CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 NGO Efforts 254. Several NGOs have been working to support women in local government within the broad framework of women in politics and decision-making. The Women’s Legal Bureau conducts legal training and assistance for women which include training on women and the law, legal and paralegal assistance and feminist legal assistance. Meanwhile, the Center for Legislative Development provides critical intervention to legislative staff, legislators and NGOs through training, documentation and research services on legislative processes; and conduct gender sensitivity training for elected local officials and legislators and regular dialogues with other NGOs on legislative advocacy for women. It is also spearheading the program “50/50 Gender Balance in Political Participation” by 2015. 255. The Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CATW-P), a regional organization based in the Philippines, is advancing women’s political participation by creating a critical mass of competent, effective and committed women politicians who espouse a transformative approach to leadership. CAPWIP conducts training on empowering women for transformative leadership and citizenship, gender-responsive governance, in line with its thrust to build transformative communities. D. REMAINING CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES 256. Government must intensify actions to help women break the glass ceiling in the bureaucracy. Initiatives must be strengthened to enable more women to handle key positions in the bureaucracy through training on leadership, communication, negotiation and assertiveness, among others. 257. Women electorate must be prepared to elect women and men who support women’s empowerment and gender equality. There is also a need to sustain the political agenda and parties of women over the long-term and reorganize model capability-building interventions for women’s political groups. 258. More vigorous advocacy for temporary special measures is needed, especially in the judiciary, police, and military academy. 259. Career counselling, actual exposures to political processes and examination of structural constraints to women’s participation in these fields have to be consciously addressed. 260. As a May 2002 briefing paper for the workshop on gender balance in political participation noted, raising social awareness of the importance of a gender-balanced political system should be initiated nationwide to overcome old structure, paradigms and frameworks. 261. Capability and transformative leadership and politics and organizing at the community level need to be expanded and strengthened so that women’s groups and other basic sectoral groups can support and critically collaborate with elected and appointed women officials. 77