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Women’s Equality   
August 24, 2007—The United States celebrates August 26 as Women’s Equality Day, recognizing the efforts of the remarkable women leaders who fought to pass the 19th amendment guaranteeing U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Today, in the United States women voters are recognized as a powerful voting block and are courted by political candidates. But around the world, many women have yet to realize their full potential as voters, advocates and leaders. CEDPA has a longstanding commitment to support women as leaders and change agents in their nations. CEDPA’s governance work recognizes that improving the lives of women and their families requires balanced gender representation in government. For many years, CEDPA has led a number of efforts to bring women into governance in various countries around the world. The overall goal of CEDPA’s programs is to make governments more responsive and accountable to the needs of women and families through various efforts:
In one of CEDPA’s more recent projects, with sponsorship from the Joint Donor Basket Fund on Elections, women voters were mobilized to advocate for policies and programs to address women's needs in North Eastern Nigeria. Women in this area lack significant gains in terms of power sharing due religious and cultural barriers. CEDPA has led projects supporting women voters in the last three elections in Nigeria resulting in an increase in the number of women voters who turn out, improved campaigning skills for women’s groups, and an increase in the number of women who became active in local politics for the first time. CEDPA continues to build the leadership of strong women’s groups and other key civil society sector organizations and provide advocacy skills training that give women a greater voice in developing the political and economic agendas of their countries and communities. Learn more about CEDPA’s work in governance. |
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