“Ti izbirash”
Parliamentary Elections 2001

Summary of Results

WAD and partners have carried out a FIRST national women-voters’ education campaign with the goal to increase the participation of women-voters in the up-coming parliament elections. The Women’s Alliance has worked with 13 local partner organizations to involve and inform marginalized groups of women, such as young women – first time voters, young mothers, unemployed women, rural women, minority women, elderly and disabled women about the electoral process and how to hold candidates accountable.

The particular success of this campaign lies in the impact of the various local voter education events, the phone banks, and the voter education materials, produced by WAD and complimented by the partners’ literature pieces. As these were part of the National Campaign, through the central coordination unit at WAD, working very closely with NDI staff and the National Coalition partners, there was a strong, mutually reinforcing effect.

The number of target audience reached is almost seven times as much as planned.

Number of small projects:	15
Overall number of voters, who have received information:	25 000
Overall number of towns and villages, reached by the campaign:	43
Overall number of voters, who have participated in public events, organized by WAD partners NGOs:	2 937
Overall number of literature pieces and other campaign materials produced:	51 167
Number of women-voters, who have participated in phone banks, focus groups and other types of opinion polls:	11 400
Number of volunteers, engaged in the campaign:	223
Number of volunteers trained:	27

The overall message chosen was: MY VOTE (VOICE) IS MY OWN SELF Campaign/ Voter Education Materials:

• Literature pieces for national distribution (38 000 circulation):
  • Information brochure – roles and responsibilities of women, areas of inequality between women and men, major demands to overcome those problems, as well as to secure responsive government
  • Motivating brochure – women’s responsibility towards the future of the children (“Vote for your beloved ones”)
  • Activating brochure – “Be active and vote in order to be able to put demands”
• T-shirts with the main messages (1260 pcs.)
• Literature pieces for local distribution:
• Leaflets, brochures, postcards (11 435 circulation altogether)
• Stickers (260)
• Posters (212)
• Local broadcasting clips: 3 radio clips (Yambol, Razgrad, Gabrovo) and 1 TV (Smolyan

The general perception of the campaign materials was very good. Parts of them have reached additional 32 NGOs of WAD network, thus multiplying the effect of the voter education effort.

Donor: NDI

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