Background Document - Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy

cially their down-to-earth and practical skills. Thanks to this program, a substantial
number of women have been involved and the activities have ‘strengthened women’s
organisations and underpinned the work done for gender equality in general’.
RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE GENERAL LEVEL INCLUDE 19
´ working through grass-roots campaigns, school programs (mock elec-tions), entertainment
events and other methods of communication to reach out to young
people and to engage them politically;
´ participating in the creation of young people’s spaces to meaningfully voice their
concerns, issues, interests and ideas;
´ promoting structures in these young people’s spaces which meaningfully facilitate
young people’s voices to make them feel they can have an impact and to ensure
diversity of representation;
´ facilitating cooperation between youth councils (at any level) or youth organisations
across party, ideology, regions and countries to share ideas, experiences and
knowledge about how to improve young people’s and especially young women’s
voices to be better heard and included in political agendas at every level;
´ participating actively in cause-oriented political action as a way of reaching out to
young people;
´ promoting young women’s political action, initiative and method of communica-
tion by offering support including financial support and web support.
RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE POLITICAL PARTY LEVEL
´ modifying the structure of the political party organisation to be more ‘young women
friendly’;
´ have a legal framework and governing documents which are gender sensitive;
´ have a youth and women’s organisation;
´ have measures taken to promote young women’s participation in governing boards
and decision-making structures;
´ establish party consensus to promote young women’s electoral positions and to
place them in winnable positions on party lists with real financial assistance;
´ give a real voice to young women by including their interests and agenda in the
overall political party mandate.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE TO YOUNG WOMEN
´ mentoring: residential program and placement in campaigns;
organise workshops to share knowledge and experiences about the party rules and
unwritten rules, and how to make their way through the political party structure;
´ offering workshops to increase political skills and motivation among women to
take on responsibilities and decision-making positions in public and political life;
´ promote cooperation between youth and women’s units of political parties across
ideologies, regions and countries to share information and knowledge.
19 Carnegie UK Trust, 2008b, 14
WOMEN IN POLITICS DANISH INSTITUTE FOR PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY PAGE 20