Internal gender audits
and action plans can also help institutionalize gender equality in political
party structures, processes and practices, according to the OSCE/ODIHR’s “Handbook on
Promoting Women’s Participation in Political Parties”. Gender audits
assess party procedures, activities and culture from a gender perspective and
help identify discriminatory practices that hinder women from advancing their
political careers. Within the framework of gender audits, the party’s statutes,
policies, strategy and platform, as well as internal rules of procedure, both
formal and informal, are analyzed. On the basis of gaps identified by these
self-assessment activities, political parties can develop comprehensive action
plans to foster women’s participation. [1]
