The Project is aimed at increasing the participation and representation of women in European politics.

Despite the improvements in addressing inequality between men and women over the past 30-40 years, there is still a long way to go in realizing real equality. Getting more women into politics is part of the process of making more headway in realizing the goal of gender equality.

The project is based on the recognition that previous attempts to promote gender equality in politics have largely failed in that they have not involved political parties. In contrast, in order to advance gender equality we need to ensure the participation of political parties in the promotion of women in politics. The power to recruit, select and nominate candidates are in the hands of political parties, whatever the electoral system. That is why the partnership is unique in that it brings together National /regional NGO’s who have a well established track record in promoting gender equality alongside a range of national political parties who wish to address the issue of gender equality.

Main project activities:

• Each partner will set up a Women in Politics Group, made up of representative from women associations and/or from political parties.
• The WPG will be responsible for the production of a baseline study, which creates a profile of women’s participation in politics.
• Drawing up on evidence arising from the base line study, partners will launch a campaign which would:
  • Undertake a series of actions to engage the target group ( workshops; seminars; debates, online events)
  • Attract a group of women who have an interest in becoming candidates
  • Providing a programme of support and capacity building to this group
  • Undertake national dissemination
• Alongside the local activities implemented by each partner, the project foresees a transnational exchange programme, made up of:
  • two transnational workshops: the first enabling an exchange of experiences and the co-production of a common marketing logo; the second will enable partners to share their local campaigns strategies and thus will provide a an opportunity for peer learning
  • an online programme
  • a transnational dissemination event
  • a series of three events targeted at member States not involved in the partnership.

The project coordinator: LUDEN (Belgium).

The project is implemented with financial support from the „Fundamental Rights and Citizenship” Programme of the European Union.