Women's substantive political citizenship for democracy and good governance

Democracy: A view from the rights of women

Portada democracia de ciudadanía

A Citizens’ Democracy: Visions and debates from the perspective of women’s rights in the Americas
(PDF - 4MB)
(only available in Spanish)

From April 4th to 6th 2011, CIM and UN Women organized the First Hemispheric Forum "Women's Leadership for a Citizens' Democracy", with the aim of placing women's political rights at the centre of the debate on strengthening democratic governance.

The Hemisphere today is wrestling with major challenges having to do with the purpose and functioning of the institutions of the State and the legitimacy of democracy as a system of governance that enables sustainable human development, peace, and the exercise of human rights.

To keep democracy vibrant in the region, changes are needed in the approaches, perspectives, rules of the game, legal system, structures, processes, institutional culture, management of money – and above all the state’s capacity to transform its people’s aspirations into public policies that protect their rights and shepherd their dreams and hopes for a harmonious, peaceful, and prosperous future.

To that end, the perspectives, priorities, and strategies pursued will be decisive in making men and women true equals in every realm of life: economic, social, cultural and political.

In this context, the CIM implements a series of projects and activities: