During the fall of 2007, NDI partnered with the Simon Bolivar Andean University (Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar, UASB) to organize the groundbreaking Women’s Leadership Institute. With the goal of increasing women’s confidence and ability to participate in politics, the Institute helped to strengthen women’s skills in a variety of areas from working with the media to building conflict negotiation skills. The Institute participants consisted of thirty-five Bolivian women representing a variety of political parties, citizen groupings (agrupaciones cuidadanas), labor unions and NGOs. For four nights a week over the course of six weeks, the Institute offered a program for these women to gain practical skills to transform their communities, political parties, and civil society organizations.

On this page you will find further information about the Institute. Additionally, you can access essays written by the participants in celebration of Bolivian Women’s Day posted to iKNOW Politics at http://www.iknowpolitics.org/es/taxonomy_menu/1/435/441?page=1.
You can also watch a videotaped message of congratulations from Rigoberta Menchu, Nobel Prize winner and former presidential candidate from Guatemala.