Training to prepare aspiring women candidates

 By ZACHERY PER

ASPIRING female candidates for the local level government elections in Eastern Highlands are undergoing a two-day training in Goroka.

The training is to educate them on how to conduct campaigns, drawing up a budget for the election and how to work with other stakeholders.

The training is funded by the Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI) and AusAID. 

Soso, who had invited more than 40 women to take part, told them it was time to show “women power”.

She praised them for their courage in standing up to contest the elections in the province’s eight districts.

Fifteen will vie for the LLG president seats, 23 will contest the ward council seats and two will be campaign managers.

Soso shared her experience in the 2012 general election in which she won the provincial seat.

She said she slowly built her po­pularity with the people and led to her victory in the general election.

She thanked CDI and AusAID for their help.

“Such trainings will chart the way forward for women to go into politics,” she said.

“I have realised the impact CDI has made so I invited them to the province to train the women.”

Soso encouraged the women candidates to have faith in God.

Training facilitator Steven Willie Gari said Soso was one of those who benefitted from such training.

“The training is to empower women to do well at the polls as men. It is basically about campaign strategies including speeches, budget campaign messages and LPV and networking with stakeholders,” Gari said.