People-to-People Contacts The OSCE facilitated capacity building and networking between women on the local and national levels and across party lines. These events included discussions on women’s lack of participation and influence in decision making, gender equality in electoral processes, male dominance in political and public life, and working across party lines boost women’s political representation at the local and central levels. Through an open-ended series of activities to empower women at all levels, an informal network of fifteen hundred politically-active women from across the country and the entire political spectrum emerged. This OSCE-supported network created a conducive environment that encouraged women who previously would not talk to each other to become comfortable engaging dialogue. Through regular dialogue, bridges were slowly built across the political divide, including the development of joint initiatives to promote women and gender equality. Other initiatives included public calls for co-operation across the political spectrum, lobbying by women’s coalitions for amendments to gender quotas, calling for support from key political leaders, and issuing statements. The OSCE continued to support the network in its efforts to become self-sustainable over the long term by strengthening its members’ strategic and operational capacities. The initiative not only affected intra-party dynamics but also the general political landscape. Over the years, the representation of women in politics significantly increased, in particular at the local 100