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Partners in Participation: Women's Regional Campaign Academy
This unique event will provide women of the Maghreb with the opportunity to showcase their achievements while supporting and encouraging others who aspire to be more politically active. The Academy offers women from across the region the chance to meet and develop a network of colleagues not only from the Middle East but from around the world who are, like themselves, dedicated politicians, activists and prospective candidates.
While there are more women than ever before running for office and being elected in the region, obstacles remain. Partners in Participation works to increase the conceptual and technical capacity of women in the Arab world and improve their participation in civic and political affairs. The Academy will help women strengthen their political skills and position them to run successful political campaigns. The conference takes place against the backdrop of upcoming elections in several countries throughout the region, including in Algeria and Morocco; many of the participants are themselves candidates for political office.
The Academy brings together women who have demonstrated true leadership and vision in their fields to complete in-depth training on campaign communications and strategy, advocacy, and leadership. This intensive program will be led by experienced practitioners from around the world, and will incorporate interactive and practical training techniques and models. It will offer the participating women the opportunity for one-on-one consultations with experts and colleagues who have had similar experiences or faced comparable difficulties. The participants will be divided into groups of mixed nationalities, but with similar interests and experiences in order to maximize interaction and sharing. A number of parliamentarians and government officials from throughout the region will participate in the Academy. They will be joined by other high-level guests, including members of the U.S. Congress.
The program is one of a series of training conferences conducted throughout the Middle East and North Africa; past events have taken place in Qatar, Tunisia, Jordan and Kuwait. Partners in Participation is a collaborative effort between political and civil society communities in the Middle East and North Africa, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), two independent non-governmental organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Financial support for the Partners in Participation effort is provided by the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Announced on December 12, 2002, MEPI supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and North Africa and provides opportunities for all people of the region, especially women and youth.
April 16-19, 2007
Marrakech, Morocco
Learn more about ndi's women's political participation programs >>
visit iKnow Politics – The International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics >>