Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally in the proposal, development and creation of 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 in many countries. Two important elements are necessary for the legitimacy of democracy. The first, participation, advocates inclusion and equal participation in free and competitive elections. The second concerns the accountability of government, civil servants and politicians to the public and legislative bodies, and calls for transparency in governance and the free flow of information. With this definition in mind, is it really possible to describe all democratic states of the 21st century as true democracies? One of the 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 their needs are not taken into account. systematically protected (United Nations). The importance of the role of women in democratic processes was recognized in the 2011 General Assembly resolution on the political participation of women (A/RES/66/130), which reaffirms “that the active participation of women, on an equal footing with men, at all levels of decision-making are essential to the achievement of equality, sustainable development, peace and democracy” (United Nations). But despite this recognition, sufficient progress has not been made in this area. Women still remain underrepresented, marginalized and absent in the middle of the document......is the quality of democracy important for women's rights? Fair debate and democratic transition in Chile and South Africa. » Sage Journals 45.11 (2012): 1323-1350. Comparative political studies. Web. March 16, 2014. Youngs, Gillian. “Feminist international relations: a contradiction in terms? Or: why women and gender are essential to understanding the world in which “we” live. » International Affairs 80.1 (2004): 75-87. JSTOR. Web. March 17, 2014. United Nations. “Global Issues at the United Nations. . " UN News Center. UN, nd Web. March 13, 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. March 16. 2014. .