The 20th century has seen the inclusion of an increasing number of women, both as voters as well as parliamentarians. However, statistics continue to reflect the under-representation of women in political institutions and structures at the local and national levels. As of the end of 2012, women account for 18.4% of members of Asia’s legislatures, up from 15.2% in 2002. While women have taken initiatives to engage in decision-making and occupy leadership roles, they have had to do so in the face of many challenges ranging from cultural barriers to growing influences of neo-liberal globalisation, fundamentalisms, and militarisation.

Recognizing that among the measures that have been influential in increasing the proportion of seats held by women includes targeted training, APWLD has been carrying out its two levels of Gender & Politics (G&P) trainings through its Women in Power (WiP) programme since 2006. Working with women engaging in multiple level of politics and leadership to strengthen their political participation and challenge gendered political structures, APWLD organises capacity building on Gender & Politics with women political leaders, activists, campaigners and trainers.

The Level 1 training aims to build on skills and capacity of women who want to engage in political processes and advance women’s agendas in their respective countries and across the region.

To apply, please review details below and email/fax completed Application Form, CV and recommendation letter to the attention of:

Diyana Yahaya
Programme Officer, Women in Power, APWLD
diyana@apwld.org
For applications through email, please indicate in the subject line “Application for South Asia Gender and Politics Level 1 Training”

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2013

The specific objectives of the training are:
• To increase the capacity of participants to reflect on and understand gender issues;
• to enhance participants understanding of non-discrimination, equality, politics and decision making processes in politics;
• to share experiences and develop skills of participants on how to raise gender issues within existing political institutions; and
• to identify personal,  social and political barriers to women’s participation in political processes in general of participants

The training will focus on the following themes: politics and political systems; gender and patriarchy; politics for change; leadership for social transformation, legislation; and advocacy and lobbying for gender and issues.

Due to limited resources, simultaneous translation facilities will not be available.

Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:
• Balance representation from countries from within APWLD’s geographical mandate in the sub-region of South Asia.
• Preference will be given to individuals with institutional affiliations and recommendations from the APWLD network.
• A government official in a decision-making position who can initiate measures for the greater political participation of women.
• Selection will be based on an equitable mix of activists, politicians, academics and legal experts who has preferably been working on women’s political participation and/or women’s human rights.
• Limited group size of 16-20 participants from across the sub-region.

Selected participants must:
• Attend the training in its entirety.
• Respond to emails in a timely way as that will be our way of communicating with you about deadlines, registration, hotel and travel arrangements.
• Produce a Personal Action Plan towards the end of the training.
• Commit to respond to periodic follow up from APWLD after the training.

Procedure:
• All applicants should submit a completed Application Form and send it along with their Curriculum Vitae
• The recommending institution/organisation should certify that the person recommended has worked in the area of women’s human rights and is committed to applying the core learning points from the training in their future work.
• Recommending organisation also needs to explain its commitment and work and vision towards enlarging spaces for women in politics.

Cost of the Training and Sponsorship:
APWLD will cover costs of boarding and lodging for the three-day training period. In addition, APWLD will also cover costs of discounted economy airfare, visa fee, airport tax, travel tax and other travel related expenses. It is strongly advised that participants secure additional funds to cover non-funded meals and other expenses such as telephone calls and other miscellaneous expenses.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for further details.

Call for Application – South Asia Sub-regional Gender & Politics Level 1 Training
Application Form – South Asia Gender & Politics Level 1 Training

The exchange programme facilitated dialogue and relationships between women parliamentarians around the realisation of women’s rights in the development process between the 2 countries. It also illustrated processes and structures that enable women’s rights perspectives and community engagement to influence policy making and to explore ways that cooperation may be increased among women parliamentarians in the region.

The two MP’s of Burma/Myanmar spent the two and a half days meeting with the members of the National Election Commission, the members of the Grupo das Mulheres Parlamentaresde Timore-Leste (GMPTL- Women’s Caucus), the Minister of Natural Resource, Alfredo Pires and the Head of the President of Timor Leste’s Office, Mr. Fedelis Magalhaens.

During the meeting with the Grupo das Mulheres Parlamentaresde Timore-Leste (GMPTL- Women’s Caucus), Timor Leste’s women MPs advised the two Burma/ Myanmar’s MPs to use laws as a tool of change to fight for the increase in women political representation and leadership in Burma/Myanmar. Daw Khin Waing Kyi, the MPs from House of Nationalities of Burma/Myanmar agreed to advocate for the establishment of 30% women political representation quota in the next Parliament session.

“I am inspired by the high level of women political participation and strong movement of women groups and organisations in Timor Leste. I will share with my House of Parliament of the good practices and experiences I have learnt from this exchange, particularly on Timor Leste’s transparency initiative. I believe that transparency and accountability to the stakeholders (people) are the significant keys to successful democracy, among many others” comments Daw Doi Bu, Member of the House of Representatives of Burma/Myanmar’s Parliament.

Timor Leste as a new post-conflict democracy, boast the highest female representation in parliament in Asia Pacific with 38%. Women played a significant and equally important role in the uprising and the fight for independence, and this significant role continued post-independence. There are also many promising practices and laws designed to increase women’s rights and gender equality that can be constructive for other countries in the region.

Likewise, as Burma/Myanmar furthers its democratisation process and prepares for its Chairship of Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) in 2014, we hope that women will have more role to play, not only in the economic processes, but also the social, political and peace processes that will continue in the country.

“Timor Leste as one of the youngest democracy in Asia, has much to share as it prides itself with its rights-based approach to development and we hope that as Burma/Myanmar undergo reforms and change internally, this exchange will spark a new catalyst for more women’s political involvement in Burma/Myanmar. We also hope that this exchange will enhance the existing relationships between the two countries and create new space for future collaboration,” says Kate Lappin, Regional Coordinator of APWLD.

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law & Development (APWLD) in cooperation with Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI) invite applications for the Asia Pacific Regional Gender and Politics Level 1 (GPL1) Training in Jakarta, Indonesia on 23 – 25 November 2012.

The 20th century has seen the inclusion of an increasing number of women, both as voters as well as parliamentarians. However, statistics continue to reflect the under-representation of women in political institutions and structures at the local and national levels. As of 2011, women account for 18.9% of members of Asia’s legislatures, up from 13% in 1995. While women have taken initiatives to engage in decision-making and occupy leadership roles, they have had to do so in the face of many challenges ranging from cultural barriers to growing influences of neo-liberal globalisation, fundamentalisms, and militarisation.

Recognizing that among the measures that have been influential in increasing the proportion of seats held by women includes targeted training, APWLD has been carrying out its two levels of Gender & Politics (G&P) trainings through its Women in Power (WiP) programme since 2006. Working with women engaging in politics to strengthen their political participation and challenge gendered political structures, APWLD organises capacity building on Gender & Politics with women political leaders, activists, campaigners and trainers.

The Level 1 training aims to build on skills and capacity of women for social transformative leadership and advance women’s agendas in their respective countries and across the region.

To apply, please review details below and email/fax completed application form to APWLD to the attention of:
Diyana Yahaya
Programme Officer, Women in Power Programme, APWLD
diyana@apwld.org

For applications through email, please indicate in the subject line
“Application for Asia Pacific Regional Gender & Politics Level 1 Training”

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS WEDNESDAY, 10TH OCTOBER 2012
Only completed application arriving before the closing date will be considered for selection

The specific objectives of the training are:
• to increase the capacity of participants to reflect on and understand gender issues
• to enhance participants understanding of non-discrimination, equality, politics and decision making processes in politics
• to share experiences and develop skills of participants on how to raise gender issues within existing political institutions
• to identify personal,  social and political barriers to women’s participation in political processes in general of participants

The training will focus on the following themes: politics and political systems; gender and patriarchy; politics for change; leadership for social transformation, legislation; and advocacy and lobbying for gender and issues.

Due to limited resources, simultaneous translation facilities will not be available.

Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:
• Balance representation from countries from within Asia Pacific with priorities given to applicants from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) lists of ODA recipient countries.
• Preference will be given to individuals with institutional affiliations and recommendations from the APWLD network.
• A government official in a decision-making position who can initiate measures for the greater political participation of women.
• Selection will be based on an equitable mix of activists, politicians, academics and legal experts who has preferably been working on women’s political participation and/or women’s human rights.
• Limited group size of 15-18 participants from across the region.

Selected participants must:
• Attend the training in its entirety
• Respond to emails in a timely way as that will be our way of communicating with you about deadlines, registration, hotel and travel arrangements
• Produce a Personal Action Plan towards the end of the training
• Commit to respond to periodic follow up from APWLD after the training.

Procedure:
• All applicants should submit a completed application form and send it along with their Curriculum Vitae (see attached application form)
• The recommending institution/organisation should certify that the person recommended has worked in the area of women’s human rights and is committed to applying the core learning points from the training in their future work
• Recommending organisation also needs to explain its commitment and work and vision towards enlarging spaces for women in politics

Cost of the Training and Sponsorship:
APWLD will cover costs of boarding and lodging for the three-day training period. In addition, APWLD will also cover costs of discounted economy airfare, visa fee, airport tax, travel tax. All additional travel related expenses must be informed by the participant to APWLD beforehand for approval or participant will not be reimbursed for those expenses.

Call for Application – Asia Pacific Regional Gender & Politics Level 1 Training

Application Form – Asia Pacific Regional Gender & Politics Level 1 Training

Working with women engaging in politics to strengthen their political participation and challenge gendered political structures, APWLD organises capacity building on Gender & Politics with women political leaders, activists, campaigners and trainers.

The Level 1 training aims to build on skills and capacity of women who want to engage in political processes and advance women’s agendas in their respective countries and across the region.

To apply, please see download the information and the application below and email/fax completed application form to the attention of:

Diyana Yahaya, Programme Officer, Women in Power  diyana@apwld.org

For applications through email, please include in the subject line “Application for East & Central Asia Gender and Politics Level 1 Training”

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY 23 MARCH 2012

More information: Sub-regional (East & Centra Asia) GPL1 Training Mongolia 2012

Application Form Sub-regional (East & Central Asia) GPL1 Mongolia 2012