18 December 2018 – TDA team held a dialogue session titled “Women’s rights and elections” attended by 15 representatives of women’s offices, local councils, political committees, and Idlb council, in Ariha, Idlib countryside. The session aimed to empower women and support their rights to stand for elections based on the laws of the local administration.
Communictors Osma Murad, Huda Al-Dery, and Assad Dekmak discussed with participants the local council’s election mechanism in the liberated areas, the goals of the election process and its measures, and the role of civil society in local elections.
The session discussed in details the right of women to participate in elections and the role of women’s offices as a part of local council bodies, as well as raised awareness on gender equality and women’s rights. Participants discussed the difficulties facing women’s participation in elections and possible methods to solve these obstacles and gain support, such as advocacy campaigns, focus group sessions with men and women, awareness-raising activities, and forming a women’s political association.
