Engagement of Women in Politics and Entrepreneurship

Italian National Agency of Erasmus + Youth in cooperation with SALTO-YOUTH EuroMed, French National Agency of Erasmus +, UK National Agency and GIZ Lebanon (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH)  and local NGOs and Institutions will organise from 23th (arrival day) to 28th (departure day) September 2019 in Lebanon a Seminar about the Engagement of Women in Politics and Entrepreneurship and the specific role that youth work can have in supporting their empowerment.

The activity is also part of the Strategic Partenrship “Youth@Work” among the European National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres responsible for the neighbouring regions Euromed, Eastern Europe and Causasus, South East Europe and the Salto RC Training & Cooperation.

The meaningful participation of women in national, local, and community leadership roles has become an important focus on global development policy. Still, some may ask why it matters if women become political leaders, elected policymakers, or civil society activists. Why does the world need more women involved in all aspects of the political process? Women's political participation results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and a more sustainable future.

So, why women in politics? So, why women in social entrepreneurship? The positive impact of women in politics is undeniable. Kofi Annan noted, “study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation.” Further, as Madeleine Albright has stated, the world is wasting a precious resource in the dramatic underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, often resulting in the exclusion of women’s talents and skills in political life.

The role of women also in social enterprises as leader and decision makers is very low: how can be supported and which direction can be taken?

The Seminar would be an opportunity to gather youth workers and youth leaders who have a specific interest in promoting at national and international level the empowerment of young women in politics and entrepreneurships as well in creating more international projects that can link different realities and experiences. 

During the seminar, the participants will be able to share their own practises and identify quality elements that youth work should take in consideration when cames to support competencies developments of womens in politics and entrepreneurship.

Objectives:

To better understand the Lebanese reality (local and national) about women in politics and social entrepreneurship;

To be aware about the “participatory dimension” of women in politics and social entrepreneurship;

To share between participants the “models” of understanding being political and social engaged

To overcome stereotyping role of women in politics and in social entrepreneurship

To discover good practices and tools about women in politics and social entrepreneurship lead by women

To strength opportunities of international projects.

Target Group

The seminar will be open for 25 international participants (from Programme Countries and South Mediterranean countries), both women and men. The training would be open to:

who is dealing directly with young people as youth workers, trainers, VET providers, ect;

who is active in the field of women empowerment in politics and social entrepreneurship;

women active in politics or in social entrepreneurship;

Venue: Beyrut (Lebanon)