UNDP invites you to join the Asia Pacific Community of Practice on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership

Warm greetings from the United Nations Development Programme Asia-Pacific Regional Center’s (UNDP APRC) Gender and Democratic Governance Teams in Bangkok.

We are pleased to invite you to join the Asia Pacific Community of Practice on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership which aims to enhance the individual and collective impact of professionals dedicated to increasing the numbers and the influence of women in political leadership positions in the countries of Asia and the Pacific.

The CoP initiative responds to significant demand at country level. During internal deliberations at the annual face-face meeting of the UNDP Asia Pacific Gender Community of Practice 2011, a polling of country level priority issues across the region identified increasing women’s political participation and leadership as the number one priority. In parallel at the UNDP Asian Elections Community of Practice meeting an overwhelming demand to better understand and learn from countries that have implemented temporary special measures emerged. Two regional conferences on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership -  in Bangladesh (2011) and more recently in Mongolia (2012 - further recommended concrete actions that foster South-South exchange, as well as codification of knowledge in this thematic area of priority. This is outlined in the Dhaka Declaration and the recently launched publication “Gender Equality in Elected Office in Asia Pacific: Six Actions to Expand Women’s Empowerment."

Based on feedback and recommendations from UNDP Gender and Governance focal points in the region, the Community will focus on the following main topics providing you with an opportunity to share country experiences, specific issues and concerns as well as policy options to address common challenges:

• design, development and effective implementation of National Actions Plans for Political Equality in Elected Office;

• evolving policies, laws and their effective implementation for increasing women’s political leadership and representation (e.g. constitutional, electoral, party selection rules and procedures reform; legal quotas; etc.);

• strengthening of women’s and men’s political leadership and gender sensitivity approaches through capacity building;

• enhancing women’s political influence and impact through advocacy and strategic alliances; and,

• effective means to mobilize voters and advance women’s political campaigns and financing.

Further suggestions from you to these topics are most welcome.

Facilitated through a moderated e-mail group and through the UN Teamworks webspace, the Community will tap into the various existing networks of specialists working in this area, bringing you together to collaborate on issues of strategic importance, through e-discussions, webinars, and collaborative assignments.

The first e-discussion will be officially launched by end October. Meanwhile we would like to invite you and your colleagues to join the Community and seek your guidance on key national and local partners and experts that we may contact to join the CoP and participate in ensuing discussions and collaborative efforts.  We would greatly appreciate an early response. Please confirm your participation by email to ap-gender-cop.wpl@groups.undp.org by 12 October 2012.

We look forward to your positive reply and contributions to advance women’s political representation and leadership in the Asia Pacific region.

We sincerely hope that you will accept this invitation to join the Community of Practice and enrich the interactions.  Please feel free to share this more widely.