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Lobbying

Lobbying refers to influencing the government and its leaders. Lobbyists attempt to sway policy makers and legislators to address specific issues, often by introducing or revising legislation and policy. Lobbying activities may include private meetings with decision makers, public campaigns and demonstrations.

From the Library

Participation in Constitution Making: Making Women Voices Heard

Th e Women and Constitution Building Initiative in Nepal was initiated (June 2008) in the spirit of a newlyformed Constitution Assembly (CA) which saw the election of a high percentage of women.  International IDEA, together with its partners, identifi ed a need for a greater understanding of how a constitution aff ects women's lives and how women can contribute to the process of making a new constitution. Strategies were needed to support the creation of an inclusive political environment in a crucial period of Nepal's history.

Th e discussion paper topics are identifi ed by a national group of experts. Th ese focus on the following topics: agenda setting, rules of procedure and public participation. Expert groups with the ability to draw on international expertise are established at the national level. Th e member represents CA members, political parties, lawyers, civil society and academicians. Th ese groups both draw on and inform International IDEA's gender work.

Electoral System and Quotas in Nepal

The Women and Constitution Building Initiative in Nepal was initiated (June 2008) in the spirit of a newly formed Constitution Assembly (CA) which saw the election of a high percentage of women. International IDEA, together with its partners, identified a need for a greater understanding of how a constitution affects women’s lives and how women can contribute to the process of making a new constitution. Strategies were needed to support the creation of an inclusive political environment in a crucial period of Nepal’s history.

The discussion paper topics are identified by a national group of experts. These focus on the following topics: agenda setting, rules of procedure, electoral quotas and participation. Expert groups with the ability to draw on international expertise are established at the national level.
The member represents CA members, political parties, lawyers, civil society and academicians.  These groups both draw on and inform International IDEA’s gender work.

Strengthening women political participation in Lesotho

mdrame's picture

There are many definitions of the word politics but because I had a choice I picked up the definition by Bahram Maskanian because it appeared to be very close to what I will be talking about. Bahram defines politics as an art and science of managing and governing one’s entire social, cultural and economic affairs. He goes on to say that politics is the activity and interaction engaged in by any given society’s citizen’s to build and maintain a community and establish communal social services for all people.

Women in politics and decision making positions

Political party manifestos are a strategy to ensure women representation in all the political party structures. This is evident in manifesto of The African National Congress Party as an example. With such a provision in place women are covered in terms of numbers, though it does not automatically translate into their effective participation.

Statement on violence against women in politics in Nigeria

The Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWiP) initiative is part of a larger Africa regional project by UN Women which aims at stimulating evidence-based, systematic and institutionalized response mechanisms to the issue of electoral violence against women. It was first piloted in the February 2011 elections in Uganda. Nigeria is the second pilot site and Zimbabwe will be the third. In Nigeria, the pilot study is being implemented by a coalition of Nigerian civil society organizations, activists and volunteers with the support of UN Women in collaboration with UNDP’s Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) Project. The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) is the key implementing technical partner.

Arab Human Development Report 2009

Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs) engage institutions and citizens in the Arab countries in global concerns so as to build understanding and consensus around regional and national development priorities. They also identify disadvantaged groups of population and regions and suggest policies, strategies and opportunities for investment to benefit them. They target Arab decision-makers and opinion leaders in governments and civil societies. As instruments for measuring human progress and triggering action for change, the AHDRs feed into and draw upon the data and analysis of the global Human Development Reports. Taking the human development approach to the regional level, the AHDRs promote regional partnerships for influencing change and region-specific approaches to human rights, poverty, education, economic reform, HIV/AIDS, and globalization. Prepared and owned by Arabs as an advocacy tool designed to appeal to a wide audience, they spur public debates and mobilize support for action and change through processes of consultation, research and report writing. They have helped to articulate perceptions and priorities in the region, and have served as a source of alternate policy opinion for development planning across varied themes.

Urban Women's Listserve

Urban Women's Listserve The urban women's listserve is an international forum with the objective of facilitating an exchange of information and sharing of experiences, resources, and strategies to advance women's rights and gender equality in local governance and local governments. The listserve is open to all womens's groups, activists, institutions, equality-seeking organizations, women in local government - elected officials, administrators, staff, partners, women urban professionals, etc. Men are also welcome. We encourage you to post listings pertinent to this subject and to engage with participating members. Please be respectful of the diversity of opinions and experiences of all participants. A short description of your interests and focus of work will help us to keep the list clean of SPAM. The listserve is moderated by Toronto Women's City Alliance (TWCA). www.twca.ca To subscribe write to: urban_women-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

A Golden Age for Women's Participation in Ghana?

This paper is a comparative commentary on the situation of women’s political leadership in Ghana. The paper highlights progress made in the country, draws attention to areas of retrogression and proposes some immediate strategies for greater representation of women in political leadership.

An Advocacy Guide for Feminists

This guide describes ‘feminist advocacy’ and how gender equality advocates can use it most effectively. It provides tips on how to weave feminist advocacy into work, chose an advocacy strategy, and build an advocacy campaign.

Lobbying Parliament: A Guide for NGOs

This guide provides an introduction to various approaches and techniques for lobbying parliament. It includes an overview of lobbying campaigns, tactics for lobbying individual members of parliament and party caucuses, and guidelines for preparing a written submission to a parliamentary committee.