Remarks
Resources
Remarks by NDI President Derek Mitchell at the Fifth Anniversary of #NotTheCost
Distinguished guests and valued partners: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening to all of you wherever you are. On behalf of NDI, I am very pleased to welcome you today to this virtual event commemorating the fifth anniversary of our NotTheCost Campaign.
National Democratic Institute Marks Fifth Anniversary of #NotTheCost Campaign On Violence Against Women In Politics
National Democratic Institute Marks Fifth Anniversary of #NotTheCost Campaign On Violence Against Women In Politics
Sida Program One-Pager: North Macedonia
Advancing gender equality is a central challenge in North Macedonia’s democratic progress. Women in North Macedonia have limited access to decision-making power because they face individual, socio-cultural, and institutional barriers to political participation. Barriers to gender equality in decision-making include a lack of experience and skills among women politicians, institutional obstacles within political parties, parliament and government, persisting socio-cultural norms that reflect gender bias, and violence against women in politics (VAW-P). A more conducive environment for women’s political participation would contribute to overall gender equality and increase the likelihood that more women would choose to participate in political life. Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and drawing on global and country-specific expertise in women’s political participation, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is launching WoMen Lead (#WoMenLead), an empowerment program to lower the individual, socio-cultural, and institutional barriers to women’s political participation in North Macedonia. Through the program, NDI aims to improve gender equality in political parties, provide women candidates with the skills and a supportive environment to campaign successfully for and govern at the local level, and reduce violence against women in politics.
North Macedonia Violence Against Women in Politics Assessment
Globally, more women than ever before are taking part in politics. However, with the growth in women’s political engagement, an increased frequency and degree of violent responses have emerged that prevent women from accessing their right to engage in politics and public life fully and equally. Conducting an assessment of violence against women (VAW) in political parties is essential to understand how it affects women’s participation in political life and what measures are needed to combat and eliminate violence.
