Despite the 2011 Congress of Women initiative to pass an act of law guaranteeing both genders a 35 percent share on electoral lists, the number of women in the Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament) grew by a mere 4 percentage points during subsequent elections.
The absence of women in the public discourse, and/or their media image stereotypes, were factors in the situation.
The project purpose was to prevent the discrimination of women in media and politics.
The project served to reduce gender-based discrimination in the media and politics: institutions monitoring discrimination symptoms were formed; a broad campaign and women-empowering seminars were organised.
A Centre for Analyses and Expert Opinions and an Observatory of Gender (in)Equality in the Media were established. Nineteen reports of women in the media were published, 3 of which spanning election campaign periods. Four reports on gender-based discrimination symptoms were produced. Four train the trainer courses were organised, each duly trained (female) trainer subsequently delivering women-empowering workshops.
Twelve workshops were delivered, 6 each on women empowerment and on the discrimination of women in the media, respectively.
A Congress of Women guidebook was published, including a chapter on good Icelandic practices. An online media monitoring tool was drafted alongside a manual for female election candidates. A collective media monitoring report was presented to media representatives, Association members, and politicians attending the 8th Congress of Women.
Forty-eight trainers were trained, who proceeded to educate a total of 176 persons. One hundred and ninety women participated in the 12 aforementioned workshops.
Experts of the partner organisation (Centre for Gender Equality) delivered Gender Mainstreaming training sessions, consulted media monitoring tools, and took part in the drafting of the Guidebook section on Iceland.