Democratic Principles,

Practices and Norms

Politics 101

The National Democratic Institute

 INTRODUCTIONS/
GROUND RULES
• Introductions
• Ground Rules
• Ice Breaker Exercise
 OBJECTIVES
• To understand the principles of
democracy
• To differentiate between democracy
and politics
• To understand women’s rights in
democracy and politics
 DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
TOPICS
• What is democracy?
• Democratic principles
• What is politics?
• Women’s rights in democracy and
politics
• Why women?
 KEY TERMS
• Democracy
• Politics
• Women’s rights

Photo: National Democratic Institute

 DEMOCRACY
• What is the definition?
• “Government of the people, by the
people, and for the people”?
• How are decisions made?
 DEMOCRACY DEFINED
• Demos and Kratos
• Rule by the people

Photo: National Democratic Institute, Mozambique

 DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
 Human rights
 Separation of powers
 Right to vote
 Good governance

Photo: National Democratic Institute, Tunisia

 INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR)
• International Covenants on:
 Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR)
• Convention on the Elimination of all
forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW)
 DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS
 Personal freedoms
 Legal and judicial
protections
 Political freedom
 Economic freedom

Photo: National Democratic Institute

 POLITICS DEFINED
• Politikos – of, for, or relating to
citizens

“Politics is about who gets what, when,

and how.” – Harold Lasswell
 POLITICS VS. DEMOCRACY

Politics Democracy

• Political • Popular
struggle sovereignty
• Competition • Rule of law
• Compromise • Human rights
 WOMEN’S RIGHTS
• Women’s rights as human rights
• International human rights and gender
equality standards

Photo: NDI
 MINIMUM CONDITIONS FOR
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
• Access to positions of power
• Transparency
• Changing cultural norms
• Women’s economic empowerment
• Political will
 MINIMUM CONDITIONS
• Voice
– Empowerment
– Critical mass
• Access
– Representative resources
– Material and economic resources
– Democratic/cultural space
– Information: gender-disaggregated
• Capacity
 WHY WOMEN?
“The political participation of women results in
tangible gains for democracy, including greater
responsiveness to citizen needs, increased
cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and
more sustainable peace.”

“Success without democracy is improbable;

democracy without women is impossible.”

~ Madeleine Albright
 WOMEN’S POLITICAL
PARTICIPATION: BENEFITS
• Higher standards of living
• Concerns of marginalized voters
represented
• Collaborative leadership styles
• Work across party lines
• Peace building
• Better decisions
 DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
REVIEW
• Democracy
• Politics
• Women’s Rights
• Why women?

 Questions?
 Feedback?