1. Women’s Mayor Network | 1
A PROSPECTUS:
THE WOMEN MAYORS’
NETWORK (WoMN) PROJECT
OVERVIEW:
At the heart of the Women Mayors’ Network
(WoMN) project is a congress of women politicians
at the mayoral level. This initiative also provides for
a range of support to women seeking and holding
mayoral positions, and will include: a database of
members; technical assistance provided by a roster
of professionals in senior positions; a digital platform
where members can connect; and a biennial award
for a city project that improves gender equality.
BACKGROUND & BENEFITS:
As more of the world’s population moves from rural
areas to cities, local governments are increasingly
becoming important governing bodies. Those
that govern capital, large and mega-cities have the
potential to influence and shape national- and global-
level policy agendas. Though women comprise the
majority of the world’s urban population—a trend
expected to rise—women’s voices are significantly
underrepresented in local governments. Women
and men use cities differently, have disparate travel
patterns, and often prioritize diverging policies.
Women’s needs are often ignored by city officials,
urban planners and development practitioners.
While a number of women mayors lead major capital
cities such as Baghdad, Bangui, Madrid, Montevideo,
Paris, Prague, Stockholm and Washington DC,
the global proportion of women as mayors is less
than five percent. For these reasons, the National
Democratic Institute for International Affairs
(NDI) is developing an international, nonpartisan
membership organization that supports women
seeking and attaining elected office at the local level.
The Women Mayors’ Network (WoMN) is unlike any
other intercity association or women’s group. It offers
members a space for networking and accessing
technical expertise from senior women in public
office, the private sector and other fields in a range
of priority areas such as budgeting, performance
implementation and inclusive governance that
would enhance and deepen members’ effectiveness
as local executive officers. Additionally, the Network
will serve as a platform for policy forums, cross-
regional collaboration, lesson learning, and resource
sharing. We will ensure that the technical assistance
offered is relevant and useful, especially for women
mayors in the Global South, who might otherwise
have limited access to such resources.
Creating opportunities for emerging women leaders, like this Mayors Academy in Mexico, is key to the Women
Mayors’ Network. (Photo credit: NDI)

2. 2 | Women’s Mayor Network
The Network will be open to all women mayors or
lead councilors however termed. Membership dues
will be collected annually, though the first year’s
membership for newly-elected mayors will be free.
Finally, members of the Network will be able to
compete for a biennial prize, which will allow
for the implementation of a project to promote
gender equality and women’s empowerment in the
applicant’s city.
Harnessing the reach of its worldwide membership
anddrivenbythedemographicshiftthatisreflectedin
the rapidly urbanizing global population, the Network
will be a global political force working to maximize
gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Collectively, Network members will be able to
advocate for policies and development agendas,
with a particular focus on those issues pertaining
to gender equality and women’s empowerment at
the urban level. The recently adopted Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) are particularly relevant:
specifically, SDG5 with its commitment to “achieve
gender equality and empower all women and girls”
and SDG 11 which focuses on making cities inclusive
and safe, and the good and democratic governance
goal reflected in SDG16. The ‘Cities for CEDAW’
(the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women) initiative is also an
interesting framework through which to view local
governance.
MEMBERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES:
Members will:
• commit to the principles of the Network,
including the active promotion of democratic
governance, gender equality and women’s
empowerment
• exchange experiences of their political
journeys, time in office, successes and
challenges with their colleagues;
• be prepared to serve on at least one internal
committee;
• engage substantively on a regular basis; and
Figure 1: Why are women moving to urban areas?
Push Factors Pull Factors
A network of women, like these Mayors from Cote
D’Ivoire, fosters collaboration and the important
solidarity needed for ideas of democracy and equality
to thrive. (Photo credit: NDI)

3. Women’s Mayor Network | 3
• commit to participating in at least one meeting
each year.
MEETINGS:
The majority of meetings will be convened in the
margins of other global conferences, at a regional
level, or virtually. However, the WoMN will meet
in person biennially (location and dates tbd) to
participate in:
• panel discussions and workshops on emerging
policy priority areas,
• capacity-building activities, and
• Network strategic planning.
ADVISORY BOARD:
There will be an Advisory Board that will provide
guidance for all Network initiatives. Advisory Board
members will include representatives from politics,
civil society, the private sector, government, and
academia. They will serve for a period of three years,
renewable once. A representative group of women
Mayors of capital cities will be invited by NDI to form
the first Advisory Board. Thereafter, new Board
Members will be appointed by the established Board.
ALUMNAE GROUP:
Separate from Network membership, former women
mayors will be encouraged to join the technical
assistance roster.
FUNDS:
When resources are available, the Network will
establish funds for causes supported by the
membership, such as a fund for member travel
to biennial Network meetings or for prospective
mayoral candidates who are aligned with the
Network’s core democratic platform and principles,
e.g., candidates who promote Cities for CEDAW as
part of their platform as candidates and for their
administration.
SECRETARIAT:
The Women Mayors’ Network is supported and
hosted by the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs, with contributions from X, Y, Z.
In the first instance, the Network will be staffed by
a full-time coordinator at the NDI-equivalent of
Program Officer level. The Coordinator will:
• liaise with Network members, NDI, and the
Advisory Board on issues related to the
management and development of the Network;
• develop and maintain the database, network
lists, and technical assistance roster;
• compile resources for members; conduct
outreach and facilitate online member
conversations;
• plan and organize biennial meetings and other
convenings;
• conduct outreach and implement a resource
mobilization plan to support the Network; and
• manage Network finances, including
membership dues.