Women’s Political Participation

About this Topic

We empower women to engage in political processes, and equip women to be informed voters, active members of political parties, and successful candidates. Working with local governments and partners we advance women’s rights and strengthen legal systems to reform policies that discriminate.

Latest Publications

  • Navigating Successful Policy Reform Series: Securing Reserved Seats for Women in Vanuatu’s Municipal Councils

    Navigating Successful Policy Reform Series: Securing Reserved Seats for Women in Vanuatu’s Municipal Councils

  • Advancing Women’s Rights and Opportunities with Lotus Circle Funds

    Advancing Women’s Rights and Opportunities with Lotus Circle Funds

  • Beyond “Capacity”: Gendered Election Processes, Networks, and Informality in Local Governments in Nepal

    Beyond “Capacity”: Gendered Election Processes, Networks, and Informality in Local Governments in Nepal

News and Highlights

  • What Advice Do Myanmar’s Female MPs Have for Women Candidates in 2020?

    What Advice Do Myanmar’s Female MPs Have for Women Candidates in 2020?

    As Myanmar’s historic reform process continues to evolve, more women are needed in leadership roles of all kinds, including in parliaments. Despite their low numbers, the positive contributions of women […]

  • Myanmar: Women Breaking and Making the Rules

    Myanmar: Women Breaking and Making the Rules

    I was on the grounds of a textile factory an hour outside Mandalay, Myanmar. It was July 2017—peak monsoon season—and the combination of rain, heat, and an overnight bus ride […]

  • Advancing Gender Equality in Asia

    Advancing Gender Equality in Asia

    Earlier this year, the G7 launched the Gender Equality Advisory Council to promote the integration of gender equality and gender-based analysis across all G7 activities and outcomes. As part of […]

  • Reflections on the Gender 360 Summit

    Reflections on the Gender 360 Summit

    More than 300 gender and youth practitioners convened last month in Washington, DC, for the Gender 360 Summit to explore the theme of positive girl and boy development. Panels examined […]

  • Dawn: Election Mela aims to reduce rejected votes, increase turnout on polling day

    Dawn: Election Mela aims to reduce rejected votes, increase turnout on polling day

    Dawn newspaper in Pakistan highlights The Asia Foundation’s participation in an Election Mela, an event designed to raise awareness about voting and political participation. The Asia Foundation, in collaboration with […]

  • No Women, No Growth

    No Women, No Growth

    The 2018 Chatham House International Policy Forum convened last week at a time of international angst. Two British cabinet ministers had resigned over Brexit negotiations, creating more uncertainty around the […]

  • Nepal Elections: More Women Have a Seat at the Table, But Will They Have a Voice?

    Nepal Elections: More Women Have a Seat at the Table, But Will They Have a Voice?

    2017 is a milestone year for Nepal: millions of Nepalis voted in provincial and federal elections which ended last week, and earlier this year, the country held its first local […]

  • Toward a Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in Asia

    Toward a Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in Asia

    On a recent trip to Myanmar, I met with a former parliamentarian from Yangon to discuss women’s political participation in the country. When she served from 2010 to 2015, women […]

  • Gender Equality in Bangladesh’s Growing Economy

    Gender Equality in Bangladesh’s Growing Economy

    Last month, iDE Bangladesh brought together international and Bangladeshi experts, practitioners, and policymakers for a workshop to discuss new ideas and approaches to market development in Bangladesh. After decades of […]

  • New Business Center Supports Women Entrepreneurs in Mongolia

    New Business Center Supports Women Entrepreneurs in Mongolia

    At first glance, Mongolia appears to be a shining star globally in the realm of women’s empowerment, and in many ways, it is. For example, according to the UN’s Gender […]

  • Carnegie Corporation’s Vartan Gregorian: Transforming Afghan Women’s Lives through Education

    Carnegie Corporation’s Vartan Gregorian: Transforming Afghan Women’s Lives through Education

    On May 11, The Asia Foundation will host its sixth annual Lotus Leadership Awards Gala in New York City, honoring First Lady of Afghanistan, Rula Ghani, and Carnegie Corporation of New […]

  • Empowering Women by Shaping a Brave – and Safe – New World Online

    Empowering Women by Shaping a Brave – and Safe – New World Online

    The 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) kicked off last week, and the streets of New York City near Turtle Bay have been packed with government officials, NGO and multilateral representatives, activists, and academics.

Latest Across Asia and the Pacific

  • YSEALI Workshop in Indonesia Gathers ASEAN Youth to Shape Sustainable Cultural Tourism 

  • 2023 William P. Fuller Fellows (L-R): Shruthi De Visser (Sri Lanka), Maryam Rayed (Afghanistan), Nan San Nwe (Myanmar)

    The Asia Foundation Announces 2024 Class of William P. Fuller Fellows in Peacebuilding

  • Applications Open for 2025 Asia Foundation Development Fellows

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