Women and Men in partnership in Sierra Leone - the politics of the future
Women of Sierra Leone– It’s Your Parliament Too!

26-27 March, 2007
Venue: British Council Freetown Sierra Leone
A Series of workshops to get more women successfully involved in the July 2007 elections. In regions of conflict, a vital feature of successful post-conflict reconstruction would be a rapid increase in the number of women in the local and national legislatures, viz Rwanda.This event could readily be replicated for women activists in any country where legislative elections are to be held within 6-18 months.

International speaker/workshop leader Lesley Abdela: Gender/Post-Conflict and women-in-politics specialist
Chairperson Dr. Nemata Eshun-Baiden. Hosts 50/50 Group plus British Council Director Tom Walsh. Accompanied by British High Commissioner Sarah Ferguson, formerly Strategy Coordinator, UN Interim Administration Mission In Kosovo (UNMIK).
Speakers include Mrs. Jebbeh Foster UNIFEM, Justin Morgan, Head OXFAM, Nick Demeter, NDI
Seminars and workshops include
– Women Candidates and their campaign managers
How can I best use the final 3 months leading up to the election to get myself elected?
* Building your campaign team
* Drawing up lists of your likely supporters and activists
* Targeting and reaching potential target groups of voters likely to vote for you
* Use of media – drawing up a media plan.
* Fund-raising
* Organising rallies
* Ordering printed materials
* Distribution of printed materials and posters – when, how, where
- Political Party Managers and Party activists
A time-table of what political parties will do to ensure the next Sierra Leone Parliament has at least 30% women MPs
– Civil society
A time table of activities in support of women candidates, women voters and getting issues of importance to women, gender budgeting etc into the Party manifestos
* Identifying and encouraging women candidates
* Support and training
* Mentoring and Professional Development
* Fund-raising
- Getting the electoral process and election organisation right for women as activists, candidates and voters.
Role of Election Commissioners, role of media, role of International and national partners and NGOs/Civil Society
*Making voter registration processes accessible to women – locations/times of opening/ funding and nomination rules
*Ensuring times and locations of polling stations are accessible to women
*Safety and protection of women in elections
*Ensuring election rules do not discriminate against women
*Use of symbols for illiterate citizens
*Educating women about their right to vote how they want free from intimidation
*Other issues that need to be considered
* How can national and international donors and NGOs help?
*Role of responsible media
For more information, contact: Willmelia.okrafor@sl.britishcouncil.org or
50/50 Group: fifty_fiftygrp2000@yahoo.com