www.womenleadership.in

A joint initiative of the Government of India, United Nations Democracy Fund, United Nation Development Program & Centre for Social Research (CSR)

New Delhi, December 02, 2009 — In a landmark initiative, the Centre for Social research (CSR), an organisation working for the empowerment of women for the last two decades, has launched the first ever online course on political leadership for women. The course seeks to bridge the information gap and empower women to become future leaders. It is targeting women with political leadership interests who seek to understand the options available to them, and the required steps they need to take.

“The course in political leadership is meant for all those who seek foundational information and knowledge to bolster personal goals. Our online course will act as a springboard for women looking for ways to develop their leadership skills and knowledge. It would also give them a platform to understand the dynamics of political processes”, says Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research & President, WomenPowerConnect (WPC).

The web based course was launched today as part of the “South Asia Experience Sharing Workshop” on "Enhancing the Role of Women in Strengthening Democracy" - a joint project  of Government of India, United Nations Democracy Fund, United Nation Development Program, Centre for Social Research and WomenPowerConnect (WPC), which aims to build the capacities of women and encourage them to join politics.

The last two years saw CSR organise a series of 30 capacity building workshops on political leadership throughout the country engaging over 1000 women leaders. WomenPowerConnect (WPC), a network of over 900 women & women’s groups as its members, helped CSR in identifying participant women from across the country. Women in leadership roles e.g. women from academics, NGOs, media, trade unions etc. were selected and special emphasis was given to women in panchayati raj and aspiring members of political parties at various levels. The day- long South Asian workshop looked at the possibilities of extending the interventions to the South Asian region.

Under this project, WPC has also been actively lobbying with political parties to increase seats for women within parties, and pushing for the passage of 33% Reservation Bill. “We are hopeful that this course will reach out to a large number of potential women leaders and will significantly increase the number of women in political roles from both the grassroots and legislative levels,” says Dr N Hamsa, Executive Director, WomenPowerConnect (WPC).

The course content will provide information about women leaders who have shaped India's history and the various social roles and identities that we possess. It will outline the current political framework and various levels at which women can engage. The course will also cover skills such as communication and goal-setting that will be necessary to begin this new journey. It will be available in many languages and formats to reach out to all segments of the society.

CSR encourages an open understanding of leadership and emphasizes that all women possess the potential to become leaders and they need to find their voices. The course seeks to empower women by combining knowledge-building and skill-building. The course acknowledges the major challenges women face in politics, including discrimination and corruption, and provides tools and mechanisms with which they can overcome these obstacles.

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About United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)
The UNDEF is an additional strategic funding instrument of the United Nations to further promote and strengthen democracy in the world. It funds action oriented projects that bring tangible improvements in democracy and human rights on the ground and mainly focuses on gender equality, the grassroots and vulnerable groups’ inclusion. As many as 95 countries throughout the world have instituted quotas and other positive measures to include women in politics. These affirmative actions have broken barriers and have encouraged decisive outcomes, as there has been greater participation of women in the democratic functioning of the nations.
About WomenPowerConnect (WPC)

WomenPowerConnect (WPC) is a National Level Umbrella Organization that consists of more than 900 women’s groups, academic institutions, women leaders and concerned individuals from across the country. The ultimate goal of WPC is to create a gender just society by influencing policy, legislation and programme implementation. WPC works towards building partnership between civil society organizations, government and parliamentarians.