Women Candidates Showcase Campaign Plans

Against the backdrop of upcoming elections in Algeria and Morocco, more than 60 women, including those who will be candidates for political office, took part in the fifth “Partners in Participation” Women’s Regional Campaign Academy, April 15-19, in Marrakech, Morocco. 

Organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which receives MEPI funding, this unique event provided participants with an opportunity to showcase their achievements while supporting and encouraging others who aspire to become more politically active.  The Academy also offered women from across the region a chance to meet and develop a network of colleagues not only from the Middle East and North Africa but also from around the world, who, like themselves, are dedicated politicians and activists. 

This important program featured more than a dozen international campaign experts and several distinguished guests, including Jane Harman, a U.S. Representative from California; Thomas Riley, U.S. Ambassador to Morocco; Nouzha Chekrouni, Minister-Delegate in charge of Moroccans living abroad; Milouda Hazeb, Member of the Moroccan Parliament; and Omar El Jazouli, Mayor of Marrakech.

From March 17-20, more than 20 Algerian and Moroccan women political activists met in Rabat, Morocco, for a training event ahead of the fifth “Partners in Participation” conference, held in Marrakech.  This smaller workshop was organized to provide timely, dynamic training to women who were likely candidates in Algeria’s legislative elections, scheduled for May 17.

Since many of Algeria’s women candidates were to be involved with their campaigns during the larger “Partners in Participation” conference, NDI decided to reach out to them early, so that they could implement the skills and knowledge acquired during this training into their campaign plans.

Eighteen participants came from Algeria’s main political parties.  NDI also invited members of the national campaign teams from its main Moroccan party partners, as Morocco also faces national legislative elections, scheduled for September 2007.  NDI saw this workshop as an excellent opportunity to have members of the Moroccan national campaign teams begin to develop their own campaign strategies, similar to their Algerian counterparts.
During three full days of training, international experts guided participants through a series of workshops, which included practical skills in such topics as campaign strategy, research, media relations, voter contact, fund raising, and public speaking.  On the final day, participants were asked to divide into party groups and present campaign plans for the upcoming national legislative elections.

At the end of the program, participants and trainers alike expressed their extreme satisfaction with the quality and timeliness of the training provided.  Ratiba Ayad, of the Algerian RND party, summed up the feelings of many participants when she wrote in her final evaluation:  “I had never written out my campaign plan before, but after doing so, and receiving the advice of these experienced women, I feel much better prepared to face the elections.”