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Voter Education for Women

India: Muslim Women Urge People to Cast Vote

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Sun, 2012-02-05 23:13

Summary: 

Photo Credit: Onislam.net

Muslim women in India's Uttar Pradesh district are leading a new campaign to educate their community about the importance of participation in the democratic process, urging them to vote in their district’s 23 February elections. 

"We have been going from door-to-door and making aware Muslim women and girls about the importance of their vote," said Noor Bano, a woman, who headed the campaign in Rura village in Ramabai Nagar district.

She affirmed that the voters in the villages have widely supported the cause with several Muslim women joining the group in Bhognipur town too.

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Read the complete story at On Islam and the The Times of India, published 4 February 2012.


Brazil: Popular President Helps Women in Politics

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-01-04 10:07

Summary: 

Manuela D'Avila hopes she and women like her will change the face of government in Brazil, a country where the female presence in politics has lagged behind neighbors despite the election of Dilma Rousseff as the nation's first female president.

D'Avila, a two-time state legislator who is leading the mayoral race in Porto Alegre, Brazil's tenth largest city, is among of an unprecedented number of women running for municipal offices in 2012 elections.

Forty-seven other women are candidates to run the capitals of Brazil's 26 states. The field of contenders is still shifting, but it's a large increase from the last elections, when only 28 women ran for mayor of state capitals.

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Read more in ABC News, published 29 Dec.


Montenegro: Regional Conference on "Political Participation of Women as Factor of Societal Development "

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Sun, 2011-12-11 15:36
2011-12-11
2011-12-13
Europe/Vienna
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Country: 
Montenegro
Venue: 

Montenegro Hotel Splendid, Becicci

Description: 

UNDP Gender Programme Montenegro

UNDP Montenegro is organizing conference on " Political participation of Women as a Factor of Societal Development"

Women face multiple challenges in their involvement in political life generated by patriarchal power, structures and practices, which stereotypically confine women’s role in the private and informal public sphere. In Montenegro,  women currently hold less than 11% of elected parliamentary seats far away of the 19 percent of global average of women in Parliaments.     


This conference will bring together women who are actively involved in advocacy and action for women’s participation in politics and governance ( current, former and aspiring parliamentarians, local government officials, representatives of women’s organisations, activists, political parties and other NGOs and International organizations), regional partners.

 

For more information and to follow the conference discussions, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UNDP-Gender-Programme-Montenegro/134396116646047


FAMILY VOTING AND ELECTORAL RIGHTS: From Understanding the Phenomenon to Eradicating the Practice - Online Survey

evisprogonati's picture
Submitted by evisprogonati on Thu, 2011-11-10 10:31
2011-11-10 23:30
US/Eastern
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Country: 
Global
Venue: 

Iknowpolitics.org

Description: 

 

 

 FAMILY VOTING AND ELECTORAL RIGHTS:

From Understanding the Phenomenon to Eradicating the Practice

 

UN Women Albania is launching a research project that aims to better understand family voting as a phenomenon and identify policy solutions towards eradicating the practice.

As part of this initiative, we would like to gather information from colleagues around the world that have worked on gender and elections.

According to a definition offered by the Venice Commission Report family voting occurs when a male family member accompanies one or more women relatives into a polling booth, when family groups vote together or when a male family member votes on behalf of one or more female relatives.

In sharing your experiences, we would appreciate if you could include information on:

-          Best practices on Election Day

o    What number of monitors has been most effective?

o    What criteria, especially non-conventional ones have monitors used to monitor family voting?

o   How can the role of UN Women and partner organizations be used better on election day?

o    Reporting mechanisms for women forced into coercive voting

-          Short term initiatives

o   Campaigning or communication techniques in the run-up to elections

o   Implement mechanisms that would deter through threat of prosecution 

-          Longer-term initiatives

o   Training monitors

o   Educating voters

o   Collaboration with political parties

 

-          Strategies that have not worked and whether they are cultural specific

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Evis Progonati at evis.progonati@gmail.com and fiorela.shalsi@unwomen.org

 


Regional Forum on Equal Participation in Decision-Making

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Sat, 2011-11-05 04:02
2011-11-15
2011-11-17
US/Eastern
Click here
City & Province/State: 
Istanbul
Country: 
Turkey
Venue: 

Dedemand Hotel - Istanbul

Description: 

UNDP is organizing a Regional Forum on Equal Participation in Decision-Making (November 15-17, Istanbul), with co-funding from the UNDP-Japan Women in Development Fund. The Forum will explore opportunities to strengthen the capacities of the institutions represented in eliminating challenges and capitalizing on opportunities related to women’s equal participation in decision-making.

The five institutions represented will be:
• Political parties
• Parliament
• Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs)
• Public administration 
• Civil society

Most importantly, the Forum will identify the platforms where the collaborative efforts of these institutions will lead to greater gender equality results in decision-making processes. It will also explore why quotas can function as a catalyst in these efforts.

For more information please visit. www.undpeuropeandcis.org/gender

REGIONAL FORUM ON “EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING”

Istanbul, November 15-17, 2011

Day 1: Tuesday, November 15, 2011  

Session I:   Prompters: Capitalizing on the opportunities

Session II:   Mobilizing and building alliances for women’s participation in decision-making
 

 
  • Mobilizing for the establishment of national gender equality mechanisms

by Çiğdem Aydın, President, Association for the Support and Training of Women Candidates (KA.DER), Turkey

 

View more presentations from UNDP in Europe and CIS

Session III:   Quotas as tools to enhance women’s participation in decision-making

  • Special temporary measures: Legal obligations under CEDAW by Violeta Neubauer, Coordinator for International Cooperation, Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Equal Opportunities, CEDAW Committee Member
  • Introducing legislated and voluntary party quotas – recent experiences from Montenegro by Snežana Jonica, Member of Parliament, Representative of Montenegro to the Council of Europe
  • Women and quotas in a pre EU accession zone by Teuta Sahatqija, Chair of the Women’s Cross-party Caucus at the Assembly of Kosovo*
View more presentations from UNDP in Europe and CIS

DAY 2, Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Session IV: Working with political parties to enhance women’s political participation

 
 
  • Overview on key challenges and opportunities – following the electoral cycle approach 
    by Julie Ballington,Gender Adviser, UNDP Democratic Governance Group/Gender Team

 

  • Experiences  from  Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey

Gulnara Ibraeva,Independent Expert, Kyrgyzstan

Rusudan Kervalishvili,Vice Speaker of the Parliament, Chair of Gender Advisory Council, Georgia

Güldal Akşit,President, Justice and Development Party (AKP)Women’s Branch, Turkey

Seniye Nazik Işık,Secretary General, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Women’s Branch, Turkey
 

Session V:Integrating gender equality in public administration

 
 

Promoting Innovative Approaches to Gender Equality : experience made from an international perspective by Annie Demirjian, UNDP

View more presentations from UNDP in Europe and CIS

Session VI: An enabling environment for women’s electoral participation:The role of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs

  • Introduction to the electoral cycle approach
    by Julie Ballington, Gender Adviser, UNDP Democratic Governance Group/Gender Team
  • Enforcing candidate quota rules on party lists for women candidates
    by Irena Hadžiabdić, Member of the Central Election Commission, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Political Finance as a Driver for Women Candidates : Promoting  women’s access to electoral finance 
    by Zurab Kharatishvili, Chair of the Central Election Commission, Georgia                             

iKNOW Politics was launched in the DRC

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2011-10-05 00:53

Summary: 

On September 19, the week of candidate school began with the official launch of iKNOW Politics; an online platform to support women’s political participation around the world. Over 250 women attended the launch, the largest event held by iKNOW Politics in Africa.

Marie-Ange Lukiana, the Congolese Minister for Women and Families, opened the event with a rousing speech that called on women to take their place in Congolese political life.  « In this campaign we do not want to see any woman attacking another » declared the Minister to loud applause.  

The audience was very enthusiastic, at one point chanting « Solidarité avec les femmes du monde entier» (women solidarity, around the world) and encouraging one another across party lines.

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On September 19, the week of candidate school began with the officiallaunch of iKNOW Politics; an online platform to support women’s political participation around the world. Over 250 women attended the launch, the largest event held by iKNOW Politics in Africa.

Marie-Ange Lukiana, the Congolese Minister for Women and Families, opened the event with a rousing speech that called on women to take their place in Congolese political life.   « In this campaign we do not want to see any woman attacking another » declared the Minister to loud applause.  

The audience was very enthusiastic, at one point chanting « Solidarité avec les femmes du monde entier» (women solidarity, around the world) and encouraging one another across party lines.


Gloria Young

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-08-16 02:44

Gloria Young


Tunisia: Women Fear the Algerian Way

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2011-08-05 08:32

Summary: 

A women’s group begins campaigning near La Marsa beach in Tunis to convince more women to come up and register in the electoral lists, in time for the deadline now pushed back to Aug. 14. Most of the women watching the proceedings are veiled.

The veils present more a question than a suggestion at present. One survey among veiled women conduced by journalists here claims that four in five of these women will not vote for Ennahda, the Islamist party surging ahead in popularity ahead of elections for a constituent assembly due in October.

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Read the whole article at IPS, published 5. August


Liberia: Female Candidates Face Obstacles

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2011-08-05 08:17

Summary: 

Liberian voters made history five years ago by electing Africa's first female president. But as Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf runs for re-election, voters will find few female candidates on ballots for other posts.

Liberia's Elections Commission is encouraging more women to run for elected office in a country where they make up less than 15 percent of the legislature.

Elections Commission trainers have met with women across Liberia about standing as party candidates for local and national office. Elections Commission chairman James Fromayan says the first obstacle is often political parties themselves.
 

Body: 

Read the whole article at Voice of America, published 5. August


LIBERIA: Election workshop helps women gain political ‘know-how’

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2011-08-04 13:22

Summary: 

As Africa’s first woman presidential leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,  works for an October 2011 bid for re-election, a groundbreaking initiative affecting 450 Liberian women is now encouraging women throughout Liberia to become leaders for solutions and innovation. Political participation by women, especially in Liberia’s parliament, is said to be “much needed” among advocates inside and outside the nation.

Twenty appointed special trainers from Liberia’s NEC – National Elections Commission are now going into their home regions to give insight and ideas to help women nationwide gain greater access and opportunity to participate as party candidates in Liberia’s upcoming election.

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Read the whole article at Women News Network, published 4. August