Markham, Susan2014-12-302014-12-302013https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21031The World Bank's World Development Report (WDR) on gender equality and development identified women's voice, agency, and participation as a key dimension of gender equality and as a major policy priority. Agency, as defined in the WDR2012, is the ability to use endowments to take advantage of opportunities to achieve desired outcomes. In particular, WDR2012 focused on five expressions of agency: women's access to and control over resources; freedom of movement; freedom from the risk of violence; decision-making over family formation; and having voice in society and influencing policy. An important expression of women's agency is women's political participation and their ability to fully engage in public life. This background paper focuses on women s ability to play a public role in politics and to influence policy-making. Using the data available, it examines the current status of women in politics and makes the case for the full and equitable participation of women in public life. It reviews the direct and indirect barriers that exist to prevent women's political participation and analyzes strategies that have been used to increase it. Finally, the paper identifies the connections between the five expressions of agency and priorities for future work.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO RESOURCESACHIEVEMENT OF GENDER EQUALITYADVANCEMENT OF WOMENADVOCACYARMED CONFLICTBARRIERS TO WOMENBIRTH CERTIFICATECABINETCABINETSCANDIDATESCAPACITY OF WOMENCAREGIVERSCIVIL SOCIETYCONFLICT RESOLUTIONCONSTITUENCIESCONSTITUENCYDECISION-MAKING PROCESSESDEMOCRACYDISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMENECONOMICSEDUCATION EXPENDITURESELECTIONELECTIONSELECTORAL PROCESSELECTORAL PROCESSESELECTORAL SYSTEMELECTORAL SYSTEMSEMERGING DEMOCRACIESEMPOWERMENTEQUAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMENEQUAL PAYEXECUTIVE BRANCHFAMILIESFEMALEFEMALE CANDIDATEFORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONFRANCHISEGENDERGENDER ANALYSISGENDER AWARENESSGENDER BIASGENDER BIASESGENDER EQUALITYGENDER EQUITYGENDER GAPGENDER INEQUALITYGENDER NORMSGENDER PERSPECTIVEGENDER QUOTASGENDER RELATIONSGENDER ROLESGENDER STEREOTYPESGOOD GOVERNANCEGOVERNANCE ISSUESGOVERNMENT MINISTERSHEALTH CARE LAWHOMEHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHUMAN RIGHTSHUSBANDINHERITANCEINSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURESINSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTINTERNATIONAL STANDARDSINTERVENTIONSLABOR LAWSLAW ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCELAWSLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIVE BODIESLEGISLATORLEGISLATORSLOCAL WOMENMATERNITY LEAVEMEMBERS OF PARLIAMENTMONARCHSMPNEW TECHNOLOGIESOPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENPARLIAMENTPARLIAMENTARIANSPARLIAMENTSPARTICIPATION OF WOMENPARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICSPEACEPENSIONSPOLICY ISSUESPOLITICAL CAMPAIGNSPOLITICAL LEADERSPOLITICAL PARTICIPATIONPOLITICAL PARTIESPOLITICAL PARTYPOLITICAL POWERPOLITICAL PROCESSESPOLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIESPOLITICAL SYSTEMPOVERTY ALLEVIATIONPOWER OF WOMENPRIME MINISTERPROPORTION OF WOMENPUBLIC LIFEPUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC ROLESREPRESENTATION OF WOMENREPRESENTATIVESRIGHTS OF WOMENROLE OF WOMENSANCTIONSSCHOOL ATTENDANCESCHOOLSSOCIAL ISSUESSOCIOLOGYSTATUS OF WOMENSUFFRAGEUNDPUNICEFUNITED NATIONSUNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMEVIOLENCEVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENVOTER TURNOUTWILLWOMANWOMEN CANDIDATESWOMEN HEADS OF STATEWOMEN IN LEADERSHIPWOMEN IN POLITICSWOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFEWOMEN LEADERSWOMEN LEGISLATORSWOMEN MAYORSWOMENAPOS;S ISSUESWORKING MOTHERSYOUNG WOMENYOUTH10.1596/21031