The online training workshop “Developing advocacy and representation skills” was held on January 13, 2023. During the workshop sessions, more than 15 participants, women entrepreneurship organizations from all over Europe, had the opportunity to learn from the distinguished trainer and from each other. The Training workshop was designed to improve public policy skills, with a particular emphasis on developing advocacy and representation skills of WE support organizations.

The WEgate Community Council assitant Ms. Emilija Andonova kicked off the training workshop by discussing the importance of supporting women entrepreneurs and the future of the WEgate project.

Mrs. Ana Krstinovska, an experienced trainer in advocacy and representation, provided an introduction to the workshop, the objectives, and the agenda. The participants were given time to introduce themselves. The first part of the workshop was devoted to identifying the main issues and advocacy goals, and she provided appropriate examples for the participants.

The next topic she addressed was identifying the primary stakeholder groups for each objective. The participants had the opportunity to collaborate in groups and practice their knowledge in mixed groups. The following sessions focused on developing activities and messages, as well as planning, which always takes time, risks, and mitigation measures. Following this session, participants were required to work in groups and put the learning points into practice.

The WEgate Training workshop was a great opportunity to improve public policy skills, with a particular emphasis on developing advocacy and representation skills of WE support organizations. Participants were encouraged and supported to create their own personalized advocacy and representation plans that were tailored to the needs and priorities of their respective countries and organizations. The “plenary” sessions also encouraged peer learning by inviting participants to share their group work and provide and receive constructive feedback from others. The outcome was a first draft of a national/local advocacy and outreach plan that participants could use for their own purposes, specifically as a tool to support and mainstream their advocacy efforts.

Watch the recordings of the event here: