Project presented to the European Commission - DG V (the Fourth Medium-Term Community Action Programme on equal opportunities for women and men 1996-2000):

the research of the "Most profitable practice" to strengthen women presence in decision making and in poltics is carried out through:

1. comparative study in Italy, France and Spain about the formalities for the appointment in institutions and organisations of second level, for the access to parties, for candidature, for elections;
2. individual and group strategies apt to achieve the objective;
3. creation of the network of "women candidates" and of the "Councils of the women elected";
4. certificates of skill and relative logo.

Main organisation: U.SA.S.

Name of partners: FIDAPA (Torino - Distretto Nord Ovest, Torino Est, Udine, Distretto Sardegna), FONDAZIONE FIDAPA, APID - IMPRENDITORIALITA' DONNA, CONSULTA REGIONALE FEMMINILE VALLE D'AOSTA, CONSULTA DELLE ELETTE VALLE D'AOSTA, PROVINCIA DI TORINO, CONSULTA PROVINCIALE FEMMINILE LA SPEZIA, COMMISSIONE PARI OPPORTUNITA' UOMO DONNA PROVINCIA DI LA SPEZIA, CONSIGLIO REGIONALE DEL PIEMONTE, ISTITUTO DE ECONOMIA PUBLICA, CONFEDERACION DE EMPRESARIOS DE GALICIA.

Duration (beginning and end of action): 01/10/1996 - 30/06/1997.

ACTION PROPOSED

ITS CONTEST

ITS OBJECTIVES

ITS INSTRUMENTS

PLANNED OUTCOMES

For Further Information About the Project or Cooperation Please Write to:
E-mail: fidapa@arpnet.it
or
FIDAPA, Corso Massimo D'Azeglio, 17 - 10126 Torino - Italy - Tel./Fax: 39 -11-6506803.

ACTION PROPOSED

• Analysis of the data on women presence in decision making, poltics and economics.
• Research of the "most profitable practice" to strengthen women presence in decision making and in politics and economics.
• Initial comparison and identification of a research scheme among partner countries.
• Identification of suitable methods and instruments.
• Intermediary assessment.
• Meeting and final conclusion so to allow and favour transnational exchanges through partnership.
• Introductive seminaries addressed to:
  1. opinion leaders (Women Lobby) for the multiplier effect for the valorisaton of decision making as a universal vision;
  2. women groups to strengthen their assertive ability and self candidature to decision making.
  about:
  1. EU Institutions;
  2. nationals institutions;
  3. formalities for accessing to parties and electoral candidatures;
  4. the electoral systems;
  5. appointments in Institutions and non elective organisations;
  6. statistical data on women presence in decision making and in politics;
  7. individual and group strategies to achieve decisional places;
  8. comparison between partner countries frompoints 2,3,4,5,6,7.
• Promotion of the "Network of the women candidates to decision making" at local, national and transnational level so to increase the women elected and the ones appointed in non elective Organisations and institutions.
• Creation of the "Council of the women elected" at provincial, regional and national level with transnational activity..
• Institution of a "CERTIFICATON OF COMPETENCE", open to further Communitary developments and consequent action of valorisation and dissemination, proved by a LOGO.
• Action of pressure from institutions of equity (local and national Commissions for Equality of Opportunity, female councils, Council of the women elected at provincial, regional and local level and female associations Councillors of equality to obtain the adoption of the "most profitable practice" from local and national institutions, Parties gouverning in the sectors of economy and finance.

ITS CONTEST

With increasing difficulty women access to decision making, differently from what happens for important charges, where skill is enough: from this statement our project starts.

FIDAPA of Turin, and after its foundation, the section Torino Est, with the support of Regione Piemonte, Provincia di Torino, Comune di Torino, Commissione Pari Opportunità Regionale, ANCI del Piemonte, Lega delle Autonomie del Piemonte, Consulta Regionale del Piemonte e Comunale femminile di Torino, Comitato Associazioni Femminili Torinesi, Apid-Woman entrepreneurship, Democrazia Paritaria, Centro di documentazione dell'Istituto Universitario Studi Europei di Torino, Centro di Iniziativa per l'Europa del Piemonte e Movimento Federalista Europeo, have organised three courses, the latest to sensibilise on the European Union. Objective of the course was to promote qualified female presence in local administrations.

About 250 women of different ages, social class, culture, political ideas, occupation have attended the courses and have formed a NETWORK with the following results:

• administrative experience of 50 women enrolled to the courses in the Commissions of the 10 Areas carrying out the administrative activity in the Common of Turin;
• the candidature for local elections of some of the partecipants to Seminaries with their election as Councillors in the commons of Turin metropolitan area;
• the willing to stand as a candidate for the next administrative elections in 1997.

In Valle d'Aosta, thanks to the sensibilisation due to the courses and to the reserves of shares for women in electoral lists during the elections of 1994 the women elected increased of 50%..

To point out and use this success the Female regional Council in Valle d'Aosta promoted the "Council of the women elected" which includes all women elected from the different parties at communal, regional level, the president of the female Council, CPO and the Councillors of equality. The Council has a fortnight pubblication enclosed to Informadonna, sent to 10000 people.

On 2/4/96, also in Piedmont, the regional Council approved the creation of the "Council of the women elected" on proposal of FIDAPA and other female associations.

FIDAPA together with APID woman entrepreneurship aims at continuing the work of sensitisation and preparation started and enlarging the network of women candidates and elected at a national level, involving 179 Italian sections of FIDAPA, FIDAPA Foundation and other Women Associations and at an international level through the project "strengthening women's role in decison making and in politics".

ITS OBJECTIVES

1. USE PREPARATION AS A PASSAPORT FOR WOMEN TO ENTER AND ADVANCE IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, PROPOSE THEMSELVES AS CANDIDATES AND BE VOTED BY ELECTORS (LOGO AND CERTIFICATION).

2. INCREASE AND FAVOUR WOMEN ACCESS TO POLITICAL DECISION MAKING, CREDIT, ENTERPRISE, INSTITUTIONS OF REPRESENTATIVE ORGANS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THE AIM.

3. ACHIEVE RESULTS WHICH CAN BE TRANSFERRED AS THE CERTIFICATION COMPETENCE, THE NETWORKS, THE COUNCIL OF THE WOMEN ELECTED, THE STRATEGIES TO CREATE THE IMAGE OF A WOMAN SUITABLE AND QUALIFIED TO GOVERN.

4. DISSEMINATE AMONG THE WOMEN THE CULTURE OF THE "RIGHT AND DUTY" OF CITIZENSHIP AND ENCOURAGE THEM FOR POLITICS SO TO MANAGE "WHAT IS PUBLIC" WITH AN EUROPEAN VISION.

ITS INSTRUMENTS

The resources will come from the local network with the involvment of Associations and Organisations for cofinancing:

Regione Piemonte, Provincia di Torino, Comune di Torino, Commissione Pari Opportunità Regionale e Nazionale, Consulta Comunale di Torino e Regionale femminile, ANCI del Piemonte, Lega delle Autonomie, Comitato Associazioni Femminili Torinesi, Sezioni FIDAPA, FONDAZIONE FIDAPA, APID-Imprenditorialità Donna, IFBPW (International Federation of Business and Professional Women).

PLANNED OUTCOMES

1. INCREASE THE NUMBER AND QUANTITY OF THE WOMEN ELECTED AND DEFINE THE INSTRUMENTS TO MONITOR THE INCREASE.

2. FAVOUR WOMEN ACCESS TO POLITICAL DECISION MAKING (FINANCE, CREDIT, LABOUR, POLITICS, ETC).

3. CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE ELECTORAL LAWS AND THE FORMALITIES TO ACCESS POLITICAL CARREER ACCORDING TO THE MOST PROFITABLE PRACTICE IDENTIFIED IN THE TRANSNATIONAL PARALLEL RESEARCH.

4. CREATE IN ALL REGIONS THE "COUNCIL OF THE WOMEN ELECTED" SO TO SUPPORT THE PROMOTION OF A NATIONAL NETWORK.

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