This report highlights UNIFEM's work to empower women in economic and public spheres, including achieving gender equality in democratic governance. Among the highlights during the year 2007–2008 were initiatives in empowering women in politics, advancing legislation on women’s rights, putting sexual violence on the security agenda, and engaging men against gender-based violence, among others.

This consolidated response highlights recommendations on how to empower independent women candidates to succeed in elections. These recommendations include providing training sessions, working with civil society organizations, forming women’s caucuses and coalitions, holding public outreach campaigns, and lobbying political parties.

This guide is the first of its kind to provide an overview of the current range of local representative arrangements and electoral systems in Asia and the Pacific. This easy-to-use guide will assist country offices/teams and government partners as programmes are shaped to make local decision-making processes more inclusive and accountable to all citizens.

This report is a compilation of the speeches and statements made during the seminar entitled, "Parliament and the National Budget: Legislative and Oversight Functions," which was held in Dili, Timor Leste in May 2003. The seminar is part of a series of institution-building projects in Timor Leste, geared to provide members of the National Parliament with the necessary tools to participate more constructively in the budgetary process.

This article provides a summary of the strategies employed to enhance the participation of women in the political process in East Timor. It includes data and statistics concerning women in the East Timorese election and constitutional processes, as well as information on the nation-wide campaign against domestic violence.