The MENA Institute for Women Candidates is a project to give the women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) practical campaign advice as they prepare to run in elections throughout the region. The advice you will find here is designed to be directly relevant to your campaign. Rola Dashti, a women's activist in Kuwait and a former candidate for Kuwait's Parliament, oversees the project, with assistance from campaign professionals from around the world. From her experience, she recognized that many women running for office need additional support and training beyond what they have received in order to create effective campaigns.
This online guide to campaigning is designed to make the process easier and clearer, both for first time candidates and for experienced candidates who want to improve their skills. It includes modules on how to develop powerful messages, communicate with the voters, recruit volunteers, and create a campaign organization. We will also add advice from other women who have run for office and case studies of effective campaign efforts.
We welcome you to the site and hope that you find it useful. Please send us an email with any questions or ideas you have to improve this site at info@menacampaign.org.