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

Work in parliament

British Council all party parliamentary group
Women in leadership
Reporting elections
Reporting the election 2005
British Council Ambassadors

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

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