Success Story
Enabling Women’s Leadership: A Democratic Imperative
As we close the first quarter of the 21st century, many economies are experiencing stagnant growth and widening inequalities, political polarization has deepened in numerous democracies, and young people are increasingly alienated from core democratic principles. While the causes of these trends are often blamed on COVID-19, rising income inequality and failed governance, there is a key systematic challenge that is far too often overlooked: the marginalization of women across myriad sectors of society. Global progress depends on addressing this intersectional imperative and placing fair representation for women at the center of economic and democratic renewal.
It is time to recognize the vital link between the marginalization of women in both politics and economics. Despite often surpassing men in education, their accomplishments rarely translate into leadership roles in societal power structures. While women’s representation in national parliaments has more than doubled since 2000, today it is still stagnant at just 27 percent. Women heads of state remain rare, with only one third of nations ever having one and only a few dozen states having had one in 2025, half of whom are in Europe. In business, the situation also remains challenging, with women only leading roughly ten percent of Fortune 500 companies. While women increasingly reach the top echelons of business, they face significant barriers at the C-Suite levels. Even worse, recent studies show that some women do not even try for promotions due to systemic obstacles.
Studies have long shown that economically independent women are better positioned to overcome institutional barriers to political engagement. Naila Kabeer argued back in 1999 how the acquisition of economic resources enhances women’s ability to exercise agency in the political sphere. And we know that when women are at the table, policy outcomes are stronger and more inclusive. Yet, a generation later, we have not matched these insights with action. Economic empowerment alone, however, is not sufficient. Without reform in political institutions and party practices, women’s economic gains do not automatically translate into political power.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Kosovo undertook groundbreaking research – including nationwide surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews – to identify root causes and propose solutions to this challenge. Kosovo offers an excellent test case: a small, highly educated population in a vibrant yet imperfect democracy, were women’s formal labor force participation hovers at just 20 percent. The country has elected two women presidents and appointed numerous women deputy prime ministers and ministers. Despite these gains, women remain sidelinedin power structures across political parties, the economy, and academia. Women have exceeded the quota in their election to parliament, yet still remain far from 50 percent parity, and they lag especially in leadership at the local level.
