Watch:
Featuring
Joyce Banda
Former President of Malawi
Introductory remarks
Nancy Birdsall
Founding President, Center for Global Development
Panelists
Gwen K. Young
Director, Global Women’s Leadership Initiative and Women in Public Service Project, Woodrow Wilson Center
Evidence shows that when women have the opportunity to serve as political leaders, governments are not only more inclusive but also perform better. Women politicians are shown to champion policies improving health services and education systems, and they serve as positive role models influencing girls’ career aspirations and educational attainment.
But across the world, women’s rates of political leadership remain lower than men’s. What are the obstacles standing in the way of women’s equal political participation? And what can be done to overcome these obstacles?
Join us for a conversation with the former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda, to discuss women’s political leadership in Africa and globally. Following her remarks, President Banda will be joined by experts from CGD and the Wilson Center to discuss the challenges facing women seeking to enter politics, how to encourage women’s political participation, and the benefits of more inclusive political systems.
