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To assess the extent to which legislators have been able to exert leadership during COVID-19 and the impact that legislative oversight has had on government responses, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Developmental Leadership Programme and the International Development Department at the University of Birmingham developed the “Legislative Responses to COVID-19 Tracker”, which monitors whether the legislature sat; whether there was legislative oversight of the initial response from 1 March to 1 May 2020; and whether legislatures had ongoing oversight from 1 April to 1 September 2020. This report sets out the findings of the research, and outlines recommendations for how countries can ensure effective accountability and oversight in times of crisis.
Study |
Chairperson of the Coalition of Women MPs from Arab Countries to Combat Violence against Women, Wafa Bani Mustafa explores the important role democracy can play in combatting gender based violence.
In this unique online learning programme, WFD supports parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and those engaged in public financial management in exploring the key concepts, mechanisms and risks which impact public debt management.
Course |
Wafaa Bani Mustafa is one of just 20 women in Jordan’s House of Representatives – luckily, she is a fighter.
She was the first MP to propose an end to a controversial rape law in Jordan, which was later repealed, and she continues to champion women’s rights across the Arab region.
She was the first MP to propose an end to a controversial rape law in Jordan, which was later repealed, and she continues to champion women’s rights across the Arab region.
Jordan |
Post-Legislative Scrutiny: From a Model for Parliamentarians to a CSO Strategic and Operational Tool
This guide for civil society explains what PLS is, why it is important, and how to go about it. The report focuses on LGBTIQ+ organisations and their priorities and the tools it contains are adaptable for civil society organisations working in different contexts, on different issues, and with different capacities.
Guide |
Kashif Mahmood Tariq, a former legislative drafter from Pakistan participated in a WFD organised placement in October 2016. Following his placement he argued that effective legislation needs a solid understanding of society.
WFD’s Chief Executive, Anthony Smith, responds to Democracy Under Pressure: A Global Survey – a joint product from the International Republican Institute (IRI) and french think-tank, the Fondation pour l’Innovation.
In North Macedonia, WFD is working with persons with disabilities (PWDs), a marginalised and underrepresented group in society, to ensure their needs are at the top of the policy agenda.
Over 100 people from all backgrounds – local and community organisations, business, academia and politics – attended a WFD conference, pledging to do more to champion women’s rights in Malaysia.
Malaysia |
The recent announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of plans to merge the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will undoubtedly impact the UK’s approach to development assistance for many years to come.
WFD is trying to be a different kind of learning organisation, and one of the first steps towards that has been the addition of pre-set learning questions to our programmatic quarterly reports.
In April 2019, WFD launched a new and innovative activity and outcome monitoring system called the Evidence and Impact Hub (EIH). WFD has certainly not found a magic solution to this problem, but we can report very good uptake and a large amount of usable data in our 8th month after launching it.
What does it take to organise a successful citizens’ assembly on climate change?
COVID-19 could affect a shift towards a surveillance culture. Once introduced, privacy-infringing technologies may be difficult to reverse. The next generation of digital technology and artificial intelligence could enable autocratic countries or those with weak democracies to identify and curb opposition. In democratic countries, there is a need for open discussion on how to prevent the emergence of a public-private surveillance state that compromises the fundamental right to privacy which is a bedrock of a functioning democracy. How parliaments address the concerns around increased surveillance and help to provide consensual solutions to challenges posed by new technologies may determine if they are seen as relevant in the modern age.
On 8 November, women MPs from across the world met in Westminster for an historic one-day event to discuss how to make politics more inclusive.