Women in Politics, Part 1: Women, Inclusive Political Participation, and Canadian International...

The Canadian government’s review of the International Development Assistance policy and funding framework is noteworthy in its ambition to promote feminism by applying “a feminist lens … to all of Canada’s international assistance activities.” Committed feminists in our respective fields of international relations and comparative democratization, we were encouraged by this declaration and support its intentions. But what is a “feminist lens” and how can we apply it to our development policies, particularly in the area of political participation?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, takes the floor during the 2013 Women In Parliaments (WIP) Summit. The summit was the first time that all female Parliamentarians were invited to gather; more than 100 countries participated.© European Union 2013 - European Parliament