NDI staff participants: Jacqueline Corcoran (Bangladesh), Lindsay Robinson (Sierra Leone), Natalie Hill (Ukraine), Mark De La Iglesia (Governance). Moderated by Susan Markham, director of Women's Political Participation.

Description:

A capable and effective national legislature is a pillar of democratic governments around the world. NDI works with legislators, legislative staff, civic associations, and others to improve the ability of representative institutions to respond to citizen concerns and shape laws and policies that reflect citizen interests.

NDI supports women as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve the way legislatures function, including initiatives that address not only the governing skills of female parliamentarians but also the institutional and cultural barriers they face within parliament. Programs that promote women's active leadership and participation in parliament are critical to improve how legislatures respond to citizen needs and to narrow the gap in access to resources, decision-making authority, and political power that exists between women and men.

The briefing drew upon recent case studies from Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and NDI Governance programs to highlight lessons learned and effective strategies for promoting women's leadership in legislatures.