Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally in making, developing and creating laws. In this system, legal equality, freedom and the rule of law are all important features, and since the 20th century, waves of democracy have brought important progress towards true liberal democracy for many nations. There are two important components necessary for the legitimacy of democracy. The first, participation, supports inclusion and equal participation in free and competitive elections. The second concerns the accountability of government, public officials and politicians to the public and legislative bodies, and requires transparency in governance and free flow of information. With this definition in mind, is it really possible to describe all democratic states in the 21st century as true democracies? One of the basic and fundamental principles of democracy is the participation of all eligible citizens, but in many “democracies” women are underrepresented in elected positions, their interests are neglected in the development of public policies, and their rights or needs are not taken into account. into consideration. constantly protected (United Nations). The importance of the role of women in democratic processes was recognized in the 2011 General Assembly resolution on women's political participation (A/RES/66/130), which reaffirms “that the active participation of women, on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision-making are essential to achieving equality, sustainable development, peace and democracy” (United Nations). But, despite this recognition, adequate progress has not been made in this area. Women continue to remain underrepresented, marginalized and absent in... middle of paper... does the quality of democracy matter for women's rights? Just Debate and Democratic Transition in Chile and South Africa." Sage Journals 45.11 (2012): 1323-1350. Comparative Political Studies. Web. 16 March 2014. Youngs, Gillian. "Feminist International Relations: A Contradiction in Terms? Or: Why women and gender are essential to understanding the world we live in." International Affairs 80.1 (2004): 75-87. JSTOR. Web. 17 March 2014. United Nations. "Global issues at the United Nations. ." UN News Center. UN, nd Web. 13 March 2014. .United Nations. "The role of women in the democratic transition | UN Women - Headquarters." The role of women in the democratic transition | UN Women - Headquarters. Np, nd Web. 16 March. 2014. .