Women make up more than half the world's people but only a fifth of the world's decision-makers. Women are under-represented in formal politics, and often have little voice in making decisions within important political spaces such as the household and the workplace. Their lack of access to education and resources puts them at a severe disadvantage in the economic sphere.
Everyday women around the world face discrimination, poverty, violence and abuse. This is especially true for women who are already marginalised: disabled, indigenous, those living with HIV, informal workers, Dalits, migrant women.
Women's political rights are vital to securing and retaining all other rights. Women who have a voice can transform their lives.
Case study 1
Star Chimaliro, woman living with HIV, Malawi
Star Chimaliro is a woman living with HIV in the Mzimba district of Malawi. She has a one year-old baby daughter Mutisunge Jere, while her first born child is three years old. When Star was pregnant with Mutisunge, her husband began falling ill often. She became suspicious and decided to go for voluntary HIV testing and discovered that she was positive.
Star is a member of the Khaputa support group, an organisation involved in home-based care for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the community. Members of the support group come from nearby villages and comprise different denominations and religions. All of them, like Star, are living with HIV.
"Women living with HIV and AIDS suffer from a lack of confidence, fear, stigma and intimidation from political parties. It is necessary to build their capacity and strengthen their confidence so they can participate effectively in politics."
Daphne Gondwe, Chairwoman, Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, Malawi
Case study 2
Prem and Girija - construction workers, Delhi, India
94% of India's working women work in the informal sector, in low paid, difficult or dangerous jobs such as construction, street vending, brick making, agriculture or rag picking. Decent working conditions are essential to alleviate poverty but as in many other parts of the world, the labour laws that do exist are not applied or are easily evaded. Despite India's formal commitment to national and international legislation to protect women's rights, workers are increasingly vulnerable, exploited and oppressed
As Delhi prepares for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, thousands of women like Prem and Girija come to find work as labourers. They stand at crossroads each morning waiting to be selected by construction companies. The work is incredibly demanding – tiring, hot and unsafe. It is especially hard for women who are pregnant or have young children.
In 2008, a historic law granting social security to unorganised workers in India was passed by both Houses of Parliament. SEWA (the Self Employed Women's Association) played a major role in getting the law passed. The law gives millions of unorganised workers in India access to health and maternity benefits, pensions and disability cover and other benefits. Construction workers like Prem and Girija are among the over 40 million women workers who shall benefit from this law.
Case study 3
ACOBOL- the Association of Women Councillors of Bolivia
ACOBOL (Asociacion de Concejalas de Bolivia or the Association of Women Councillors of Bolivia) was set up in 1999. ACOBOL's aim is to represent and defend the rights and interests of its members and to promote equitable political participation. It particularly works in the area of political and gender-based violence directed towards women councillors.
ACOBOL runs a programme to strengthen the capacities of women standing for, and already elected to, municipal posts in Potosí, Oruro and Beni, in particular in the area of legislation and equitable municipal administration. The programme is also a unique forum for women from all political parties to confront challenges that face them as women politicians.
