WFD support for women's political leadership
Democracy thrives when women thrive.
There is a direct correlation between the status and safety of women in a country and the state of its governance.
Our research with King’s College London shows that when women equally participate in decision-making, we see less violent conflict and corruption, better education and health outcomes, and greater opportunities for all.
When women are able to fully and equally participate in politics, transitions to peace and long-term stability are more likely.
Equal rights, power and opportunities for all: That is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March.
Through our programmes, research, and trusted partnerships with institutions in countries and territories around the world, WFD is working to help bring this vision to life around the world.
Here are some examples of our recent impact:
Helping create a cross-party community to address violence against women in politics in Montenegro
WFD is working closely with the Women MP's Club in the Parliament of Montenegro and with political parties to develop practical mechanisms to address violence against women in politics (VAWP) and recently supported the creation of a community working towards developing practical mechanisms and sustainable solutions to the root causes and effects of VAWP.
Supporting women’s leadership, peace and security in Bangsamoro
20 women leaders from the Bangsamoro region in the Philippines have completed Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)’s Female Fellowship for the Bangsamoro (FFB) programme in February 2025. By creating a space where women can build connections across political, ideological, and religious divides, the fellowship contributes to both women's leadership and peace-building efforts in the Bangsamoro region. And, with research showing that all of society benefits when women participate in politics, the programme is supporting better outcomes for people in Bangsamoro.
Celebrating 5 years of the Africa Liberal Network Women's Leadership community
Established in 2019, the African Liberal Network (ALN) Women's Leadership Programme has been a partnership between ALN, WFD and the Liberal Democrats, to support women leaders on their political journeys and further their leadership skills. Through the programme, participants expanded their network, forming new friendships and connecting with a peer group of women politicians from across Africa. Recently, alumni of the programme gathered for two days of networking and leadership development to celebrate 5 successful years of the programmes.
Facilitating the design of a VAWP risk assessment tool
As part of our ASEAN Women's Political Leadership programme, WFD facilitated a collaborative design process with experts including former women political leaders and research partners to develop a “VAWP Risk Assessment - A Participatory Tool for Parliaments, Parties and Election officials”. This risk assessment tool will be tested in the programme countries in 2025 before the expected launch in June 2025.
Working with the National Women Leaders Forum (NWLF) to advocate for greater women's representation in Nigeria
Our three-day technical working session for the Forum of National Women Leaders of Nigerian political parties, which WFD helped establish, was an opportunity for women leaders to focus on discussions and action planning for the Special Seats Bill, which aims to increase the legislative seats held by women. Our Strengthening Women’s Representation through Actions by Political Parties (SWRAPP) is funded by the British High Commission in Nigeria.
Introducing gender-responsive budgeting to councillors in the Gambia
WFD delivered professional development training on gender-responsive budgeting for councillors across all 8 of the Gambia's administrative councils, supporting the development of an inclusive budget that responds to the needs of the diverse population across the country.
Continuing success for the Coalition of Women MPs from Arab Countries to Combat Violence Against Women
WFD has been supporting the Coalition of Women MPs from Arab Countries since its establishment in 2014. The coalition’s notable achievements include putting violence against women and girls on the political agenda in national parliaments in the region and successfully amending ‘rape-marriage’ provisions in penal codes. Now, WFD is supporting the coalition as it works at a regional level to advocate for the provisions of the Arab Declaration on Combatting All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) to be built into laws.
