Managing Director and Chairwoman of the IMF Christine Lagarde and Interim WBG President Kristalina take part in #WomensDay activities in Washington. © World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie
Managing Director and Chairwoman of the IMF Christine Lagarde and Interim WBG President Kristalina take part in #WomensDay activities in Washington. © World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie

Political representation, voice and mobilisation

Gender norms shape the ways in which people engage in political activity as well as the nature of elections and governance, social movements, and political leadership. Existing research has identified the need to address norm-based barriers which drive inequalities in the political sphere, as well as the need to better understand how political spaces and strategies can offer potential to challenge and change gendered inequalities in societies. Work in this area includes programmes to enhance skills and strategies to support and enhance women’s political voice and leadership in contexts in which women are often underrepresented in politics and government. This section collates resources on the topic to examine these questions across a range of political, geographic and social contexts.