Women’s active participation in governing institutions as politicians, local leaders, civil servants and within civil society are important channels for entrenching gender equality, advancing women’s concerns and deepening gender mainstreaming strategies. Within the UNESCAP region, women’s increased political participation especially through the introduction of gender quotas at national and local authority levels are a significant step forward. Women’s growing involvement in political parties and institutional machineries build a training ground for generations to come. Capacity building through involvement in campaigns, media participation, political and decision-making processes all work to strengthen and deepen the overall political effectiveness of individual women politicians; and in turn, through collaboration and support, the women’s movement nationally, regionally and even globally through example.