More Than Representation

IWDA recently hosted a round table discussion with eight inspiring Women Human Rights Defenders from across the Asia-Pacific region. The cost of inequality, extreme rates of violence against women, and the barriers women face in politics were all included in the conversation.

This incredible assembly of women shared their diverse experiences with each other and found points of similarity, despite geographical distance. The disparity between women’s representation and meaningful participation in politics was an experience that every one of these women could relate to. Since women are often a statistical minority in politics, the activists highlighted the need for support to women in government to be effective and influential.

IWDA’s Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women program is committed to improving women’s leadership in both formal and informal positions. While increasing the number of women in parliament is a key objective, the goal of IWDA’s FLOW program is to get women to participate in a way that creates meaningful change for all those women they represent.