paulina Quintao – The Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) has allocated $10.000 across all districts to prepare female candidates for the upcoming municipal chamber elections.
Secretary of State Idelta Maria Rodrigues said the money was part of SEPI's 2014 budget to support women in rural areas and conduct a district congress to help make women's voices heard.
She said while women were highly involved with politics on a national level, at a district level, women's participation in politics was poor. Women accounted for only 2 per cent of representation at a district level, she said.
Women's Parliamentary Group president Deputy Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said the opportunities for women to participate in politics at district and village levels were limited.
"People do not put importance on women's participation in the political sphere," she said. This was a form of discrimination against women, she said.
Aileu potential candidate Cristina Guterres said female potential candidates from her district gathered to share ideas about women's contributions to governance.
The Aileu potential candidates were well prepared to participate in the pre-decentralization program which is to be implemented this year, she said. "Working together is very important to prepare women to take part in elections," Guterres said.