Political Skills Training for Arab Women

United States Supports Political Skills Training for Arab Women

Through a grant from the Middle East Partnership Initiative to the Partners in Participation series, the United States is supporting a campaign school to build political skills for over 80 women political activists from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The program features hands-on training including coalition building, political party development, and media outreach. This workshop is conducted by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, and takes place from March 28 through April 1, 2005 in Amman, Jordan.

The third in the Partners in Participation series, this political training is timely as recent regional models of democratic elections bolster the aspirations of women candidates for legislative and municipal bodies, particularly in the Levant region. Participants include potential candidates as well as activists from a broad range of political parties and civil society organizations. Women currently serving in the Moroccan, Egyptian and Jordanian parliaments and governments will address the group and advise on practical methods of running a campaign. Other speakers include a leading activist in the women’s suffrage movement in Kuwait and women journalists.

The first two campaign schools in the Partners in Participation program were held last year in Qatar and Tunisia and trained over 100 women from the Gulf and Maghreb regions respectively. The overall program is implemented by the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute.

The Middle East Partnership Initiative is a Presidential initiative that supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and expanded opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. More information can be found at: MEPI.state.gov . 2005/366 Released on March 31, 2005 Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC