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?
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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
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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
• Political
struggle
• Competition
• Compromise
Democracy
• Popular
sovereignty
• Rule of law
• 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
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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
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Democracy
Politics
Women’s Rights
Why women?
 Questions?
 Feedback?