Campaign for Good Governance in collaboration with the club of Madrid, European Union and Canadian International Development Agency is organizing a campaign orientation program for female candidates for the August 11 elections.
The three days orientation program which started yesterday at the Atlantic Hall, National stadium drew female parliamentary candidates from the various political parties nation wide.
Giving an overview of the program, Mrs Bernadette French program officer of Campaign for good Governance said the orientation will look at challenges facing women as well as issues affecting them.
She noted that it was better to have such programs preparing the women candidates to face the electioneering challenge.
She said it was a dream to see more women participate in politics as she said they are the bedrock of development.
Discussing the present political situation of women in the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the female aspirants highlighted the barriers, challenges and issues affecting them.
Diana Konomany from Kono and representing the APC said women are the ones putting themselves down and without them having confidence nobody takes them seriously.
She says it is women that should first support themselves before the men would take them seriously.
Another raised the issue of stigmatization wherein the women candidates are looked upon differently by family members.
She mentioned the issue of funding which she said seriously affects women participation.
Similar sentiments were also voiced by the other participants.
Speaking at the orientation, the special guest former Ugandan MP Dr Miriam Matembe said more women participation in the boardroom helps them discuss decisions that will better their lives, that of their children, family and grand children.
She encouraged the women to be steadfast when they go out for campaigning as they should expect to face difficulties.
“We have excelled at managing our societies and our homes” she said “the only opportunity we have been denied is to manage at public level”
“What we are saying is that we women have got qualities and values plus the capacity to manage our society” she said.
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