The labs, which are the heart of the World Forum for Democracy, will this year focus on issues to resolve specific problems with regards to inequalities between women and men thanks to the critical analysis of tested initiatives.

The World Forum for Democracy will take place on 19-21 November in Strasbourg, France. The Council of Europe’s Democracy Innovation Award is given to the most popular initiative, voted upon by the Forum participants.

The key conclusions and lessons learnt from the labs will be discussed in a summing up session in order to prepare the overall conclusions of the Forum.

Organisations/institutions worldwide are invited to express their interest in presenting an initiative aimed at changing the diverse range of experiences women are facing. These initiatives should be able to share evidence about efforts that have led to the strengthening and protection of women's rights and/or to a balanced representation of women and men in public, political and/or economic affairs.