Nazra for Feminist Studies released today its final report on the journey of 16 women candidates who took part in the elections of 2011, and were nominated on political party lists or ran as individual candidates in 8 governorates in Upper and Lower Egypt, through the women’s political participation academy that Nazra launched in October 2011.

The release of the report comes at a time that is witnessing wide legal, societal and political debates regarding the new bill of the parliamentary elections in 2013. There was a bill that regulated the parliamentary elections, passed by the Shura Council, yet then rejected by the Supreme Constitutional Court amid calls from different political groups to boycott the elections which would be held under a law whose tools were questionable and elections in which transparency and integrity are not granted.

Documenting the Experience of Women Candidates

The report analyzes the social and political context in which these women had their electoral journey, and the different ways in which they dealt with their respective realities and the ways in which they faced different challenges. The report also covers the tools that Nazra used with these women, which depended on mentoring on the ground in closely engaging with them and their teams. Nazra does not only train candidates theoretically, but also mentors them during their political journey to assist them in reaching decision- making positions within different political organizations and to help mainstream gender within them. This starts with understanding the contexts in which they will work, in order to know their needs during their journey, and to help point out their weaknesses and strengths,, as well as opportunities and threats they face. Each woman is advised separately so as to provide her with legal, political and moral support, through the field visits of the Academy’s team and the coordination team in different governorates that accompanies her in each step. Their campaign teams and supporters receive the same support.

Issuing this report comes at this particular time to shed light on the fact that women’s participation in political processes goes beyond the electoral process, and includes a long journey for women who decide to go through such battles to prove their ability to effectively participate in different aspects of the political process.

To read the report click here.

Film - Documenting the Experience of Women Candidates: http://youtu.be/XuH99bQtoac.