Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties: A Good Practices Guide to Promote Women’s Political Participation

Julie Billington

Political parties are key to women’s participation in politics, as it is political parties that recruit and select candidates for elections and that determine a country’s policy agenda. Without access to established networks of influence and resources, few role models and mentors, and sometimes limited family and community support, it is understandable that women’s participation in political parties is limited. This guide identifies specific actions that political parties can take to empower women’s political leadership. It is structured according to the four phases of an electoral cycle: founding strategies for internal party organization, strategies in the pre-electoral period, strategies in the electoral period, and strategies in the post-electoral period.