OSCE Mission And Kosovo Women's Network Continue Advocacy For Women's Empowerment

September 20, 2004 – (OSCE) An advocacy campaign entitled "Women Propose" will tomorrow be introduced to the public by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovo Women's Network.

This three-stage campaign will promote an increased and more effective participation of women in the October Assembly elections, both as voters and candidates.

In the first stage, the campaign will set up an Information Service to provide women candidates with all necessary information on municipalities and relevant issues. The second stage will focus on the promotion of women candidates by posting their profiles on the Kosovo Women's Network webpage, the publishing and distribution of a leaflet with the names, photographs and profiles of the women candidates. Finally, the third stage will include a series of 30 public meetings with women candidates in all 30 municipalities, which will be coupled with radio and television debates.

Throughout the advocacy campaign, the development of the electoral programme, specifically, the incorporation of the gender perspective, will be monitored.

The campaign will receive extensive media coverage, including greater outreach to local radio stations as a means to increase outreach to the voting population. At the end of the campaign, RTV 21 will produce and broadcast a 30-minute documentary about the campaign that will also serve as a tool for further mobilizing and promoting women's political participation.

The Kosovo Women's Network, with the support of the OSCE and the Star Network of Learning and UNIFEM has already carried out an advocacy campaign called "Political Parties Work for Women", which began in the latter half of 2003 and came to a close earlier this year.

The OSCE supports the development of democratic structures, including institutions of political and public life, and has worked to foster women's participation in all sectors of society and strengthen their contribution as decision-makers in both the political and social spheres of society.

From: http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?id=4374