Countries Overview Nigeria: Women's Political Participation, Empowerment and Leadership in Nigeria (2006)
In September 2006, NDI and the Nigerian National Assembly Women’s Caucus organized a conference with the mission of developing a strategy including immediate actions to increase women's representation in national and local political institutions in the lead-up to the 2007 national elections. By the end of the three-day conference, participants had developed and agreed to a Plan of Action designed to promote an active role for women in political leadership. The Plan of Action, which built upon the Win with Women Global Action Plan, included recommendations for building coalitions with organizations and professional associations devoted to women’s issues, developing a strong women’s lobby, establishing a women’s leadership training institute, and developing an effective strategy for engaging men to promote and advance women’s political participation. The conference and its resulting Plan of Action created powerful momentum. Within three weeks of the conference, the National Assembly Women’s Caucus and NDI organized a women’s political summit that brought together more than 1,000 women leaders to participate in a day of dialogue on campaign finance, message development, maintaining intra-party relations, and providing security for women candidates during national elections. As a result of this summit, women political leaders in Nigeria then created a list of qualified women from which the parties can choose capable and winning women candidates.
Bosnia: Strengthening Women’s Political Participation (2004 - 2006)
In 2004, NDI initiated a program to bring together women from political parties, civic groups and elected office to form advocacy groups in targeted cities across Bosnia-Herzegovina. NDI conducted focus groups to identify community needs and then trained the women on various aspects of conducting advocacy campaigns. The women launched initiatives that have had visible results: legislative amendments, budgetary reforms, and public awareness campaigns on such issues as support for victims of domestic violence, preventive breast cancer treatment, and maternity benefits. The women from Mostar formed the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative, a multi-ethnic group of activists and elected officials, which was selected as the recipient of the 2006 Madeleine K. Albright grant and featured in a film entitled Building Bridges. In the run-up to the October 2006 general elections, NDI provided targeted support to the women’s branches of its political party partners, conducting seminars and consultations with women from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, the Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, and the New Croatian Initiative on their roles and activities in their parties’ election campaigns. The Institute also worked with individual women candidates to strengthen their campaign and media skills as well as to increase their visibility.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Women and the Electoral Law (2005)
In 2005, a coalition of Congolese women leaders from across the political spectrum succeeded in their campaign to have language included in the DRC’s new constitution committing the government to promote equal representation of women and men in all institutions of the state. Despite months of tireless work by members of this coalition, the Transitional Assembly decided not to adopt an electoral system that would have assured women 50% of the seats in the new legislature. Subsequently, NDI organized a series of high level roundtable meetings where parliamentarians and political party leaders developed strategies to increase women’s involvement in the electoral process. During one of these meetings, women parliamentarians suggested the addition of a provision to the electoral law stating that women and people with disabilities should be represented on political party lists. NDI assisted this group in their successful campaign to add this provision, known as Article 13, to the Electoral Law. On February 21, President Kabila signed an amended version of the Electoral Law, which included Article 13. Recognizing the importance of media in a large country like the DRC, NDI collaborated with the Gender Unit of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC) to produce a television broadcast entitled “Women and the Electoral Law.” NDI arranged for gender and electoral law experts to appear on five television channels to explain the electoral law and its impact on opportunities for women’s political participation.
Jordan: When Women Win, the Country Wins (2003)
In February 2003, King Abdullah announced the creation of six new parliamentary seats for women. NDI assisted the Jordanian National Forum for Women (JNFW) in developing a non-partisan campaign to help the public overcome the cultural constrains against voting for women. After a fundraising training session where members of JNFW learned how to approach donors, the JNFW created the first women's fundraising committee in Jordanian history. The fundraising committee successfully raised money from international donors and Jordanian businesses and was able to produce TV and radio spots, newspaper ads, T-shirts, posters, and stickers to promote the message of their campaign: "When Women Win, the Country Wins." Six new women were elected to Jordan's Parliament, and for the first time in the country's history, more women than men turned out to vote on election day. Click here for more information
Yemen: Enhancing Women's Role in Elections (2003)
Building on an NDI program which assisted NGOs in their effort to reach out to women voters prior to the 1997 parliamentary elections, NDI's 2003 program was implemented to further increase the role of women in the 2003 parliamentary election-as both voters and domestic election monitors. The program was supplemented by efforts to strengthen the capacity of women's role within the political parties' in the lead-up to the election. In the April election, one-third of domestic election monitors trained by NDI and deployed by local groups were women. Efforts to support women's role in voting and monitoring processes in Yemen have lead to a decrease in the amount of family-based voting.
Azerbaijan: Participation of Women in Election Processes (2002-2003)
In the lead up to the 2003 elections, NDI assisted the Organization for the Protection of Women's Rights (OPWR), Azerbaijan's only independent women's civic group, in re-designing its women's leadership programs to focus on the role of women during elections. Seminars included general education about the election process as well as specific training on monitoring polling stations, participating in electoral campaigns, reforming the election law, GOTV, and the recruitment and training of political party and non-partisan election observers. These trainings encouraged women to be involved in the 2003 elections as campaign workers, observers and voters.
Bulgaria: Developing a National Advocacy Campaign (2002)
In collaboration with Bulgaria's Women's Alliance for Development (WAD), NDI sponsored a campaign to raise public awareness of human trafficking and trained WAD activists on designing action plans and platforms. In the summer of 2002, WAD organized 14 roundtables in 11 cities in Bulgaria and developed a questionnaire to assess the public awareness of human trafficking. WAD then designed, printed, and distributed 4,100 booklets, including a guide for girls, a teachers' handbook, and a booklet with general information on trafficking. WAD was invited to attend a session of the parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms to present its findings as well as suggestions for combating the problem.
Morocco: Media Outreach to Women Voters (2002)
In the lead-up to the September 2002 parliamentary elections, NDI conducted a number of programs to help sensitize voters to women's candidacy. The Institute worked with political parties to promote a political environment in which women have more incentive to vote and participate in the democratic process. Parties aimed to develop campaign and policy messages that would be clear and easy for women to understand, drawing from feedback gathered through focus group research. A non-partisan voter outreach campaign that targeted women included messages that appealed to women of all ages and were included on billboards, television ads displayed on prime time and other campaign literature.
Azerbaijan: Women's Leadership Training (2001)
In 2001, NDI worked with the Organization for the Protection of Women's Rights (OPWR), Azerbaijan's only independent women's civic group, to develop leadership programs to improve the skills of women political activists and promote the increased political participation of women in Azerbaijan. In cooperation with leaders of the major political parties, OPWR recruited participants for two-day seminars that focused on communication and negotiation skills, message development, public speaking, campaign and community problem-solving skills. Through this leadership training, OPWR developed a network of women trainers within each of the major political parties who have served as examples, mentors and trainers to other women in their parties.
Azerbaijan: Political Rights Education for Women (2000)
Since 1998, NDI has been working with the Organization for the Protection of Women's Rights
(OPWR), an umbrella organization of politically active women advocating for women's rights
and increased involvement of women in the political decision-making process. NDI has
supported efforts of the organization to educate women about relevant issues in local
and national elections and their right to cast their vote under the principle of one
person, one vote. This has traditionally been problematic for women in Azerbaijan, as
group voting based on the family unit has plagued the election process. In September
2000, helped the OPWR develop a strategic plan for the future. Participants developed
three main projects to address pressing social programs, including the formation of a
crisis center for women to support victims of domestic violence; the integration of ethnic
minorities into political and civic life on a regional level; and the creation of an inclusive
association of politically-minded women to increase their effectiveness in advocating for
women candidates. Supplementing this workshop, NDI also held consultations with organizations
affiliated with OPWR to develop their strategic action plans for the future.
Guyana- Raising Awareness Across Party Lines. (1999)
NDI has worked in Guyana to increase women's political participation and build bridges
to span ethnic and party-organization divides in the country. NDI supported the development
of the Millennium Caucus (WMC), a group of professional women from differing ethnic backgrounds
and political parties, which grew out of the "Vital Voices - Women in Democracy" conference
in Uruguay in September 1998. The WMC, in its September 1999 Launch and National Consultation,
brought together representatives from approximately 30 women=s organizations from various
sectors across Guyana. The Consultation served as a basis for defining the work plan of
the Caucus, identifying priorities, and solidifying plans to take these priorities to the
upcoming Vital Voices of the Caribbean conference. Participants in the consultation joined
workgroup discussions on politics and public life; business and economic development; and
legal protection and women=s rights. The presence of several prominent women from different
political perspectives highlighted the emphasis of the WMC in cutting across dividing lines to
address issues of common concern to women.
Guyana- Vital Voices of the Caribbean (1999)
The Vital Voices of the Caribbean Conference, which took place from September 28 to
October 1 in Port of Spain, Trinidad, provided women from the Caribbean region with an
opportunity to reassess where they were in the process of implementing the Beijing
Platform of Action. It gave women the chance to network, to share strategies and ideas
with each other, and to benefit from the experience of programs implemented in other
countries.
NDI supported the participation of Guyanese women on the preparatory committee for the
Vital Voices conference through a series of teleconferences. Subsequently, NDI sponsored
the participation of eight Guyanese women in the conference; of the delegates, three
served as workgroup facilitators and one as workgroup leader. The conference provided
an opportunity for women of different political orientations to meet as a delegation in
a neutral setting outside of Guyana to discuss common approaches to issues and to establish
a basis for working together on follow-up activities. The experience generated a greater
sense of cohesion among the women and gave them the chance to network, to share strategies
and ideas with each other, and to benefit from the experience of programs implemented in
other countries. It also lead to the proposal within the Guyanese delegation to disseminate
the information coming out of the conference through press releases, and to hold a follow-up
consultation with women=s groups across Guyana to further develop a plan for future action
and collaboration.
Namibia: NGO Policy Awareness Campaign (2000)
Women in Namibia have traditionally been marginalized in their efforts to become involved
in the political decision-making process and hold higher political office. To highlight
the challenges women face and to raise national consciousness about women's issues, NDI
provided technical and financial support to assist the Women's Manifesto Network with a
major advocacy campaign leading up to International Women's Day in March 2000. The
Women's Manifesto Network, an assembly of 50 NGOs and civil society organizations,
declared March Gender Awareness Month and initiated a five-day campaign to develop
greater awareness of women's issues and mobilize civil society to lobby for legal reform.
The March campaign gathered government officials, women's groups and service providers to
discuss issues including women and poverty; violence against women; the effects of HIV/AIDS
on women; and women's role in building a peaceful society.
Middle East: Encouraging Women's Participation (1999)
Women in transitional democracies often face both legal and practical obstacles to full
participation in the political process. To highlight these challenges, Participation:
Democratic Decision Making - The Vital Voices of Women, Civil Society and Pluralism was
one of the central topics of the NDI-organized Emerging Democracies Forum held in Yemen
in June 1999. Discussions centered on steps that can be taken to ensure women an equal
voice in the democratic process and remove the legal, practical and cultural barriers
to political involvement. Recommendations, outlined in the Sana'a Declaration endorsed
by the 16 participating countries, included focusing on economic development programs;
modifying electoral systems to enhance women's representation; and aggressively recruiting
women to fill key appointed positions in the government. Soon after the Forum, Yemen's
ruling party took concrete steps to implement these recommendations by electing a woman
to the party's top committee and increasing the number of women in its next highest committee
from 19 to 50.
Mali: Inspiring and Educating Women (1999)
As of 1999, women accounted for less than 15 percent of all elected officials in Mali.
Voter turnout overall for the 1992 and 1997 presidential and legislative elections in
Mali was low, but women's participation was particularly weak. To assist Malian women in
becoming more politically active, NDI initiated a program aimed at educating, inspiring
and mobilizing women to take part in the political process. NDI produced a booklet, a video,
and audiotapes in French showcasing the experiences of twenty women who are active in political
life in Mali. These materials were distributed to political parties and non-governmental
organizations throughout the country to help raise consciousness about the role of women in
politics and energize women to become actively engaged in the political process.
Egypt: Civic Education for Women (1999)
Following flawed legislative elections in November 1995, democrats saw the need to address
the widespread apathy and lack of information among Egyptians about their country's political
processes. In response to that need, NDI supported, among other groups, the work of the
Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) and their program, Supporting the Political Rights
of Women (SPRW). In 1997, the ECWR developed and distributed 5,000 copies of a booklet about
the importance and process of women registering to vote. Using simple language and cartoon
characters, the booklet has been used in literacy classes attended regularly by women. The
ECRW also held a series of town hall meetings between local officials and community women
in some of the poorest areas of Cairo.
Continuing its support of women's civic education, in 1998 NDI developed a program to help
increase ECWR's organizational capacity. As a result, ECWR developed a more sustainable
organizational framework, and a clearer, balanced division of labor. ECWR is currently
encouraging women to register to vote and to engage in dialogue with local government
representatives. ECWR has also increased women's participation in civic life by forming
committees of women throughout Cairo's most poverty-stricken neighborhoods.
Kenya: Civic Education for Women (1997)
In 1997 NDI initiated research into Kenyan attitudes towards women candidates as well
as these candidates' own thoughts about their decisions to run for elected office and
the role their family may have played in this decision. NDI created a series of documents,
including a civic education document intended to address a need for basic information on
the rights and eligibility of voters, the voting process, qualifications for elected officials
and how a bill becomes a law. Lists of women elected and appointed legislators in the country,
women candidates from the 1992 elections, women's organizations in the country, a directory of
governmental agencies, and listing of all local councils was also included.
Ethiopia: Women's Understanding of Democratic Principles (1995)
In 1995, NDI embarked on a program to encourage women's participation in the political
process, complementing NDI's efforts at the time to strengthen nongovernmental organizations
engaged in civic education and advocacy efforts in Ethiopia. NDI conducted a campaign training
workshop for women candidates running in parliamentary and regional elections. In May, NDI
conducted a survey of 400 women in five regions and 13 towns/villages to gauge women's
understanding of democratic principles, to identify existing or nascent women's groups,
and to assess their interest in focusing on democracy and civic education issues. Based on
its initial findings, NDI, in cooperation with local civic organizations, began to develop
training materials to address the needs of women who wanted to learn about their rights as
specified in the new Ethiopian Constitution, the Ethiopian Civil Code, and international
human rights treaties.
West Bank and Gaza Strip: Civic Education for Young Women (1994)
In 1994, NDI began efforts to support and strengthen the prospective Palestinian election
process. Many Palestinians including women were eager to become involved in Palestinian
self-rule by contributing to the establishment of structures for elections and governance
and forming patterns for future relations between the population and their elected
representatives. In November 1994, NDI organized a series of four day-long seminars to
promote young Palestinian women's political participation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Each seminar was attended by 40 to 50 Palestinian women in their twenties and thirties. In
addition to providing encouragement to the women by recounting both the difficulties and the
possibilities each trainer had experienced in her own country, the trainers left the women
with several ideas for future. At these seminars, NDI disseminated literature, translated
by NDI into Arabic, about activities to build and strengthen democratic institutions and
practices in other countries. Many of the Palestinian participants subsequently organized
meetings and discussions of ways to implement what they learned at the seminars and some
established a semi-formal network of women activists throughout the Gaza Strip.
Nepal: Women and Voting Rights (1994)
In the fall of 1994, NDI, in conjunction with the National Election Observation Committee
(NEOC), a coalition of Nepali civic organizations, conducted a program to increase women's
political participation in preparation for the November national elections. The program
began with a women's workshop at an NDI/NEOC election monitoring conference in October.
Representatives from NDI and several Nepali civic organizations then formed a committee
to design more women's political participation programs. Activities included a women's
conference in Kathmandu, as well as two regional seminars in Biratnagar and Pokhara. The
committee also created and distributed thousands of posters and leaflets designed to get
out women's informed votes. 95 women from 35 Nepali civic organizations and the media
attended the conference, which culminated in a list of women participants who volunteered
to monitor the November elections. The conference and seminars addressed women's rights in
Nepal, getting-out-the-vote, and the importance of nonpartisan election monitoring.
Contact Information
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