International IDEA strengthens women's leadership in Chad

As part of the Programme “Support to the Democratic Transition in Chad”, funded by the European Union, International IDEA Chad organized a two-day national training workshop on strengthening women's leadership with a view to encouraging women to stand as candidates in the forthcoming elections. 

The workshop took place on October 4-5 in N’Djamena. It was attended by fifty women from political parties supporting the transition, opposition political parties, political parties chaired by women, women from civil society organizations and women executives from the Ministry of State for Women, Child Protection and National Solidarity and the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Social Cohesion. 

The workshop aimed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of women in general and women leaders in particular to encourage the protection and promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the public and private spheres, including political participation and representation in positions of power and decision-making. This will enable women to take a greater part in politics and enhance their capacity to engage in development social and development projects, and better contribute to maintain peace and social cohesion. 

In his introductory remarks, the representative of the European Union Delegation in Chad, Lorenzo Vingut Harrington, Sr. Adviser Governance and Politics, pointed out the importance of women empowerment, which is recognized worldwide as a priority and a sine qua non condition for ensuring prosperity and peaceful coexistence in today's societies. "Prosperity and peace depend on the active and equal participation of women in the democratic management of our societies at all levels, and particularly in conflict resolution settings. The European Union is committed to supporting the transition process in Chad, with an approach aimed at improving the inclusiveness, credibility, and transparency of the process", he added.

International IDEA´s Chad Programme Manager, Abdoul Wahab Ba, emphasized that "despite the growing number of women in political parties, and particularly during election campaigns, women remain under-represented in terms of political leadership and at eligibles position, even though they are one of the pillars of political and socio-economic development". International IDEA strongly believes and is engaged in supporting the development of women's leadership as a mean to foster women's inclusion and participation in politics and democratic processes. 

The Secretary General of the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Social Cohesion, who chaired the opening ceremony, reiterated the importance of the workshop aimed at enhancing gender equality and women empowerment in politics, public and private spheres, participation, and representation at decision-making positions. "I would like convey the encouragement and the message of the Minister who asks the participants to take advantage of this workshop, to increase their knowledge, foster a common understanding of the place and functions devolved to political parties in a system of participatory democracy, and above all, strive to lift up women role and leadership. She added, "women's presence should not be perceived just for the sake of participation, but rather to ensure their leading role and place in the decision-making processes is a reality. Echoing International IDEA and the European Union appeal, I would like to ask women to continue to strive to be at the forefront of the scene and not at the bottom of the lists of candidates".