 entrusting both spouses with the running of the family (Article 99 of the law on Personal and Family Code) ;  the adoption in January 2011 of the National Policy for Gender Equity and Equality and its Action Plan. This policy, which is intended to promote gender equity and equality in the medium and long term, the empowerment of women and their effective participation in decision-making at all levels of Togo's development process, is a real reference instrument;  the declaration of parity in elective positions declared by the Head of State on 19 December 2012;  the amendment of the Electoral Code to establish the principle of parity in Articles 220 and 225. The first amendment requests political parties, groups of legally constituted political parties, as well as independent persons to enforce gender parity in the lists of candidates presented in the legislative elections from July 2013. The second amendment requests the guarantee amount in the parliamentary elections for female candidates to be reduced by half, with the aim of encouraging Togolese women to have much more representation in parliament;  the granting of a financial bonus to political parties that nominate women;  the establishment of gender focal units in all Ministries and the strengthening of their capacities to ensure gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies;  the establishment of a caucus for the participation of women in political life at the National Assembly level;  the formulation of an argument for parity in elective positions followed by a plea to political parties for a good positioning of women on the electoral lists during the legislative elections of 2013 and for subsequent elections ;  training women on political leadership before the legislative elections to increase women's participation as voters;  development and implementation by the Ministry of Social Action, Women's Affairs and Literacy of a National Programme for Women's Political Leadership and a National Programme for women Professional Leadership ;  setting up the professional leadership platform;  establishment of a women's skills database to facilitate research by decisionmakers on women's skills for positions, committees, board meetings and consultations;  sensitization and capacity-building actions of the stakeholders (raising awareness among political parties' of gender equality and women's participation in the decision-making process, training potential candidates for leadership elections and communication techniques). 145