Labs of the World Forum for Democracy 2018
LAB 1 - What if she runs? Better representation through higher female participation in elections
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
Quotas have been established around the world to ensure that women candidates can run in elections – what’s the right design? What are the structural barriers that hinder women from running in elections? How can we fight against these barriers? Does gender parity in terms of positions mean women have 50% of power?
LAB 2 - No pressure! Can political parties make parity a priority?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
What are the processes through which candidates are placed high up on party lists for election, especially in those constituencies where candidates from specific parties have good chances of being elected? Can third parties take over the audit for political parties respect of gender equality principles? Are the “old-boys-networks” of political parties so strong that new social movements should take their place? What can the public do to increase pressure on parties to bring more women into leadership positions and to defend policies that are representative of the diversity of women’s interests?
LAB 3 - Is #MeToo the new model for women’s rights campaigns?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
Before #MeToo, women’s rights groups have fought for over a hundred years for gender equality. What works when campaigning for women’s rights? How can digital and offline tools be combined to mobilise citizens and sensitise elected officials? What language to use to convince sceptics of gender equality?
LAB 4 - Eradicating sexism and violence in political institutions: a matter of time, or design?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
Political institutions were designed and have evolved in a time when demands for gender equality were little understood. Delegates in parliaments around the world testify of sexist behavior in political institutions. What are the root causes? How can this be stopped and how can institutions be designed in a way that ensures parity in decision-making and stops discrimination against women?
LAB 5 - Activism vs. law: can greater awareness stop sexual harassment in the public space?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
Several countries have started to legislate on sexism in the public space. What are women’s experiences and how can they benefit from laws against misogyny? How does violence against women in all its forms impact their personal and professional development? What are ways to render the public space more accepting of diversity?
LAB 6 - How to create safe spaces in cyberspace?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
The digital space holds the promise of achieving stronger and more diverse citizen participation in politics. Despite existing data gaps, there is a growing evidence of the need to regulate misogynistic behavior online. What are women’s experiences on the internet? How does violence against women in the cyberspace impact their personal and professional development? What are ways to render the cyberspace more accepting of diversity? Can we get rid of sexist online hate speech? Should women create more safe spaces to avoid misogynistic behavior online?
LAB 7 - Will closing the gender gap in the economy lead to greater political equality?
20 November 2018 - 9.30-11.30
There is strong evidence that incentives for women’s economic empowerment stimulate the economy as a whole. Less understood are the effects of women progressively taking up leadership roles and/or becoming entrepreneurs, and of equal working conditions being established for men and women, on general democratic practice. The lab will identify the conditions for a strong ecosystem for female employees to thrive, and will analyse the linkages between economic and political power, as well as its prospects to promote active citizenship.
LAB 8 - Can stereotypes against women be banned from the media?
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
Through their reporting, the media actively shape opinions, attitudes and ideas. Integrating a gender equality perspective in this area is therefore a powerful tool to induce social changes. How does the media promote gender equality in societies with inequalities that are deeply enshrined within their social fabric? How can monitoring mechanisms be linked with regulatory bodies to ban stereotypes from the media?
LAB 9 - Fighting trafficking in Human beings
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
Women have been proven to be the main victims of human trafficking. What can government, states, organisations do to prevent trafficking from occurring? What can be done to help the survivors to rejoin society and have access to education and employment? This lab will focus on ways to stop human trafficking as well as helping and empowering the survivors to ensure their reintegration and rehabilitation.
LAB 10 - Masculinities reexamined: are men the key to greater gender equality?
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
Contemporary ideas and practices of manhood help men to stay on top of social hierarchies, taking advantage of privileges that men enjoy over women. Whereas the meaning of masculinity differs within cultural contexts, a strong unifying factor is that men tend to be raised to stay assertive, strong, and decisive. They are trained not to experience or show neither weakness nor pain. Are they therefore more likely to rule over women or other men in politics, the public space and the economy? Paradoxically, the same privileges constitute a heavy burden for men who fear not to live up to expectations of manhood. Their exercise of power over women is also at the heart of gender based violence. What initiatives can bring men to reflect upon this power and privilege? How can men in parliaments and courts, governments and business administrations be encouraged to give up on power?
LAB 11 - How can women use the law to fight gender-based violence?
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
One in three women experience violence simply because they are women. Laws and policies can provide the foundation for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to violence against women. The UN notes that while a historic number of laws and policies against violence are now in place, implementation is still lagging behind. Which legal mechanisms successfully promote women’s human rights and equal representation of women? What are existing legal gaps that need to be closed? Women around the world are mobilised to stand up for women’s rights. What are their experiences and recommendations, and how can citizens contribute to implementing existing law frameworks?
LAB 12 - Participatory democracy: a necessary boost for women’s power?
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
The lab will explore the effectiveness of (e-) participatory tools and their impact on including women in decision-making, within the existing constitutional framework of representative democracy. It will also look into the quality criteria for participatory democracy to succeed in representing diverse women’s voices in the long term.
LAB 13 - Women’s diversity: what are the interests of women of ethnic minorities and who represents them?
20 November 2018 - 14.30-16.30
Balanced participation and representation of women and men in public and political life, in public institutions, and among elected officials can be achieved if men feel engaged and work side by side with women in denouncing and breaking harmful cultural norms and practices. In this Lab we will use the innovative LEGO® SERIOS PLAY® method to explore the unconscious assumptions that influence the behaviour of men and women. The method was created to enhance development and innovation by actually constructing purpose, vision, identity and goals. We will specifically work on identifying harmful cultural norms and practices as well as institutional, structural and legal barriers that hinder equal political participation of women of ethnic minorities, including from Roma and Traveller communities. We will conclude by building ideas/actions, individually and in teams, to remove or denounce the barriers identified.