Campaigns
An effective political campaign is a connected series of operations designed to persuade constituents to vote for you, your candidate, a party or an issue. There exists a wealth of resources for women on how to plan a successful political campaign, hold fundraising and media events, recruit volunteers and reach out to voters.
Sub-topics: Campaign Planning and Strategy, Fundraising, Media and Message, Volunteer Recruitment, Voter Outreach
Skills-building
There are a number of skills that, while not explicitly political, are necessary for women to succeed in politics. These important skills include computer literacy, crisis management, decision-making, finance and budgeting, leadership, negotiation, networking, public speaking and time management.
Sub-topics: Computer Skills, Crisis Management, Decision-Making, Finance and Budgeting, Leadership, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Networking, Public Speaking, Time Management
Elections and Quotas
The right to vote and the right to stand for election are two fundamental tenets of democracy. Yet, even today, universal suffrage is not a given right in all countries, and women often face obstacles that undermine their participation in political and electoral processes.
Sub-topics: Election Observations, Electoral Systems and Laws, Quotas, Voter Education for Women
Post-conflict and Transitional Participation
A transition period begins after wars end through negotiated settlements or other means. Formally and informally, women around the world are contributing to all facets of post-conflict reconstruction, including in the areas of peacemaking, peace agreements, institution-building, constitution-drafting and legislative reform.
Sub-topics: Constitution and Legislative Reform, Implementation SC 1325, Institution Building, Peace Agreements and Peace Making, Post-conflict Reconstruction, Transitional Justice
Advocacy and Lobbying
Advocacy and lobbying are activities that represent and promote the needs of specific groups in political and social arenas. Women worldwide frequently organize themselves for lobbying and advocacy purposes, drawing on their collective power to influence the government and its leaders.
Sub-topics: Advocacy, Civic Education, Civil Society Organizations, Coalition Building, Focus Groups and Polling, Fundraising, Lobbying, Media and Message, Volunteer Recruitment
Parliaments and Representatives
Recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of women in parliament, though the world average of less than 17 percent remains far from the ideal of parity between women and men. There exists a great deal of information on women in parliaments and other legislatures, as well as examples of how to create more gender-sensitive policies and decision-making bodies.
Sub-topics: Committees, Constituency Outreach, Engendering Legislation/Budgets, National Legislature/Parliament, Other Elected Officials, Parliamentary Caucuses
Political Parties
Political parties play the vital role of linking governments with citizens in representative democracies. Parties serve as power gatekeepers, aggregate interests, present political alternatives and nominate candidates. Learning how parties function, both externally and internally, is important to understanding how political parties affect women political leaders and candidates.
Sub-topics: Candidate Selection, Internal Organization, Outreach, Parties in Parliament, Party Funding, Party Regulation, Policy and Platform Development, Political Parties (general), Women's Party Sections
