Governance and Politics
African Women in Political Participation and Transformational Leadership: Workshop Report
Women's political participation has always been a key strategy of
women's movements to ensure that their interests are taken into
account. However, the reality of women 's continued
marginalisation from power which can be attributed to dominant
patriarchal paradigms, lack of capacity, and negative perceptions of
women's leadership is cause for critical concern for women's movements,
particularly in a context of increasing fundamentalisms and conservatism.
In recognition of the importance of women's political participation, the
African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) convened a two day
workshop in Cape Town, South Africa, with regional, sub-regional and
national women's organisations on women's political participation and
transformational leadership. Key objectives included to share experiences,
to assess what has worked in terms of enhancing women’s political
participation and to develop forward-looking strategies that would
address challenges women face in mainstream politics and processes.
In reflecting on successes in getting women into political power, the key
element was a clear agenda crafted from consultations with women across
all levels of society.
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