Training of Aspiring Women Candidates

Project

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Training of Aspiring Women Candidates
Description
As a matter of fact and due to its geostrategic and geo-political positioning, the target district Faisalabad (Lot-05) has remained the focus of attention in Pakistan. Although, the electoral history of Pakistan shows that target district has been a part of democratic development, but there is a dire to sensitize women about their role in political system of Pakistan. If we look at the history of previous elections in Faisalabad, very few women can be seen as contesting candidates. In General Election 2013, only 5 seventeen women were contested for National Assembly elections out of a total of 190 contested candidates in Faisalabad. Also, in General Election 2013, only 23 seventeen women were contested for provincial Assembly elections out of a total of 554 contested candidates in District Faisalabad. This represents a chronic democratic deficit and shines a depressing spotlight on the broader challenge of increasing women’s participation in the political process in Pakistan. Cultural barriers and security are often cited as reasons why women are reluctant to stand as candidate in elections. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many women would like to stand for elections but simply do not know-they lack the knowledge and skills to make the leap from aspiration to reality. As we await the upcoming general elections, there is a dire need to educate aspiring women candidates on the process, structure and mechanisms of these elections. Women are considered to be marginalized segment of society because women are usually ignored in the electoral process and have limited opportunities to contest elections due to numerous reasons. Under UNDP SELP project, multiple types of activities will be carried out, which will include, among others, coordination/engagement of political parties, formation of District Support Group(DSG), identification of aspiring women candidates, training of women, and development of database. It is expected that the project will contribute to enhance the capacity and confidence of aspiring women to stand for election. The proposed project is based on the lessons learned by GEESE working with the community, government, civil societies, politicians, parliamentarians and media in the past and the experiences gained by them will be assimilated during implementation of this project IV. Objectives The main purpose of this training program would be to enhance the capacity and confidence of women to stand for election. Furthermore, these training sessions will help them to know about legal frameworks, campaign management and other necessary requirements to participate and contribute to the democratic process. The specific objectives of this program are as under; • To identify the aspiring women candidates for training; • To enhance the knowledge and awareness of aspiring women candidates about electoral process; • To develop a comprehensive database containing the records of all applicants, selected participants, and the participants who have received the training;
StartDate
09/01/2016
EndDate
02/28/2017
WorkingArea
District Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan
DonarName
UNDP
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Training of Aspiring Women Candidates

As a matter of fact and due to its geostrategic and geo-political positioning, the target district Faisalabad (Lot-05) has remained the focus of attention in Pakistan. Although, the electoral history of Pakistan shows that target district has been a part of democratic development, but there is a dire to sensitize women about their role in political system of Pakistan. If we look at the history of previous elections in Faisalabad, very few women can be seen as contesting candidates. In General Election 2013, only 5 seventeen women were contested for National Assembly elections out of a total of 190 contested candidates in Faisalabad. Also, in General Election 2013, only 23 seventeen women were contested for provincial Assembly elections out of a total of 554 contested candidates in District Faisalabad. This represents a chronic democratic deficit and shines a depressing spotlight on the broader challenge of increasing women’s participation in the political process in Pakistan. Cultural barriers and security are often cited as reasons why women are reluctant to stand as candidate in elections. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many women would like to stand for elections but simply do not know-they lack the knowledge and skills to make the leap from aspiration to reality. As we await the upcoming general elections, there is a dire need to educate aspiring women candidates on the process, structure and mechanisms of these elections. Women are considered to be marginalized segment of society because women are usually ignored in the electoral process and have limited opportunities to contest elections due to numerous reasons. Under UNDP SELP project, multiple types of activities will be carried out, which will include, among others, coordination/engagement of political parties, formation of District Support Group(DSG), identification of aspiring women candidates, training of women, and development of database. It is expected that the project will contribute to enhance the capacity and confidence of aspiring women to stand for election. The proposed project is based on the lessons learned by GEESE working with the community, government, civil societies, politicians, parliamentarians and media in the past and the experiences gained by them will be assimilated during implementation of this project IV. Objectives The main purpose of this training program would be to enhance the capacity and confidence of women to stand for election. Furthermore, these training sessions will help them to know about legal frameworks, campaign management and other necessary requirements to participate and contribute to the democratic process. The specific objectives of this program are as under; • To identify the aspiring women candidates for training; • To enhance the knowledge and awareness of aspiring women candidates about electoral process; • To develop a comprehensive database containing the records of all applicants, selected participants, and the participants who have received the training;



Working Area

District Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan

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