Research Project CODE-IWP: Commitment to Democracy Through Increasing Women’s Participation

Title: Commitment to Democracy Through Increasing Women’s Participation

Duration: 1.5 year, January 2015 – June 2016

Funding: Europe for Citizens Programme

Short description: Parliaments are the most important floors for the implementation of Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment, and (male and female) voters’ sensitization towards equality and towards the social profits from valuing women’s contribution to National and European (N&E) development and progress. The low percentages of women’s participation in the European Parliament according to the 2014 elections indicate that short term measures and campaigns just before the elections are not as efficient as was expected. This project aimed at the continual encouragement of female participation and, more specifically, in the increase of women’s participation as voters and as candidates in both the N&E elections and political life. The partnership was purposefully designed to include four countries with low percentages of female representation in National and European decision making bodies (Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal) and one model country (Finland) with relatively high percentages of female representation. the project’s objectives were: a) Bring together and engage youth representatives, media stakeholders, politicians and researchers from each country in the analysis of the existing barriers to participation in European Policy Making and in the preparation of an integrated strategy for increasing youth and female participation in N&E decision making bodies; b) Provide face-to-face and online animation training for women who aspire to a career in N&E politics; c) Provide online workshops and participatory seminars for voters, men and women, from a variety of social and professional groups for promoting equality, equity and democratic participation; d) Build an electronic forum and website, linked with the electronic social media, for promoting the aim and objectives of the project; e) Establish an on line tool for gathering the citizens’ opinions; f) Produce a short TV film for advertising the campaign and the project’s aims; g) Establish a European Network for Women in Politics (EUNWPOL) for sustainable volunteer engagement.

The project’s network: CYPRUS, University of Cyprus, former UNESCO Chair holder, Professor Emerita Mary Koutselini (Coordinator); PORTUGAL University of Porto, Professor Helena Araújo; FINLAND, University of Oulu, Dr Mervi Heikkinen; LATVIA, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Professor Sandra Rone; LITHUANIA, Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Professor Irena Zaleskienė.