Strategic Objective: Improve women’s representation and participation in political leadership at national and local levels. We will join forces with UN Women and other key stakeholders to support the implementation of the general recommendation No 40. on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems.
As part of our commitment to inclusive democratic governance, Club de Madrid works to advance women’s representation and leadership at all levels of political decision-making. In collaboration with UN Women and other key partners, we support equal and inclusive representation in decision-making systems. Through targeted research, advocacy for parity laws, and engagement in multilateral spaces, we are driving forward initiatives in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, Armenia, and Morocco to dismantle barriers and empower women as political leaders.
ACTIVITIES
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Promotion of Women’s Participation in Honduras
Our work in Honduras promoting women’s political participation to a better democracy
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- At a local level
- The equality of women’s participation and political representation is essential to building strong democracies and ensuring inclusive decision-making. In Latin America, despite women representing approximately 50% of the population, their presence in decision-making remains unequal across all countries in the region. In Honduras, women make up 52% of the population and 54% of the electoral roll; however, they hold only 27% of seats in the National Congress and a mere 6% of mayoral positions. To advance toward a gender-equal, transparent, and inclusive democracy, it is urgent to develop regulatory frameworks that guarantee gender parity in power. Furthermore, political violence against women remains a serious obstacle, as it seeks to discourage their participation, hindering progress toward more just, equitable, and inclusive societies. For this reason, Club de Madrid, in collaboration with CIPE Honduras, UN Women, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), is joining the campaign “More Women, More Democracy!”
- This campaign has been led by the female mayors of Honduras, who, through their testimonies, share the challenges and opportunities they face as women in municipal politics. These leaders share their experiences and invite us to reflect on one of the greatest obstacles on their path to public life: political violence. In this effort, they have joined with other civil society actors to push for the approval of the Law to Prevent and Sanction Political Violence, a key regulation needed to build safer and more inclusive democracies.
- At a local level
Watch here all the vídeos | Women Mayors in Honduras
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- At a national level:
- Vice-President of Club de Madrid and President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, visited Honduras with the aim of promoting women’s political participation and fighting against gender-based violence in the political arena. Through the Ellas+ programme of the AECID and Club de Madrid in close collaboration with UN Women Honduras, this initiative aims to increase and qualify the levels of citizen participation and advocacy of women in spaces of power and decision-making, fostering the conditions for a more active citizenship that protects and promotes the rights of women and girls.
- At a national level:
Michelle Bachelet visits Honduras to promote women’s political participation
Vídeo | CdM Vice-President Bachelet visits Honduras
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Carlos Alvarado visit to Guatemala
Women’s political participation is key to Guatemala’s democratic future. To advance toward a more gender-equal democracy and support ongoing legislative efforts, Club de Madrid organized a visit to Guatemala led by Carlos Alvarado, former President of Costa Rica and Member of Club de Madrid, with the support of UN Women, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Escazú Alliance of Guatemala.
The main purpose of the visit was to support the Women’s Commission of the Congress of Guatemala in its work to promote the adoption of the Law against Political Violence toward Women, a landmark piece of legislation to ensure that women can exercise their political rights free from violence, discrimination, and threats.
Throughout his agenda, Alvarado met with institutional leaders, legislators, and advocates committed to this goal. He held a meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo to discuss women’s rights and the protection of human rights defenders. He also met with Ana López, Presidential Secretary for Women, to discuss progress achieved in expanding the institution’s presence nationwide, as well as the challenges that remain to guarantee equal access to political opportunities for women across all regions.
Alvarado also engaged with female members of Congress, including Sonia Gutiérrez, President of the Women’s Commission, to reinforce the political and social support needed to advance this legislation, and to explore how Guatemala can advance toward gender parity in the legislature and the adoption of inclusive and gender-equal policies.
Acknowledging the intersectional barriers faced by Indigenous women, Club de Madrid also held discussions with the Indigenous Women’s Ombudsperson’s Office to learn about the specific challenges confronting this community, as well as the progress achieved through differentiated approaches that seek to ensure their participation in democratic processes.
During his visit, Alvarado recognized progress in gender equality policies and the protection of defenders, while stressing the urgency of passing the Law against Political Violence toward Women as a decisive step for strengthening democracy. He left us with a powerful message: “Strengthening democracy helps guarantee the full realization of human rights.”
Carlos Alvarado’s Mission to Guatemala | Democracy, Gender Equality & Human Rights | Club de Madrid – Vídeo
