Nadi, Fiji – Over 30 women leaders, youth advocates, parliamentarians and gender equality champions from across the Pacific have gathered in Nadi, Fiji, for the WYDE | Women’s Leadership Regional Intergenerational Dialogue: Waves of Change – Pacific Women in Politics Across Generations, held from 30 September to 1 October 2025.

Convened by UN Women’s Fiji Multi-Country Office under the WYDE | Women’s Leadership initiative, the two-day dialogue brings together diverse voices to reflect on progress, share lived experiences and co-create strategies to advance women’s political participation across generations.

The event opened with remarks from Eseta Nadakuitavuki, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, Fiji, who highlighted both progress and setbacks in women’s leadership in Fiji and across the Pacific, underscoring the urgent need to accelerate change.

“Fiji met and even surpassed the SDG 5.5 target in 2018 when women in Fiji made up 20 per cent of Parliament. But in our most recent election in 2022, women’s representation declined to just 10.9 per cent.”

“Women will only participate fully when we also address the intersecting issues of gender-based violence, unpaid work, economic exclusion and unequal access to communication,” said Ms. Nadakuitavuki.

During the two-day dialogue, panel discussions will reflect on the 30-year legacy of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Pacific Platform for Action. Breakout sessions will explore the role of social norms, legal frameworks and strategies to address gender-based violence in politics.

Highlighting the persistent gender gap in political representation, UN Women Fiji MCO Representative Alison Davidian said at the opening of the WYDE convening: “The Pacific was the only region in the world to put forward its own comprehensive gender equality framework before the Beijing global conference in 1995. Yet today, in our region women hold only 8 per cent of seats in parliament.

“The Pacific is not short of women leaders. What is missing are the systems, political will and accountability to ensure women’s leadership is recognised, respected and represented. UN Women remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting women and girls in all their diversity to lead, participate and thrive in political spaces across the region.”

Mentoring sessions will pair young leaders with seasoned politicians to foster intergenerational learning, while youth-led conversations will engage men and masculinities to help shift entrenched norms and promote gender equality.

The WYDE | Women’s Leadership Intergenerational Dialogue is part of a broader movement to build inclusive political ecosystems globally, where women and youth are not only represented but are central to decision-making. The convening emphasised the importance of legal reforms, coalition-building and storytelling as tools to challenge resistance and drive change.

Carine Hanssens, First Counsellor of the European Union Delegation of the Pacific, said during the opening that it was time to ensure that women in all their diversity are involved in political processes: “Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making worldwide. As of today, only 27 per cent of parliamentarians globally are women.”

“Through the Women and Youth in Democracy initiative, with an investment of €11.5 million, we are promoting the full and effective participation of diverse women in decision-making.”

Participants will take forward key recommendations to strengthen advocacy, mentorship and regional collaboration. The outcomes of the dialogue will inform future programming under WYDE and contribute to the ongoing implementation of Beijing+30 and other global platforms.

About WYDE | Women’s Leadership

WYDE | Women’s Leadership, funded by the European Union, is a collaborative global effort aimed at advancing women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making at all levels, especially those most often left furthest behind. WYDE | Women’s Leadership is implemented by UN Women, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and is part of the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement initiative (WYDE), powered by the European Union, which seeks to empower and strengthen the rights, and participation in public and political life of women and youth as key actors of development and change.

#ForAllWomenandGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayata from Türkiye, a scholar and activist, reflects on the progress and ongoing challenges in women's political participation and gender equality.

Breaking Barriers for Women in Politics

Prof. Ayşe Ayata, a longtime professor at Middle East Technical University’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration and the Women’s Studies program, has dedicated her career to researching and advocating for women's rights. She has worked extensively on women’s political participation, authoring numerous publications on the subject.  Beyond academia, Ayata has been a passionate activist, co-founding the Association for Support of Women Candidates (KA.DER), ensuring the effective, and equal representation of women in all decision-making mechanisms and politics.

Reflecting on the early days of her activism, Ayata recalls the significant preparations leading up to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She was invited by then-Minister of State for Women, to contribute to Türkiye’s official delegation, participating in national and international preparatory meetings.

Experiencing the Conference in Beijing

Attending the Conference in Beijing was a defining moment for Ayata. She recalls the intensity of the negotiations, where every word in the final declaration was debated and revised to ensure consensus. “It was not just a feminist gathering—it was a diplomatic negotiation, where every term was carefully chosen to reflect global commitments,” she explains. Despite the rigid structure, the conference served as a platform to elevate women’s rights on the global stage.

“We were not just observers; we were active participants shaping the commitments that would influence national policies for years to come.”

Advancing Women’s Representation in Decision-Making

As a scholar and advocate, Ayata emphasizes that increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes remains a critical issue. “In 1995, the conversation around quotas for women in politics was just beginning in Türkiye. Today, we have seen progress, with women’s representation in parliament increasing from around 5% to 20%. However, the struggle is far from over,” she notes.

Ayata underscores the importance of political parties actively promoting women candidates and implementing structural mechanisms to ensure gender balance. “It is no longer acceptable for political parties to ignore women’s presence in politics. However, despite some gains, women are still often relegated to secondary roles rather than leading decision-making processes. While political parties now acknowledge the necessity of including women, their roles are often confined to addressing women-specific issues rather than broader governance matters. Women in politics still face structural disadvantages, and although the world has seen female prime ministers and party leaders, they often encounter additional challenges and biases due to their gender.”

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Still Relevant Today

Looking back at the impact of the Beijing Platform for Action, Ayata sees its principles as more relevant than ever. “The Beijing conference was not just about recognizing women’s rights—it was about integrating gender equality into the global political agenda. Many of the commitments made in 1995, including eliminating discrimination and increasing educational opportunities for girls, have seen significant progress, but challenges remain,” she explains.

She also highlights that while many governments pledged to support gender equality policies, there has been a global trend of pushback against women’s rights. “Ensuring that commitments made under the Beijing Platform for Action are fully realized requires persistent advocacy and accountability,” she asserts.

Progress in women’s representation in politics globally has been slow. Women’s representation in parliaments in Africa increased by one point from 2021 to 2024, shifting the total from 25% to 26%. “At this rate, it will take Africa until the year 2100 to achieve gender parity in its parliaments. But this assumes a linear progression, which is unlikely given the fact that generally after countries achieve the 30%-mark, progress slows down,” says Gram Mutenga, Regional Head of Programmes at International IDEA. In November 2024, UN Women and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), supported by the European Union, hosted the WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative regional dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa. The programme brought together more than 50 women political leaders from East and Southern Africa for three days of exchanging ideas, sharing lessons and best practices, and networking.

One of the participants, Lioness Sibanda, holds the prominent position of Secretary General of a political party in Eswatini. She is tirelessly fighting for democratic reforms while mentoring the next generation of female leaders: “Eswatini has deep-rooted cultural and religious practices that still hold to the belief that a woman cannot be in the forefront or stand in front of men and tell them what to do. I have done a lot of work in terms of contributing to the struggle for women’s rights in Eswatini, but because I am a woman, I am not taken seriously." Sibanda added that her work as a politician is mainly recognized by leaders of organizations advocating for democratic reform, and it remains challenging to persuade voters about the benefits of electing women into office.

Another challenge women political leaders face is violence, which includes tech-facilitated gender-based violence. Sibanda knows this reality well as she reveals that she must constantly be on the lookout for threats to her life. UN Women's data, based on five national surveys across Asia and Arab States, reveals that up to two-thirds of women elected in local government experience violence, yet less than 20% file formal complaints. Reiterating this issue, Hazel Gooding, UN Women Deputy Representative for the South Africa Multi-Country Office said, “We know that violence against women in politics weakens democracy by silencing voices and deterring future leaders. It is our collective duty to protect them, for instance by enacting and enforcing laws, providing victim support, protection and access to justice, training law enforcement officials, advocating to change minds and social norms.”

Betty Milgo, Secretary General for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya's ruling party, is also a teacher and disability rights advocate. Her journey into politics has not been an easy one: "My community is patriarchal and many don't understand the types of disabilities that exist, including albinism," she explains. Milgo emphasized that women politicians urgently need increased visibility and institutional support to promote their participation in politics.

For women like Motamma Horatius, a politician from Botswana who also attended the dialogue, the slow progress comes at a high cost. For five years, she was at the helm of one Itumeleng Ward as the Councillor. She recalls one of the biggest challenges she faced in her career as running for office while pregnant. “I had to wear extra-big dresses to conceal my pregnancy, on the campaign trail to avoid being viewed as a weak link. Culturally, they would say a pregnant woman will not manage. I won primary elections without them knowing that I was pregnant,” says Horatius.

Immediately after winning the elections, she gave birth but only took two weeks' leave as media articles scrutinized her absence. “I gave birth via C-section, and days later, there was already an uproar. ‘Where is she? She has abandoned her voters. She cannot serve,’ these were some of the statements in the media. Two weeks post-partum, I was on the campaign trail again, this time for the general elections,” she recalls. These experiences shed light on the numerous systemic barriers unique to women politicians and aspiring candidates. These challenges are rooted in deeply ingrained social and cultural norms that dictate certain expectations for women’s behaviour and impose restrictions on what they can and cannot achieve.

When asked what women political leaders want and need, Horatius, Milgo, and Sibanda shared similar perspectives. They underscored the importance of robust mental health support systems to help navigate the unique pressures of public life, particularly the pervasive violence against women in politics. Equally crucial is the need for comprehensive training and education programs to equip women with the skills and confidence to excel in leadership roles.

Building on these insights, participants of the Regional Dialogue identified additional strategies to enhance women's and youth participation in leadership and decision-making. These include providing financial support and fostering economic independence for women and youth candidates, challenging restrictive social norms through education and advocacy campaigns, ensuring balanced media coverage, and amplifying the visibility of female role models. Finally, capacity building through training and mentorship, as provided under the WYDE Women’s Leadership initiative, was recognized as essential, alongside addressing intersectional challenges and actively combating violence against women in politics. Only by tackling these barriers collectively can the political landscape evolve to enable and empower women leaders.

WYDE | Women’s Leadership, funded by the European Union, is a collaborative global effort aimed at advancing women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making at all levels, especially those most often left furthest behind. WYDE | Women’s Leadership is implemented by UN Women, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and is part of the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement initiative (WYDE), powered by the European Union, which seeks to empower and strengthen the rights, and participation in public and political life of women and youth as key actors of development and change.

At first, Jameeleh never imagined herself involved in politics. A teacher from central Badia, she spent her days shaping young minds in the classroom, far removed from the political sphere. "Politics felt out of reach," she reflected. "I was hesitant to even consider it."

That changed when she joined the "Our Shared Responsibility" initiative, launched with the support of UN Women. “Through a series of trainings and capacity building workshops, I gained the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage politically,” she shared. "The training opened a door I had never thought to walk through.”

Soon after, Jameeleh became a training coordinator during the 2024 elections, an experience that marked the beginning of her journey into political life.

Becoming a training coordinator during the elections was something I never imagined myself doing. It was a transformation from shaping minds in classrooms to shaping the future of our country. — Jameeleh

Jameeleh's story is part of a much larger movement across Jordan. In 2024, the country achieved a historic milestone: women secured 19.5% of seats in Parliament, surpassing the regional average of 17.9% and rising sharply from 13.8% in the previous term.

At the heart of this transformation was a nationwide, multi-faceted voter awareness campaign led by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) with support from UN Women which highlighted changes in the election law and the political parties law aimed at supporting women’s political participation. Central to these efforts was "Our Shared Responsibility", developed under the first joint action plan between the IEC and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) And implemented in partnership with civil society organizations and grassroots champions across the Kingdom.

Through coordinated outreach, using digital platforms, traditional media, community-based organizations and local networks, more than 5.4 million people were reached, with 1.3 million actively engaging online.

Today, women like Jameeleh are not only participating in elections, they are helping reshape the very fabric of Jordan’s political life. Building on this momentum, efforts will continue to empower more women to lead and to contribute to Jordan’s political modernisation.

“For me, it was a significant shift from teaching to engaging in political life. It marked the beginning of my political journey and my contribution to Jordan’s Political modernisation.

— Jameeleh

The progress achieved, from grassroots leadership to historic gains in women’s political representation, was made possible through the generous support of the European Union (EU) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) to UN Women.

Working in close partnership with the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), UN Women continues to work towards advancing inclusive participation and strengthening women’s leadership across Jordan’s political landscape.