advocacy efforts was carried out to raiss awareness of the benefits of gender diversity in election staff and to encourage the nomination of more women to these positions.
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News & Updates
Feature
Addressing Violence Against Women in Politics
On Wednesday, May 16, IFES and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) co-hosted a briefing to discuss global legislation that specifically addresses violence against women in politics (VAWIP), personal experiences from women that have been impacted by VAWIP, existing legislation to address VAWIP and recommendations for future legislation. The U.S. Civil Society Working Group’s new policy brief on VAWIP – co-authored by IFES Senior Gender Specialist Dr. Gabrielle Bardall and Alliance for Peacebuilding Research Associate Emily Myers – was launched at this event.
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Report/Paper
Violence Against Women in Politics: A Barrier to Peace and Security
A policy brief co-authored by IFES Senior Gender Specialist Dr. Gabrielle Bardall and Alliance for Peacebuilding Research Associate Emily Myers was featured in the 2018 U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security Policy Brief Series.
May 17, 2018
News & Updates
Feature
United Nations Special Rapporteur Calls for Input on Violence Against Women
The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women (SRVAW) launched a call for submissions on violence against women in politics, ahead of a special report on the topic to be released in October 2018 to the UN General Assembly. IFES participated in the SRVAW’s Expert Group Meeting on Violence Against Women in Politics in March 2018 and is honored that the IFES white paper Breaking the Mold: Understanding Gender and Electoral Violence is cited in the justifications for the SRVAW’s call, among the earliest research to recognize this problem.