Democracy helps tackle global challenges and solve problems that matter to people. WFD is dedicated to strengthening democracy globally.
@FDCOGovUK
public body.
We're excited that
@MatthewHedges
, who was until recently Her Majesty’s Ambassador to
@UKinParaguay
, will take the reigns as our Regional Director for Asia and the Americas in September.
We look forward to welcoming Matthew to the WFD Family! 🤗
It's our birthday! WFD has been working to strengthen democracy for 28 years 🥳
Today, more than 10,000 people take part in our activities across 43 countries, helping to build fairer, more inclusive & accountable democracies.
A big thank you to our teams & partners everywhere
Since 1992, we have actively helped democracies grow stronger. Today, this work has never been more urgent.
This year we mark 30 years of experience, relevance and impact.
Watch our film and read this thread to discover WFD's
#30YearsOfImpact
.
This Thursday, the UK Parliament will be filled with women legislators from all over the world. They will debate how to make politics more inclusive. You can join this historic event online at
#WomenMPsOfTheWorld
#StillMarching
It’s our 29th birthday! 🎉
The last year has been tough - not least for democracy. As we look forward to our 30th, we’re excited about our part in building a brighter, more democratic future.
And today, we say a huge thank you to our colleagues and partners around the world 🙏
Thread: How (not) to engage with authoritarian states
@Fromagehomme
and
@DesrosiersME
's new report examines how states that are committed to democracy end up strengthening authoritarian regimes - and outlines how they can avoid doing democratic harm.
We know that when women take part in politics, the whole of society benefits. How can we ensure more women can embark on political careers?
Our newest report explores what motivates women and the barriers they face. 👇
#WomenLeading
A thread (1/):
Marta Lucia Ramirez
@mluciaramirez
, Vice-President, Colombia talks about responsibility of holding office and promoting equality for women at
#WomenMPsoftheWorld
in UK Parliament - WATCH LIVE here:
@UKinColombia
📣NEW TODAY: Our strategy 2022-25!
Drawing on 30 years of experience, our strategy outlines how we'll work towards our vision of a world where freedom and democracy thrive and inclusive and accountable governments serve people fairly and effectively.
When women take part in politics, the whole of society benefits.
That is the main finding of our brand new report with
@GIWLkings
.
Find the report at .
WFD is tracking how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting democracy in the countries we work in.
We are making our data public by launching our Pandemic Democracy Tracker
#PanDemTracker
, which monitors democratic responses to the pandemic.
A thread about what we're doing & why 👇
Great to have so many representatives from across the continent and
#Commonwealth
with us today in
#Uganda
🇺🇬 - let's talk youth participation in politics 👏🏿👏👏🏽
"If we want to change politics, we need to attract the brightest and the best"
@CarolineLucas
@TheGreenParty
talks about importance of proportional representation to get more women into politics
#VAWP
#TimeIsNow
Last week, our Chair
@RichardGrahamUK
went to visit
@MattFieldUK
and our
@WBDemocracy
team in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He met with women leaders and discussed our projects to support women's equal participation and leadership in the country. Hear his reflections 👇🇧🇦
WFD has joined over 500 world leaders, Nobel Laureates and organisations in signing an open letter to
#DefendDemocracy
, warning our freedoms are threatened by governments that use COVID-19 to tighten their grip on power ✍️
First stop for our all women delegation from
#Lebanon
this week: Scottish Parliament! Thanks to
@SP_IntRelations
for sharing unique insight into UK parliamentary practice
@ukinlebanon
In the DRC, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Nepal, and elsewhere, WFD has worked with women parliamentarians and councillors to hone their leadership skills and support them as they prepare for elections.
Women's political leadership results in better outcomes for all. 💪
Congratulations to our
@WFD_Uganda
team for receiving the Good Practice Award from the
@EACYParliament
!
WFD was recognized for believing and supporting youth participation in the East Africa Community (EAC) legislation and integration processes.
Mark your diaries! On 25 March at 12.30 UK time we're hosting a brilliant panel at the NGO CSW Virtual Forum!
Hear about our research and from women political leaders about evidence of the impact of gender in democracy.
#WomenLeading
#NGOCSW65
The recent announcement from Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs that the government will decriminalise same-sex relationships is welcome news. This is an essential and positive step to ensuring that all LGBT+ Sri Lankans can lead free, safe, and equal lives.
We were *so* excited when we found out the theme for
#IWD2021
celebrates Women in Leadership...
But we have way too much to share to squeeze into a day. That's fitting, because women's political leadership makes a difference every day. WFD's
@sophy_eff
tells you all about it 👇
Today is the International Day to End Violence against Women & we are turning orange to kick off
#16Days
of Activism
Public & political institutions like those we work with have a pivotal role in ending gender-based violence: .
#orangetheworld
@UN_Women
This week, we are bringing together women political leaders and democracy support practitioners for a workshop on co-designing effective and inclusive frameworks for Women’s Political Leadership programming.
#IWD2023
#LeadershipJourneys
Parliaments are cornerstones of democracy. For more than 30 yrs WFD has worked with parliaments to help strengthen democracy. This International Day of Parliamentarism, friends of WFD share their thoughts on what it means to them to be parliamentarians.
#WorldParliamentDay
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Happy Parliament Day!
Parliaments are the cornerstone of democracies and are there to represent the voices of all citizens.
We caught up with Parliamentarians from across the world, who shared their thoughts on what it means to them to take on this role👇
#WorldParliamentDay
We're excited that from today,
@sophy_eff
is our Senior Adviser on Political Inclusion!
Formerly our Commonwealth
#CP4D
programme director, she specialises in the political inclusion of women, youth, LGBT+ people, and persons with disabilities.
#PoliticalInclusion
How (not) to engage authoritarian states by
@Fromagehomme
and
@DesrosiersME
👇
This recently launched report outlines how pro-democracy governments can better engage with authoritarian states to avoid doing democratic harm.
Read it at
📣We're delighted that
@sophy_eff
takes the reins as interim regional director for Asia today. Sophia has been running our
@Commonwealth18
#CP4D
programme for the last 2 years, working with 18 countries in Africa & Asia. Her international experience includes 3.5 years in Myanmar.
This unprovoked attack on Ukraine is also an attack on our values of democracy and freedom.
Defending democracy remains as important as ever.
WFD stands side-by-side with Ukraine.
#StandWithUkraine
Women’s political leadership is an essential pillar of democracy.
Without it, democracy is weaker and we all lose out.
Over the next two weeks, WFD will be sharing what we know about women's leadership journeys.
Follow along and get involved using
#LeadershipJourneys
#IWD2023
📢Just out: Our Annual Review for 2021-22!
Supporting democracy has never been more urgent.
This review explores our achievements in helping build stronger democracies. Read it at .
This thread is a taste of what you’ll find inside 👇
#30YearsOfImpact
🚨UPDATE🚨
We're delighted that
@DeliaFerreira
, Chair of
@anticorruption
will be joining the second day of our Conference on Environmental Democracy to talk about access to information in relation to environmental democracy.
Find out more and register
“Democracy is in recession… this is the issue of our time”. At yesterday’s
@HouseofCommons
debate,
@RichardGrahamUK
highlighted the work WFD does in strengthening democracy and that in the face of rising autocracy, such work remains as vital as ever.
On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and every day WFD stands in solidarity with LGBT+ people facing hate, discrimination and violence.
We are striving for inclusive democracies that support and celebrate people in all their diversities🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
#IDAHOBIT
Parliaments are cornerstones of democracy.
So, they are key to meeting global challenges, like building peace, addressing climate change, promoting public health and addressing inequality.
We work with parliaments worldwide to help make democracy stronger.
#WorldParliamentDay
Happy International
#YouthDay
2020! 🥳
To make sure youth priorities are recognised & understood, young people must be well-represented in decision making.
That's why WFD supports young people's political leadership across the world.
#Youth4GlobalAction
Today is the first day of our
#WomenWhoLead
conference in
#Ghana
!🙋♀️🙌
Inclusivity is crucial for democratic practice. That's why we are working across Africa to advance women's leadership and participation in politics👏
@ParliamentGhana
#CP4D
Women’s equal representation & participation in politics and public life is not simply desirable for fully-functioning democratic systems; it is essential.
We work to advance women candidates for political office across the globe, helping to strengthen democracies.
#IWD2020
For WFD,
#DemocracyDay
is every day because we believe in supporting parliaments, political parties and civil society organisations as they care for their democracies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#DemocracyDayEveryDay
#DemocracyDay
Feeling the love and energy on International Women’s Day, as women leaders and civil society actors from across the world got together for an afternoon of networking and knowledge sharing, led by our very own
@afropolitrix
#IWD2023
We are aware that a member of our team in Indonesia, Mr Ravio Patra, was arrested last night (22 April) in Jakarta.
Ravio is receiving legal support and we are in contact with his family.
Our statement:
This International Day For Persons with Disabilities, we'd like to congratulate
@ashura_michael
on becoming the first deaf Speaker of the East African Youth Parliament 👏
#DisabilityIsNotInability
🔥
WFD is there to help democracies to be resilient so we can all reap the benefits of freedom, inclusion, and accountability.
As we mark our 30th year of doing this vital work, meet the people making it happen across the world🤩 👇
#30YearsOfImpact
📢The 2023 Women Leadership Programme (WLP) has officially kicked off today in Kigali, Rwanda!
The WLP -- organised by WFD's Multi-Party Office,
@FNFreiheit
,
@D66
, and
@LibDems
-- helps strengthen the leadership skills of women MPs within the
@AfricanLiberals
network (ALN).
"We need to show that democracy works, not that it condemns imperfect disciples, and that the values that underpin democracy are desirable for all nations."
WFD's Chair
@RichardGrahamUK
& Vice-Chair
@rushanaraali
write jointly in
@thetimes
today (£):
Parliaments are cornerstones of democracy. So, they are key to meeting the challenges we face, like building peace, addressing climate change, promoting public health and addressing inequality. We work with parliaments worldwide to help make democracy stronger
#WorldParliamentDay
A HUGE thank you from WFD to all partners that made
#WomenMPsoftheWorld
🌍the success it was yesterday! Women’s equal representation and participation in politics is not simply desirable for fully-functioning democratic systems; it is essential
#StillMarching
#SDG5
States of emergencies are a challenge to the protection of human rights – even those they are supposed to uphold. Our human rights expert
@dinawfd
explains how state & non-state actors can keep
#humanrights
at the forefront of strategies to fight COVID-19.
Democracy is good for people and our planet – but it is under threat.
With action to strengthen democracy, we can counter authoritarianism, tackle global challenges, and solve the problems that matter to people.
Find out more:
#StrengthenDemocracy
"Politics is nurtured by contact with citizens"
Juan Pablo Guanipa, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Venezuela, told us about how the parliament is using tools like social media to keep in touch with constituents, in place of face-to-face contact.
#DemocracyNeverStops
2022 is the year we turn 30. Today we had the chance to join colleagues in over 20 countries to reflect on our journey. From tomorrow we'll be sharing brand new content about who we are and why strengthening democracy is as vital as ever.
Watch this space...
30 years ago today, the
#BerlinWall
fell. Shortly after, WFD was founded to support emerging democracies by sharing Britain's (good & bad) democratic experiences.
#Democracy
is not inevitable. Today, we continue to work to strenthen democracy across the globe. ✊
#mauerfall30
We support Ukraine and condemn this illegal invasion. The world needs more, better, and stronger democracies to face the grave challenges of our time, not more autocracy and bloodshed. Read our full statement:
#StandWithUkriane
Women’s political participation, representation, and leadership from the grassroots to the highest political levels improves outcomes for everyone and makes democracy stronger.
In the long run, everyone benefits from a
#WomensWave
in politics.
#IWD
#BreakTheBias
We are proud to unveil our annual report and accounts for 2019 - 2020!
Read the report to find out about our achievements and activities in the last financial year.
Here's our year in numbers 👇
#transparency
Find the report at .
@adr_smith
@devin_wfd
Including the voices of women and girls in political decision-making helps create a fairer and safer world for all.
On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we champion inclusive leadership to help make strong and safe societies.
#IDEVAW2021
We need to hear women's ideas and experiences.
When political systems exclude women, we are all worse off.
WFD supports women’s political participation and leadership so they can influence decision-making and bring about positive change.
#30YearsOfImpact
Our priority is to support our staff and safeguard those we work with.
We are taking action to minimise the risk of transmitting coronavirus (COVID-19) while we continue to support democracy and human rights around the world.
Read our statement 👉
We're excited to get started on this important programme with our partners
@Kaleidoscope_T
🙌
Kaleidoscope Trust's Executive Director
@MsLadyPhyll
explains what it's all about 👇
We're working with
@WFD_Democracy
on a new programme in the Commonwealth to help fight discrimination against women & girls, LGBT+ people, and others who are intersectionally disadvantaged 🌍
Check out
@MsLadyPhyll
below & read more:
We are shocked and saddened about the terrible explosion in
#Beirut
. Our colleagues are safe, though shaken. We send our sincere condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery to everyone affected. We remain committed to supporting Lebanon through our programmes & partnerships. 🇱🇧
Today we remember the Jews, Roma and Sinti people, people with disabilities, LGBT+ people and others who were murdered in the Holocaust, and all victims of genocide. We renew our commitment to uphold human rights and fight antisemitism, racism and prejudice
#HolocaustMemorialDay
Last week we were proud to lay our annual report and accounts for 2022-2023 before Parliament.
It’s a record of our work to strengthen democracy across 60 countries and territories in our 30th anniversary year.
Explore it at
#30YearsOfImpact
“The status of women is the status of democracy”
The Network for Gender Inclusive Democracy launches today at the Summit for Democracy, with WFD a founding member.
We need political systems that include everyone for a world where freedom and democracy thrive
#SummitForDemocracy
What would it look like if freedom and democracy were thriving everywhere, every day? 💭
Our colleagues have some ideas. Watch our film to discover them and share your vision👇
"Legislatures matter because law matters. Laws empower and constrain people"
@LordNortonLouth
opens our event by bringing home the importance the topic.
Law is designed to achieve particular goals. But it may have unintended effects, or no effects. Watch:
🚨UPDATE🚨
We're excited to announce that
@birgittaohlsson
, Director of Political Parties at
@NDI
will be joining our Conference on Environmental Democracy to discuss the role of political parties in environmental decision making.
Register:
An enormous thank you to
@Tsihanouskaya
for delivering the Inaugural WFD and
@CEDAR_Bham
Lecture on the State of Democracy in the World.
We were moved to hear your vital perspective from the frontline of defending democracy as we consider the way forward.
#StrengthenDemocracy
Democracy needs all of us. It does not thrive on its own.
Democracy is good for people and our planet, but it is under threat. That's why on Democracy Day and every day, we work to strengthen democracy globally.
#DemocracyDay
#StrengthenDemocracy
80+ countries have requested emergency aid from the IMF because of the current pandemic, twice as many as in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
@FranklinDVrieze
writes about why MPs' engagement in the new public debt crisis is critical:
We need democracy to protect our rights and freedoms.
LGBT+ people's leadership and participation is essential for democracy - that is true throughout history and today.
#LGBTHistoryMonth
#LGBTHM22
"Women demonstrate political leadership every day, even when they are not bestowed with an office or official title."
In a new blog
@shannonmoc
&
@ProfRosieCamp
set out the significance of the findings of our new report with
@GIWLkings
:
"Human rights shouldn't be optional - and neither should be inclusion. We can't pick and choose which inclusion we focus on. It's important that we work across the board."
CP4D programme director
@sophy_eff
ends our conference and pays tribute to *all* the partnerships of
#CP4D
With social media, MPs can better engage with those they represent. We're so pleased to have helped facilitate training on effectively using social media for members of
#Botswana
's 12th Parliament.
@GlitchUK_
's
@seyiakiwowo
gave the session as part of MPs' orientation seminar🙌
Can we ‘do anti-corruption democratically’?
To answer this question, we will be launching our latest policy paper under the anti-corruption and integrity series on 2 June 2021. Be on the lookout🙌
@FranklinDVrieze
@hamarquette
@unibirmingham
We need to see a change in norms and attitudes to ensure women’s equal political participation and leadership. And, we need men to be allies in helping us to get there - especially those in power.
What are you doing to make the change?
#LeadershipJourneys
#IWD2023
Time Machine! “We were, we are, we will be.” WFD Bosnia & Herzegovina brings together iconic women from the past through performances at the
#BiHParliament
to shed light on the challenges for women today in politics, business, sports, science & art
#IWD2019
#BalanceforBetter
More women are participating in politics globally, but the frequency & degree of violence against politically active women has grown.
WFD works with parties, parliaments & civil society to end the violence & uphold women's right to participate in public life.
#16Days
Before their
#LeadershipJourneys
even begin, women face numerous obstacles such as discrimination. Ms. Halimatou Dibba, Commissioner at
@NHRCGambia
, reflects on the progress made in the Gambia, and offers encouragement to younger women in the country to take up leadership roles.
WFD, in partnership with the Digital Transformation Network and
@NudgeLebanon
recently ran a two-day workshop on applying behavioural insights to help the transition towards a civil state in Lebanon.
Find out more 👇
On
#DemocracyDay
, WFD and
@Kaleidoscope_T
are delighted to announce our Global Equality Project (GEP) 🙌
Funded by
@FCDOGovUK
, GEP works towards a world in which women, girls, and LGBT+ people are included in decision-making and can influence change 👇
Right now,
@WFD_Nigeria
is holding an event to familiarise law makers with the
#PoliticswithValues
(PwV) campaign.
PwV “Is the act of engaging in our political process with strong ethical principles & discipline.” The campaign aims to improve citizen participation & transparency
The stakeholder’s roundtable with the members of Young Parliamentarians Forum is currently ongoing. The overall objective of this meeting is to familiarise the legislators with the objectives of the PwV campaign.
#PoliticsWithValues
High costs of running for office can have a negative impact on and further exclude those already underrepresented within politics. This includes women, young people, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community
#CostOfPolitics
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