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Claire Curtis-Thomas MP and her exchange partner Hon. Rosemary Chipampe Zambia, 2004    

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Women in leadership   
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Reporting the election 2005   
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Women in Leadership    

In 2001, British Council East and Central Africa asked a cross-section of people in eight African countries what they think about the effectiveness of their political leaders, men and women. The research reported in Effective Leaders? Views from East and Central Africa, is the first time that the views of ordinary people in these countries about their leaders have been researched and published. The British Council also commissioned MORI to conduct similar research in Britain as a comparison.

In response to the research findings, the British Council developed a work-shadowing exchange project between women MPs in the UK and in East and Central Africa.

The Women in Leadership project is a work-shadowing exchange programme whose first phase enabled fourteen women MPs from East and Central Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) to visit the UK and spend time shadowing UK women MPs in Parliament and in their constituencies. The aim was to develop new understanding of what political leaders can do to represent their constituents effectively, especially women and the disadvantaged.

Following these visits a number of UK MPs made a return trip to visit their exchange partners.

For both groups the experience was an opportunity to learn about the challenges faced by women politicians in very different situations.

Those who took part 2003-2006

UK MP   

Country   

Christine McCafferty MP   

Zambia   

Jane Griffiths (former MP)   

Malawi   

Julie Kirkbride MP   

Kenya   

Cheryl Gillan MP   

Kenya   

Candy Atherton (former MP)   

Uganda   

Helen Mary Jones AM   

Uganda   

Patsy Calton (former MP)   

Kenya   

Jane Hutt AM   

Kenya   

Lady Sylvia Hermon MP   

Tanzania   

Elaine Smith MSP   

Tanzania   

Sandra Gidley MP   

Ethiopia   

Sally Keeble MP   

Ethiopia   

Ann McKechin MP   

Zambia   

Claire Curtis-Thomas MP   

Zambia   

Vera Baird QC MP   

Tanzania   

Jackie Lawrence (former MP)   

Kenya   

Linda Fabiani MSP   

Tanzania   

Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP   

Tanzania   

If you would be interested in taking part in the Africa project, please contact Hannah McConnell

DCSIMG

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