We believe that active citizens who are empowered and provided with the opportunity can contribute to development planning and policy making as well as demand accountability from duty bearers and service providers from the local level to the national level. Citizens can also push for social, economic, and political reforms that promote gender equality and social inclusion. Nearly every country has ratified international conventions on equal rights for women and girls. Gender equality is an important aim of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By signing these conventions, governments and by extension our Parliaments agree to remove discriminatory laws and other obstacles to equality, to promote equality and to eliminate discriminatory attitudes, conduct, prejudices and practices. Our work in this area seeks to promote inclusivity and meaningful participation of all, particularly women and other marginalised groups in the governance process -from policy making to holding government and all duty bearers to account.
Our Accountability, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion work covers the following:
- Providing technical support to parliamentary committees on citizens engagement emphasizing linkages with women and other marginalised groups
- Capacity enhancement initiatives for Committees and parliamentary staff around law-making, representation, oversight, accountability and public financial management that promote inclusivity and meaningful participation of all
- Support for the deployment of social accountability tools by committees
- Research on accountability inclusivity and responsiveness
- Institutional Assessments
- Peer learning and Support for parliamentary networks and associations