India

Discussions at the Polling Station.

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Women Count

August 10, 2011

Only one out of every five legislators in the world is a woman, and many countries still deny women the right to cast a ballot. Learn more about IFES’ work to promote equal rights, justice and political participation for women around the world.

Gender Issues

Indian Election Chief Visits IFES

February 25, 2011

Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, chief commissioner of the Election Commission of India, visited IFES headquarters in Washington on February 22 and led a discussion of India’s electoral system with democracy-development and elections leaders.

Electoral Systems, Elections

Indian Election Commissioner Visits IFES

December 10, 2010

V S Sampeth, a member of India's election commission, visited IFES while on a trip to the United States. He met with IFES President and CEO Bill Sweeney, National Democratic Institute President Ken Wollack, and International Republican Institute Executive Vice President Judy Van Rest.

Elections

Senior White House Advisor Visits Garima Project

December 06, 2010

Valerie Jarret, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, met the Counterpart-IFES Garima project Country Director Tara Sharma in New Delhi, India in early November.

Democracy Assistance, Gender Issues, Civil Society

U.S. Ambassador for Women’s Issues Visits IFES’ Garima Project in India

October 07, 2010

On September 14, 2010, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne S. Verveer visited the Garima project in New Delhi, India. Verveer helped launch the Garima project in November 2009 and returned to observe its progress during a recent visit to India. Garima, which means “dignity” in Hindi, works to enhance women’s participation in political, economic and social processes, encourage political advocacy, and curb practices such as gender-based violence, female feticide and child marriage. The project is implemented by IFES and Counterpart International and collaborates with several nongovernmental organizations in India.

Gender Issues, Civil Society, Civic Education, Democracy Assistance

United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Visits the Garima Project

September 14, 2010

On September 14, 2010, Melanne S. Verveer, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, visited the Garima project in New Delhi, India to observe progress the program had made. Garima, (‘dignity’ in Hindi) is a project that IFES is implementing in partnership with Counterpart International under an award from USAID.

Civil Society, Gender Issues, Democracy Assistance

Promoting Women’s Political Participation in South Asia: Afghanistan, Nepal and India

June 02, 2010

On 2 June 2010, IFES chaired a panel discussion at InterAction's 2010 annual Forum titled "Promoting Women’s Political Participation in South Asia." Empowerment, be it economic, social, or political, is key to improving the status of women. Increased active participation in the public sphere and political life complements economic sufficiency and enables women to gain full citizenship. South Asia provides a fertile source of experiences in this area and offers relevant learning that can benefit gender programming in other regions.

Gender Issues, Democracy Assistance, Civil Society, Civic Education, Education

Witnessing the 4th of India's 5 Election Phases

May 08, 2009

India, which proudly calls itself the world's largest democracy, goes to the polls in phases. Today was the 4th in a series of 5 phases.

Elections, Civil Society, Gender Issues, Governance, Electoral Systems

Elections in Rajasthan, India

May 08, 2009

India, which proudly calls itself the world's largest democracy, goes to the polls in phases. On May 7, 2009, the 4th of 5 phases took place. This phase involved 95 million voters, 130,000 polling stations, 1315 candidates and 600,000 poll workers. Unlike some states which partake in multiple phases, all of Rajasthan voted during phase IV. Rajasthan is one of the two states in India where IFES supports Indian organizations in implementing programs on women's empowerment. These photos were taken by these partner organizations.

Elections

IFES Honors International Women's Day

March 06, 2009

The equal participation of women in all aspects of political, social and economic life of a country is vital for democracy to take root and flourish. Since 1995, IFES has worked front and center on women’s issues around the world, many times as a result of elections work in ensuring all individuals vote, such as in Afghanistan’s historic elections in 2004.

Gender Issues, Democracy Assistance, Civil Society, Civic Education, Election Law

Country In Brief

In spite of India's strong democratic tradition, communal, caste, regional, and religious tensions-as well as gender inequalities-persist. In the case of women, even though a woman has held the office of prime minister, women continue to be underrepresented throughout the political system as both political leaders and as voters.

 

As a result, their concerns do not receive sufficient attention in the country's legislative agenda. Despite years of effort, NGO and donor initiatives aimed at empowering and uplifting Indian women, the social and economic conditions for most women in India have deteriorated or remained stagnant.

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