Money is essential for the operations of political parties, and particularly affects candidates in electoral processes. Political financing regulations can effect women’s access to run as candidates, be elected, campaign and reach out to the population. Regulations on political funding are used to level the playing field in electoral competition. They can also work to ensure that women are able to compete on a more equal footing with men. This in turn may result in women’s increased political participation; a key feature of democracy.

GPEC gives central importance to capacity-building of EMB for the development of a transformative and gender sensitive approach of electoral management. This is to provide African EMB with the tools and support they need to ensure the legitimacy of the process which they are responsible for, according to regional and global standards of electoral democracy which guarantees equal political participation to women and men.

What are some strategies that women have used effectively to raise money? What makes some women very successful fundraisers? What fundraising techniques work best in different political environments (i.e.: corporate donors, direct appeal to individuals, fundraising events, etc.)? What are some networks that women can draw upon for help in raising money?

One of the greatest issues for women running for office, and for those women deciding whether or not to run for office, is money. Women generally feel as if they have fewer financial resources and networks upon which to draw for financial campaign support. And yet women around the world are employing new and innovative strategies to find the money necessary to run and win an effective campaign. This is the ideal forum for women to share these strategies.