Rights-Equality-Empowerment: Three key ways that International IDEA uplifts women constitution-makers

What if your rights, national values and form of government were decided without the perspective of half the population—yet still applied to everyone? 

For most of history, this has been the reality. Constitutions—which provide the foundations for how we are governed and the rights of citizens—are often declared in the name of ‘We the People’. Yet, they were often drafted in rooms dominated by men. It is hardly surprising, then, that many constitutions have neglected or downplayed critical aspects of women’s agency and equity. 

In 1995, the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action marked a momentous achievement, setting out a visionary agenda for women's empowerment and calling for the full and effective participation of women in every sphere of political, economic and public life. That same year saw “The Birth of an IDEA” as International IDEA took up its mandate to promote sustainable democracy, including to advance women’s inclusion and leadership as core components. In the decades since, International IDEA has supported women constitution-makers, driving gender-sensitive constitutions, and pushing for greater inclusion in the following three key ways.

1. Fostering Solidarity and Peer-to-Peer Learning for Women Constitution-Makers

Since 2019, the Women Constitution-Makers’ Dialogue has provided the only peer-to-peer forum for candid discussions between women constitution-makers. During the Dialogues, women exchange stories, insights, and tactics on writing gender-sensitive constitutions, while also strategizing on how to amplify women’s influence in constitution-making processes and following through on constitutional guarantees of gender equality. 

Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and organised in collaboration with the Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform (PeaceREP) of the University of Edinburgh, the Women Constitution-Makers Dialogue has grown into a truly global platform, counting among its members women constitution-makers, peacebuilders and activists from over 20 countries. The Network provides ongoing support, solidarity, and collective problem-solving to promote more democratic, inclusive, and peaceful state-building processes. 

2. Advocating for Women’s Leadership in Constitution-Building on the World Stage 

The world is facing increasingly intractable conflicts, enmeshed with economic and geopolitical tensions on an unprecedented scale. Both the Beijing Declaration and UN Security Resolution 1325 emphasize women’s role in unpicking and addressing these overlapping crises. 

Reflecting these frameworks, International IDEA hosted a milestone event at the United Nations in 2020, reflecting upon 25 years of women’s participation and representation in constitution-making. Building on this momentum, International IDEA will again bring together women constitution-makers at the Commission on the Status of Women for a stocktake on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, and contemplate fresh approaches for supporting women constitution-makers, especially during times of conflict and transition. 

3. Providing Targeted Tools for Crafting Gender-Sensitive Constitutions

Central to International IDEA’s support for women constitution-makers is its Constitution Assessment for Women’s Equality (CAWE). Launched in 2016, this flagship tool equips women and allies with guidance on crafting gender-sensitive constitutions, reviewing constitutional language, pinpointing potential omissions or biases, and proposing enhancements to advance women’s substantive equality. The tool has been embraced from Chile to South Sudan, and from Guinea-Bissau to Myanmar, aiding women's groups, NGOs, constitution review commissions and parliamentarians in formulating advocacy positions and proposals for constitutional amendments. Through CAWE, International IDEA helps to place equality considerations at the heart of constitutional debates, insisting that genuine commitment to gender equality requires more than general sentiment, but precise, enforceable provisions, inclusive institutions, and mechanisms for oversight.

Investing in Women: Investing in All of Us

By creating collaborative spaces, sharing specialized tools, and spotlighting the importance of women’s leadership, International IDEA’s work demonstrates the immense potential when women are equipped with the right support, tools and platforms. Today, more than ever, we need new and cross-sectoral forms of leadership to respond to climate change, pandemics and to technological and political upheaval. True democracy requires women’s decisive influence on deciding how power is distributed, how states are structured, how the legal system can adapt to a changing world. Critically, women must be involved in crafting how the constitution's text can ensure that the potential and aspirations of women are realized in both the processes and the outcomes of constitutional governance. ‘We the People’ must mean all of us, or it means nothing at all.