Women’s Political Participation in Action

ICLD’s Secretary General Johan Lilja underlined that gender equality is not only a human rights issue but also crucial for building sustainable, vibrant democracies.

“Women account for half the population, and it is only just that they also hold half of all leadership positions. This is not about individual women failing to reach leadership – it is about systems and structures that must be changed,” he said.

Johan highlighted the impact of ICLD’s Women’s Political Leadership Programme, which gathers female mayors and deputy mayors from across the world. Through peer-to-peer learning and concrete change projects, participants drive reforms in their municipalities.

“When women are elected to office, policies are created that reflect the needs of families, minorities, and marginalized groups. Strengthening women’s leadership benefits the entire community,” Johan concluded.

From Zambia, Kanungwe Chota, the country’s youngest mayor and an alumna of the programme, shared her personal journey. Her change project promoted citizen-centred governance, ensuring equal representation of women, men, and youth in local decision-making. During the programme she also ran for – and won – the position of Vice President of the Local Government Association of Zambia, becoming the first woman ever to sit on its board.

“Representation doesn’t just happen – we must be proactive and deliberate,” she said.
“As women leaders, we must prove to our communities that when women lead, they lead with care, with integrity, and with vision. And we must teach our sons not to be intimidated by their sisters – together, we can go further.”

The panelists emphasized that real progress demands political will, strong institutions, and local action. They also stressed the importance of addressing structural barriers such as violence against women in politics and unequal family responsibilities.

As the session closed, the message was clear: reshaping power for equality begins at the local level – with women not only taking their rightful place at the decision-making table, but also changing how decisions are made to benefit entire communities.

The panelists were: