Democratization  •  21 “ I believe ODIHR’s gender audit is a very important instrument for political parties to describe exactly the party’s stance on gender equality and women’s empowerment, to identify how women’s intellectual resources and capabilities are used, to illustrate equality within party management, and to measure women’s participation Georgian politics.” Manana Kobakhidze, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, leader of “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia” party. Exchange of good practices of women’s engagement in democratic processes ODIHR continued to support avenues and provide platforms for the exchange of good practices in women’s political participation. On 26 and 27 May in Warsaw, ODIHR hosted an expert meeting of leading politicians, academics and civil society representatives from the OSCE region to discuss key achievements in the area of women’s participation, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. Findings and recommendations from the meeting laid the foundation for ODIHR’s Compendium of Good Practices for Advancing Women’s Political Participation in the OSCE Region, set to be published in early 2016. In co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, ODIHR supported the organization of a Regional Conference of Women Members of Parliament from South-Eastern Europe, held on 2 and 3 March in Belgrade, during which a Memorandum of Co-operation on jointly identified gender-equality issues was signed by MPs from eleven countries. In co-operation with The National Democratic Institute Regional Elections Administration and Political Processes Strengthening Program, ODIHR organized a Forum on Women’s Leadership in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, on 16 and 17 April in Belgrade. The event sought to provide support to over 50 gender-equality advocates from 13 countries to network and identify priority areas and actions for inter-regional co-operation. In addition, a study tour to Belgrade on 9 to 12 November, organized by ODIHR with support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, enabled women MPs and representatives of the government of Belarus to learn from the experience of Serbia in establishing parliamentary structures for women MPs. Increasing Transparency and Accountability of Democratic Institutions In 2015, ODIHR continued to promote a holistic approach in fighting political corruption and unethical behaviour, by involving political parties, parliaments, anti-corruption agencies and regulatory bodies, alongside civil society. On 14 and 15 July in Kyiv, ODIHR assisted Ukraine in identifing concrete policy recommendations on political party financing, during the Political Party Expert Workshop, attended by more than 50 regional experts, including representatives of the Ukrainian parliament, academia and civil society Maria Ionova (l), Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine speaking at an event, co-organized by OSCE/ODIHR in Kyiv, on role of women politicians in peace-building process in Ukraine, as Lana Ackar (r), Associate Gender Officer at ODIHR listens, 16 December 2015. (OSCE/ Jacopo Leone)