Women in Politics
The Apolitical Foundation champions women's political leadership by building campaign support, addressing violence against female politicians, reshaping policies on gender-based violence, and fostering global leadership networks for women through communication and events.
Our Projects
Ongoing Project
Supporting Women's Campaigns
This project focuses on bolstering infrastructure for women running for elected office on a gender equality platform in select countries in Latin America and Asia. This support would come from pilots designed through a comprehensive co-creation process grounded in feminist Global South-led, decolonial and intersectional values.
This project runs through 2023 and 2024 and is funded by the Open Society Foundations.
Ongoing Project
TransformNorms Learning Collaborative
The Apolitical Foundation, in partnership with Global Health Visions, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are running a 10-month learning fellowship for leaders working on adolescent girls and young women’s rights to better understand and effectively use social norms approaches to advance social and behavioral change.
This project runs through from November 2023 - December 2024.
Upcoming Project
Women in Politics Power Catalyst: Wielding women’s influence throughout the political agenda
The Women in Politics Power Accelerator addresses the global gap in women’s political representation. The idea is a collaboration model built on Women’s experience in power, tailored to help strengthen their ability to advance critical areas of government globally.
We are seeking funding to undertake this work, so if you have any leads, kindly reach out!
Ongoing Project
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Political Advocacy
This project is focused on:
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Mapping key political actors working on GBV prevention
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Developing a network of informed and supported women politicians
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Creating a strategy for GBV policy advocacy.
We take a holistic approach to GBV prevention by engaging with, and learning from political actors to develop support mechanisms for women politicians to make and implement effective GBV prevention policy. In addition to this, we support the strategic management of the Accelerator for GBV Prevention.
Upcoming Project
Internet ‘Elves’ to Combat Online Violence Against Women Politicians (VAWP)
To combat trolling and online VAWP, we seek to build a movement of ‘Elves’. This project, as we envision it, is a combination of a citizen mobilization component with technological tools to:
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Detect (early warning signs) online hate,
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React to online attacks as an act of support to targeted politicians, and
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Change the narrative and promote democratic online practices.
We are seeking partners to undertake this work with us, so if you are/know of organizations that would be relevant for this, kindly reach out!
Women in Politics Events
Our Team
Suki Capobianco
Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Women in Politics
Natalia Herbst
Strategy and Development Director for the Network of PLIs and Political Innovators in Latin America
Janani Padmanabhan
Project Manager
Cäcilia Riederer
Project Coordinator
Mariana Lavin
Project Coordinator
Are you embedded in feminist politics as a politician, campaigner, activist or social entrepreneur?
We want to talk to you! Your perspectives would be invaluable in helping support new and existing politicians, and in making the world a better, more equal place. Reach out to janani@apolitical.foundation or suki@apolitical.foundation for more.