http://www.eldis.org/go/display&id=10697&type=Document

Gender equality and the empowerment of women are critical dimensions of the United Nations Development Programme's efforts to help meet the overarching goal of halving world poverty by 2015. The launch of this publication during the General Assembly Special Session on Beijing + 5 testifies to UNDP's commitment to keeping these issues among its top priorities. The studies it contains clearly show how, despite substantial obstacles, women decision makers in developing countries have already begun to put a distinctive stamp on governance mechanisms, institutions and broader political debates. But is also draws attention to the fact that much more still needs to be done.This publication draws on the experiences and expertise of ministers, members of parliament, government officials and members of national, grassroots civil society and the private sector, who participated in a UNDP-sponsored meeting on Women's Political Pariticipation-21st Century Challenges (New Delhi, March 1999). It focuses on a number of issues including progress made in women's political participation since Beijing, the Indian experiment with constitutional amendments mandating the reservation of one third of local government-elected representation to women, and the wider connection between gender, poverty and governance.(Au)