Robert Schuman Institute
Lack of equality between genders is still a big problem in the eastern and south eastern European countries. Both the participation and the representation of women in political life has declined visibly during the last 20 years and few real efforts are being made to implement legislation to improve this situation. Women are still in large percentages not represented on a decision making level in politics and the few countries that have a higher female representation have had to resume to a 30% quota system. Women are also in many cases gender-discriminated in other spheres of the society, from non-equal wages for the same kind of jobs to the difficulties to combine a family and working life.
KIC cooperates with the Robert Schuman Institute in Budapest, in a project aimed at training young people from Eastern and South-eastern European countries about gender equality, the importance of women in politics, political participation and methods to achieve a better gender balance in political parties.
About our partner
The Robert Schuman Institute was founded in 1995 by the European People’s Party, EPP, the European Union of Christian Democrats and the Foundation for European Studies. The institute has since replaced the former organisation Academy of Christian Democracy. Today, the Robert Schuman Institute offers young, politically involved members from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe trainings on a series of subjects, like democracy, political leadership and gender equality. Its international board of eight members, of which KIC detains one seat, runs RSI.
Previous experience
IKIC and RSI have collaborated since 2005 in projects aiming at increasing the ability of young politicians from EPP-linked parties in Eastern and South Eastern Europe to bring forward gender equality and gender sensitive policies inside their own organisations. Through a range of both theoretical and practical training sessions the projects have been trying to highlight the reasons behind the lack of gender equality in politics as well as helping the participants understand, analyse and improve their own organisation. The projects have also aimed at helping the participants develop methods to increase and support the presence of women on decision-making positions
Our project in 2009-2010
During 2009-2010 KIC together with the RSI conduct a political education project for capacity building around the theme “Gender and politics – equalities and differences). Seminars and lectures on subjects like Gender equality in politics and practice, leadership strategies and decision making procedures, political communication, equal representation etc have been combined with practical applications, workshops and home assignments/mini-projects. During 2010 a mentorship program has also been initiated with participants from the RSI courses and experienced politicians within the gender equality field from the EPP parties.