The first meeting of the Mamak Shadow Council was held on July 28, 2015 after the “Women and Local Politics Training Days Program” which took place in Mamak on June 25-26.

Women discuss how they can influence municipal councils for the development of gender-sensitive policies and services. Watch Your Shadow Project which embraces the “Keep an Eye on the Politics” motto, aims to increase the participation of women in local politics and representation of women in local decision-making mechanisms.

The project which is conducted by Flying Broom Woman Communication and Research Organizaiom is funded under the Political Criteria Grant Program of Civil Society Dialogue III. The partners are ATAUM (European Research Center) and CWSP (Center for Women’s Studies and Policies) from Bulgaria.

During the training days, women had the opportunity to get information on local politics, social gender-equity, relevant national and international documentation, and to freely express themselves.

Women who are the members of the Shadow Council discussed and agreed upon the working principles and methods of the council with the participation of the project team during the first meeting of the council on July 28, 2015. The Mamak Shadow Council which will work within the framework of these principles and methods until October, also presented its suggestions on the Mamak agenda during this first meeting. The issues to be studied in Mamak from a woman’s viewpoint came to light within the framework of these suggestions. In the future meetings, under the leadership of the local coordinator to be chosen among the members of the Shadow Council and with the support of the project team, the agenda suggestions will be studied. Discussions on how to effect local actors and decision-making mechanisms will also be held.

The “Shadow Council Project” which started in October 2014 will continue until December 2015.