Financing women in politics (e-discussion summary)

The E-discussion aimed to address the financing of women in politics on a global level, and to create a knowledge base for future recommendations and action plans

One of the commonly-cited barriers to women’s political participation is lack of sufficient funds and in-kind contributions to campaign competitively. Women, who are frequently under-represented in business and commerce, often do not have access to the same corporate and business networks that men use to raise money. In some countries women still lack basic rights to own property, earn disproportionately lower income and have less financial independence than men. Women are also often kept outside of the existing party establishments, its professional fundraisers and political networks. In addition, women are sometimes socialized in such a way that they are reluctant to aggressively ask for money, and often lack basic fundraising skills and experience. In many countries there have been efforts to address this inequality, including skills development and targeted fundraising campaigns in support of women candidates, and reforms to political financing laws. On the other hand, women are increasingly finding new and innovative ways to raise money.

Publisher: iKnowpolitics
Year of Publication: 2009?