Editor's note; March 9 UN Women side event "Gender Equality as a Prerequisite for Democracy" held at UN Headquarters. Gender cohort co-led Sweden, Romania, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) and International IDEA   womenday

Please click on YouTube for the live broadcast of the day

Gender equality is an imperative for thriving democracies, however it has yet to be realized as a prerequisite for democracy. Democracy[1] is being undermined by the very same forces that are pushing back on gender equality and women’s rights to equal participation and representation in public life. For instance, “gendered disinformation and online abuse against women in politics are increasingly being used with covert political, economic or social motives, to challenge women’s rights and democracy”[2] with targeted efforts to “smother opposition voices, erode democratic processes, and silence demands for government accountability.”[3]  Consequently, it is reported that it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments

Speakers