Now, an IIM course for aspiring women politicians

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To groom aspiring women politicians by helping them develop necessary skills, IIM Bengaluru on Tuesday launched a certificate course in political leadership for them.

The three-month long programme called as India-Women in Leadership programme by the Centre for Public Policy (CPP) aims to equip aspiring women leaders with the requisite skills, knowledge and expertise in various aspects of governance.

It seeks to strengthen their ability to contest elections, lobby for women's rights and strengthen the overall network of politically active women across India, said a statement. The first batch starts on July 16.

The objective is to correct the imbalance in the Indian political landscape where women hold a mere 10 per cent of seats in India's parliament, the statement added.

City-based Centre for Social Research (CSR), an NGO working on gender empowerment, is also an active partner in designing the course. The programme includes lectures, field visits, as well as a week each of intensive exposure visits in Delhi and Singapore, the statement said.

According to the World Economic Forum�s 2009 Gender Gap Index, India ranks 24 out of 135 countries for women�s political participation.

"This programme will enable women to enter, progress, and make an impact in the political arena," said chairprson of CPP at-IIMB Rajeev Gowda said while referring World Economic Forum�s 2009 gender gap index where India ranks 24 out of 135 countries for women�s political participation.

The Centre for Public Policy, a leading policy think tank, was created in 2000 through a partnership agreement between the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IIMB.