Women’s Political Participation at the National Level

Results as of August 2011 include: The project’s campaign schools reached 248 women candidates from 31 provinces (62% of all women candidates) during the 2010 Wolesi Jirga elections. Of the 69 women elected to parliament, 25 women (36%) attended the campaign schools. The women who were not elected have the opportunity to apply the skills they learned during the program in a variety of endeavours, whether in future political campaigns or in their efforts as civil society leaders, entrepreneurs, or active citizens. The project also encouraged participants who did not win in the election to maintain their engagement in the political process through a series of events for unsuccessful candidates. The project offered skills-building training for women parliamentarians through an orientation program for newly elected parliamentarians. In total, 35 women from 24 provinces (51% of all women parliamentarians) attended the orientation sessions. Participants’ knowledge of laws, regulations, and the rules of procedure for the Wolesi Jirga improved during the orientation program. Of the 33 participants interviewed following program activities, 27 noted that they felt prepared to fulfill their responsibilities as parliamentarians. In addition, 24 women stated that they work well with their fellow women parliamentarians and 26 women are in touch with women politicians in their communities, including provincial councillors and Meshrano Jirga senators. Of the 35 women who attended the orientation program, 32 now serve on Wolesi Jirga committees. By creating a forum for women leaders to share their concerns through the campaign schools, the orientation sessions, and the events for unsuccessful candidates, the project enabled participants to learn from each other and collaborate to devise strategies for working with their male colleagues. Overall, the project helped to build the foundation for a strong network of women leaders.