Following the workshop, a teacher conducted a survey to get views and ideas from the participants

USAID has been on the front lines of increasing women’s participation in Guinean elections since 2005. Working through its partner IFES (International Foundation for Election System), USAID initiated a series of training sessions for over 100 women leaders drawn from across Guinea. The goal of the training was to increase their understanding and participation in the electoral process.

In order to sensitize women on the importance of taking part in all stages of the electoral process, IFES focused on teaching communication skills and familiarizing participants with the legal basis of elections. In addition, IFES emphasized the rights and responsibilities of voting as the foundation of a democratic society.

As a result of the activity, 104 Guinean women formed an association known as AGUIFPEG (the French acronym for the Guinean Association for the Involvement of Women in Electoral Processes and Governance). The association drafted a memorandum declaring its determination to increase the participation of women in Guinea’s political system. They called for greater positions of responsibility in political parties and electoral organizations, and encouraged women to run for office in their own right. With USAID support, the memorandum was translated into four national languages and distributed throughout the country.

In 2007, AGUIFPEG launched a nation-wide campaign to sensitize women to their political potential. The association organized 331 workshops, 42 conferences, and five rallies, which reached a total of 39,000 women. In addition, the association requested the elections commissions to increase the participation of women by thirty percent. The commissions are charged with counting and registering voters.

AGUIFPEG also organized training sessions in 2009 to build women’s capacity in the areas of communication and gender advocacy. Since the beginning of the year, the initiative trained 80 additional women.

In the provincial capital of Mamou, IFES and USAID organized another workshop March 16-18 to reinforce women’s capabilities in all stages of the electoral process as well as in effective communication.

The Governor of Mamou Narouba Kante presided over the opening of the workshop and also highlighted the importance of women’s access in decision-making.