Gender-sensitive parliaments: Feminising formal political institutions

As an emergent international norm, gender sensitive parliaments (GSP) are an important and successful case of feminist activism in the field of governance. GSP are inclusive, with men and women sharing genuine power, and with their core business and systems oriented towards the goal of gender equality. By analysing competing GSP frameworks and toolkits, this chapter charts the development of the idea and practice of GSP over time and illustrates GSP as a positive example of iterative dialogue between academics and practitioners. In reflecting on our own experiences in supporting GSP around the world, we explore the politics of parliamentary transformation, institutional resistance, and opportunities presented by crises such as the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. A key observation is that parliamentary acceptance of the GSP norm is contingent on institutional culture – which in some cases remains unapologetically masculinised – and the extent to which these norms can be translated into local contexts.