Around the world, women members of parliament are advocating for the inclusion of the views of women in policy development and legislation.

Women members of parliament have become vital in helping women amplify their voices. The women leading this charge are changing the face of politics in their countries  

The Women’s Democracy network celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) by hosting its annual IWD conference and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Awards ceremony in Washington, DC.

WDN invited  newly elected women members of parliament to  be part of the delegation. The delegation represented Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guatemala, Jordan, Poland, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

Highlights of the week included attending a House Appropriations Committee hearing meeting with the Bravo Group to discuss advocacy strategies and meeting with members and staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to learn more about the legislative branch and the federal government.

WDN Advisory Council Member Myriah Jordan hosted the delegation of women at Facebook to learn best practices on utilizing technology as an elected official and helped them share their message and engage with constituents.

At the conclusion of the week, WDN hosted their annual Jeane J. Kirkpatrick (JJK) Award luncheon. The JJK award honors two awardees – one from the U.S. and one from abroad – for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of women in politics and civil society. This year, WDN recognized Greta Van Sustren and Dr. Isatou Touray of the Gambia

Commending WDN’s emphasis on mentorship, Van Susteren emphasized the importance of female role models: “It’s not that hard to be a good role model. Be nice. Be kind. Do more. Make a difference.” Praising Dr. Touray’s example, she said “When I see someone like Dr. Touray I’m inspired to do more. She inspires us to be better, to do more for our country.” 

During the luncheon WDN also featured a new video about women’s empowerment.

The stories shared by these inspiring parliamentarians testify to the impact women can have when they connect with their greatest resource: each other

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