Empowering women for stronger political parties. Women and political parties

Introductions
Ground rules
Ice breaker exercise

INTRODUCTIONS/
GROUND RULES

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OBJECTIVES

To understand the need for and status of women’s participation within

TOPICS

Why women?
Global and national trends
Barriers to participation
Strategies for empowering women
Engaging men

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KEY TERMS

Political party
Electoral cycle
Women’s wing
Quota
Reserved seat

Parliamentary caucus
Gender
Gender equality
Empowerment

WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: BENEFITS

Higher standards of living
Concerns of marginalized voters represented
Collaborative

WHY DO WOMEN NEED PARTIES?

Parties are gateway to political leadership
Parties inform

EXERCISE: WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES

True or False?

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WHY DO PARTIES NEED WOMEN?

To gain party supporters
To help develop

WOMEN IN POLITICS: GLOBAL TRENDS

Women in parliament: 20.3%
Rwanda: 56.3%
33 parliamentary lower

UKRAINE COUNTRY DATA

63% of Ukrainian voters are women
7.5% of MPs are

WOMEN LEADERS

UKRAINE TODAY

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UKRAINE: FUTURE?

30% of MPs are women
30% of governors are women
30% provincial

EXERCISE

Women’s political participation: identifying helping and hindering forces

Image: Inter-parliamentary Union

OBSTACLES TO WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Legal
Economic
Educational
Social/cultural/ religious

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OBSTACLES TO WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Time
Space
Physical security
Lack of confidence
Political parties

EXERCISE

Who does what within the party?

Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI

THE ELECTORAL CYCLE

INTERNAL PARTY ORGANIZATION

Revise legal framework
Ensure participation in decision-making
Set targets for participation

INTERNAL PARTY ORGANIZATION EXAMPLES

Australia: Labor Party adopted quotas guaranteeing women’s participation

PRE-ELECTORAL PERIOD

Candidate Recruitment and Nomination Stages

NOMINEES even fewer women

ASPIRANTS Fewer women

CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT AND NOMINATION

Key Issues
Quotas
Candidate Quotas
Reserved Seats
Placement and Enforcement

Quotas May

CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT AND NOMINATION STRATEGIES

Party support for quotas
Guidelines for candidate recruitment

CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT AND NOMINATION STRATEGIES

Work with CSOs to monitor compliance
Cultivate strategic

FUNDING OF PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Key Issue: Raising funds to

FUNDING OF PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Establish fundraising networks
Establish internal party fund
Provide

FUNDING OF PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Public funding of parties
Funds for

EXAMPLE: EMILY’S LIST

American organization
Seeks to elect Democratic women
1985: 25 women raised

ELECTORAL PERIOD

Key Issues
Access to funding and media
Capacity building for women
Targeting women

ELECTORAL PERIOD STRATEGIES

Train and mentor women candidates
Ensure women’s visibility
Identify and disseminate

ELECTORAL PERIOD STRATEGIES

Gender sensitive electoral monitoring
Gender sensitive voter information

Photo: Megan Doherty,

POST-ELECTORAL PERIOD

Gender Responsive Governance
Formulate policy
Set governance priorities
Address the concerns of

GENDER RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES

Undertake a gender equality assessment
Provide training to newly

GENDER RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES

Promote gender-sensitive reforms in parliament
Ensure gender mainstreaming in

GENDER RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES

Support women’s cross-party networks and caucuses
Form strategic partnerships

EXERCISE: POLITICAL PARTY ASSESSMENT

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EXAMPLE: BURKINA FASO

Women’s mobilization
Candidate quotas
Partnership with men
Gender neutral quota language

Burkina

EXERCISE: ENGAGING MEN ROLE PLAY

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EXERCISE: PRIORITIZING RECOMMENDATIONS AND DEVELOPING ACTION PLANS

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PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH

Ukraine (2010)
Do you think that higher female representation in

NDI RESOURCES

Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties
Win with Women Global Action