After the advocacy training held in Barcelona from the 4th to the 9th April 2016, 24 association of the Southern Mediterranean have had the chance to draft an action plan proposal to improve the condition of women in their local and/or national context. The evaluation of proposals was accomplished in Algeria on May 31st 2016 and 8 associations were selected to deploy their campaign in the next following months. On this basis, they will receive technical support from the CSO WINS project and accompaniment of one of the 12 associations with high expertise in advocacy, which developed the successful practices. In total, 8 partnerships will be created in order to strengthen the mutual learning and the exchange of experiences.

The selected campaigns approach issues that slow down and limit women’s empowerment such as: child marriages and the so called “tourist marriages”, sexual harassment in public spaces, the weak representation of women in politics, the right to inheritance and the inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the economic life.

The 8 associations selected are:

- Association Anaouat pour la femme et l’enfant -Morocco (Chichaoua Province), Child marriage

- Association de l’information et de communication en milieu de jeunes de Guelma – INFO-COM - Algeria (Guelma), Sexual harassment in public spaces

- Badr Altawael Association - Egypt (Governorate of Sohag), Right to inheritance

- Hiwar Center for Youth and Women’s Empowerment - Palestine (Governorate of Ramallah and Al-Bireh), Quota for women’s representation in the municipalities

- Jusoor Center for Studies and Development - Libya (Benghazi, Tripoli, Yefren, Sabha), Inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the economic life

- Mouwatinet - Tunisia (Governorate of Sfax), Women’s representation in municipalities

- Start Initiative for Social Justice and Human Rights – SICJHR - Egypt (Ach-Charquiya, Ismaîlia, Port-Said), Tourist child marriage

- Women in Front – WIF - Lebanon (Whole Lebanon), Quota for women’s representation in the Parliament

During the meeting in Algeria, the Association pour les victimes du terrorisme Djazairouna organized a press conference in Blida on June 1st 2016. The aim was to present the CSO WINS project in the Algerian media and also the main action the Foundation is leading in the follow-up of policies promoting gender equality.

The CSO WINS Project "Capacity-building in the Southern Mediterranean to Open policy dialogue and monitoring for Women In Society" is funded by the European Union. It is coordinated by the Europan Institute of the Mediterranean, in partnership with Association pour les victimes du terrorisme Djazairouna, the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research, the Federation of the Democratic League of Women's Rights, the Forum Femmes Méditerranée, the Palestinian Businesswomen's Association Asala and the Euro-Mediterranean Academic and Scientific Network on Women and Gender.