The Secretariat of the Parliament has opened applications for the Practice Parliament for Women programme.
The Practice Parliament for Women programme will be conducted from May 22-28 and interested individuals are required to submit their applications by April 30. Special measures have been taken to accommodate persons with disabilities in the programme.
The Practice Parliament Series is a project conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Parliament, with the support of the Government of Australia. The series consists of two components, which are Practice Parliament for Youth and Practice Parliament for Women.
The series aims to provide the opportunity for women and young people to build their capacity and confidence to participate in democratic processes, become change-makers in their communities, and eventually contest for elected positions. Specifically, the Practice Parliament for Youth aims to foster active participation of youth in the grassroots decision-making process while also encouraging them to become change-makers who can make a positive impact on society. The series builds on concepts of experiential learning to provide the opportunity for aspiring individuals to learn by doing, build new networks and allies through shared understanding, and engage in dialogue to further inform their values and perspectives.
The Practice Parliament for Youth programme was held in December last year with 40 participants, along with special sessions for 50 women. During the programme, participants got to experience the parliament chamber and were provided information on parliamentary proceedings. Sessions of the programme were conducted by different parliamentarians and administrative staff of the parliament, with Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed also leading a session on the history of the parliament.