DEMOCRATIZATION  //  21 ACTIVITIES DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND GENDER Promoting women in politics and gender equality in democratic institutions In some OSCE participating Sstates women make up only 10 per cent of parliamentarians. The prevailing under-representation of women in decision-making institutions has a profound effect on democracy, prosperity and stability in the OSCE region. ODIHR works to promote women’s participation in politics and to strengthen gender equality in democratic institutions by engaging with a range of actors, including parliaments, women’s parliamentary networks, political parties, academia and civil society. In 2017, ODIHR organized 20 events, including expert visits and training events, on gender equality and women’s political participation, which raised the awareness and capacity of over 7,000 women and 500 men to improve gender equality across the OSCE region. partners on 7 September in Budapest, served as a platform for 200 participants (35 men, 165 women) to exchange good practices for advancing women’s participation in political life in Hungary and beyond. The event explored persistent and emerging challenges women face, and gave representatives of political parties, civil society and youth an opportunity to discuss how to improve gender equality, women's rights and access to decision-making. One such event, the International Forum on Women’s Political Empowerment, organized by ODIHR and ODIHR has developed tools to highlight the issue of under-representation of women and present