Introduction to the Course:

Despite women constituting 49% of India’s population, they remain severely underrepresented in legislatures (only 14.4% in Lok Sabha 2024). This 10-day transformative course equips women leaders, policymakers, and allies with gender-sensitive legislative skills to navigate India’s political landscape, advocate effectively, and accelerate progress toward gender-balanced governance.

This course is designed to build legislative capacities of women political leaders, aspiring legislators, and advocates of gender equality. It covers key areas such as legislative drafting, gender budgeting, debates, and committee work, while also addressing challenges like patriarchy in political parties, the need for intersectional policy design, and the international frameworks influencing gender parity in governance.

Using both Indian case studies and international best practices, the course empowers participants to become effective lawmakers, advocates, and champions of inclusive policy reforms.

The course covers:

• Structural barriersto women’s political participation (cultural norms, violence, financial constraints).
• Legislative toolsto advance gender equality (e.g., drafting private members’ bills on women’s issues).
• Global best practices(Rwanda’s 61% women MPs, Sweden’s feminist foreign policy).
• India-specific case studies: Successes (e.g., Panchayati Raj 50% reservation) and challenges (delayed Women’s Reservation Bill implementation).

With a focus on intersectionality (caste, class, religion), participants will learn to leverage parliamentary procedures, media, and grassroots mobilization to amplify women’s voices in politics.

Who Should Attend:

Women MLAs/MPs, councillors, and aspiring candidates.

·         Male allies in legislatures committed to gender equity.

·         Civil society leaders working on women’s political empowerment.

·         Bureaucrats implementing gender-sensitive policies.

·         Researchers studying women’s political representation.

Participants will:

1. Master gender-responsive budgeting(e.g., analysing Union Budget’s “Nari Shakti” allocations).
2. Draft women-centric legislation(e.g., models from Kerala’s Gender Park).
3. Counter online harassment and disinformationtargeting women leaders.
4. Build cross-party women’s caucuses(inspired by Bangladesh’s multiparty caucus).
5. Navigate parliamentary spacesamid gender biases (e.g., addressing interruptions).

Duration: 10 days (60 hours, including workshops, field exercises, and advocacy simulations)

Fees:Rs25,000

Mode: Hybrid

Methodology:

• Analysing women’s representation metrics.
• Sharing experiences of institutional sexism.
• Expert-led sessions and guest lectures by women MPs, bureaucrats, and academics
• Group discussions, debates, and mock legislative sessions
• Case studies and role play on drafting bills and committee work
• Audio-visual content: campaign speeches, parliamentary clips, documentaries
• Skill-building exercises on data use, public speaking, and negotiation
• Peer learning and mentorship circles

Certification: Participants who complete the capstone receive a Certificate in Gender-Sensitive Legislating endorsed by the FORE Centre for Political Leadership and Governance (FCPLG).

Duration: 5 days (60 hours, including workshops, case studies, and legislative simulations)

Fees: Rs 10,000

Mode: Hybrid