Women have taken up spaces in various fields including in civil society organizations. They have occupied leadership and key positions which positively shape programs and activities that improve representation and promote inclusion of women and other vulnerable sectors.

For those working in the fields of democracy building and human rights, the challenge remains steep as women continue to struggle to break glass ceilings and shift societal biases away from sexism. 

During the super election year, “women’s representation in political leadership remained critically low in 2024,” according to UN Women with only five women elected as heads of state out of 31 direct presidential elections held worldwide while “women’s representation in parliament remained stagnant at 27% in 2024.”

While significant milestones in women empowerment have been achieved, from pushing for the right to vote to women being elected in high positions of power, women remain underrepresented in many aspects of governance which in turn affect effective policy making that could address women’s issues and challenges.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day this March, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is inviting women leaders from civil society organizations for a roundtable discussion on the issues and challenges that women face in engaging and participating in democratic processes like elections and identify possible solutions to improve representation and inclusion in governance and policy making.

The Election Observer Episode 04 guests:

• Elberel Davaa, Executive Director of Women for Social Progress
• Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, Executive Director of Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi (Perludem)
• Asiath Rilweena, Executive Director of Transparency Maldives

Catch the new episode LIVE on 5 March 2025 at 2 p.m. (BKK time) via ANFREL social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn) and Youtube Channel.