Civil society and human rights activists, legal experts, politicians and youth representatives met in Mogadishu on Sunday to discuss ways to increase and strengthen women's participation in Somalia's politics.

The one-day symposium held in Mogadishu with support from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Political Affairs Unit, heard of proposals and initiatives meant to promote women's political participation.

The first time Karla Hernandez ran for office in El Salvador, she kept seeing a male candidate from her party in expensive television adverts, while she scraped by on a shoestring - relying on volunteers to hand out flyers and knock on doors.

Hernandez was elected anyway, but her experiences reflect the difficulties female candidates face in securing campaign finance - limiting their chances of election despite a 2013 gender quota law aimed at boosting their numbers in Congress.

Only 15 women make it into parliament thanks to quota system for minorities.

The results of this week’s Jordanian parliamentary vote announced on Wednesday were disappointing for advocates of gender equality, as only 15 women were elected to the 130-deputy House of Representatives, down from 20 in the outgoing body.

There were 360 women among the 1,674 registered candidates. Around 4.6 million Jordanians were eligible to vote.

In a Perth workshop, 23 women have been learning to run.

The women are fellows at a "campaign school" run by the not-for-profit group She Runs, aiming to equip them with all the skills they need to run for and thrive in office.