Women have demonstrated considerable leadership in community and informal organizations, as well as in public office. However, socialization and negative stereotyping of women and men, including stereotyping through the media, reinforces the tendency for political decision- making to remain the domain of men. Likewise, the under-representation of women in decision-making positions in the areas of art, culture, sports, the media, education, religion and the law have prevented women from having a significant impact on many key institutions.

The Beijing Platform for Action addressed the great disparity in power between women and men in public affairs. It urges governments, the international community and civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to take action to reach the following objectives:

• Ensure women's equal access to, and full participation in, power structures and decision-making;
• Increase women's capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership.

In many countries, measures have been taken to increase the representation of women in all levels of government and decision-making processes. Progress has, however, been slow. In all countries, women are still underrepresented at every level of government, especially in ministerial and other executive and legislative bodies. For instance, worldwide only 12 per cent of seats in parliaments are held by women, ranging from a mere 3.7 per cent in the Arab States to only 19 per cent in industrialized countries (UNDP: Human Development Report 1999).

Increasing Women's Role in Decision-making

UNFPA supports awareness-raising activities to increase the participation of women at decision-making levels within the family, community, political and government spheres. UNFPA assistance in the area of population policy has enabled women and women's NGOs to participate actively in policy formulation.

Since 1995, UNFPA has sponsored three meetings of African women ministers and parliamentarians (Burkina Faso 1995; Tanzania 1996; Mauritius 1998). These conferences provided these women an opportunity to strengthen their ability to advocate for gender equality issues and to develop regional strategies to eradicate gender inequality. At the Mauritius conference, participants committed themselves to the elimination of violence against women and the eradication of harmful traditional practices, to support the reproductive health of adolescents, and to encourage open discussion on these issues by national leaders. UNFPA has also supported setting up networks of women parliamentarians and ministers, for instance, in Bolivia, Cameroon and Guinea.